3 yr Protection Plan?

Is it worth it to purchase the 3 year protection plan for a powerbook??? It's pretty expensive. Also do u have 2 buy the extended protection time u buy the powerbook or can u buy it at anytime during the 1 yr warranty that comes standard?
Thanx in advance

its definnitely worth it, and you can buy it later, though either way, it won't kick in til after your original warranty is gone.

I think it's worth it, especially if you're going to lugging (not a bad term, but a term I like to use) a powerbook around with you, you never know what might happen or such. Like Macman said, you can extend it at anytime. I got one on my ibook, and it at least helped when I called the machelp line (or whatever its called...[side story: the people in the mac store know more then the people when you call for help....but it all depends on the question])

Unfortunately with a powerbook it's necessary. After over-paying for a powerbook you have to pay $300 for a warranty just cause it will break down anyway.

I beg to differ. Warrantee are just that warranty. You buy one to help you just case a problem happens. Here I have to buy car insurance, but I don't have to buy home owner's insurance. It would be wise to purchase home owner's insurance. An example if the powerbook is stolen you can get it replaced. As for Apple Care you don't have to purchase it. If you don't purchase it, you are betting that you will not have a problem with your system. If you look at the cost of the replacement part, you can see that it would be to your advantage to get.

I took a chance and did not purchase it, my problem occurred out side of the coverage window.

As for the high price powerbook, it is simple economics. Supply and demand. The powerbook was not designed for the basic consumer, as the iBook is.

I would highly suggest the warranty. My IBM T30 has been nearly rebuilt with the number of new parts it has had put in it under warranty (mobo,cd drive, hd). Each of these was seperate incidents. IBM is 2nd only to Apple in reliability and support so we aren't even talking about me having a shoddy product here. On that note, the Applecare isn't even that bad, as IBM wants $160 PER YEAR for extending the warranty (educational price maybe), and education price of Applecare is $230 for two years.

Basically if it will need any sort of repair work once it's cheaper to pay for Applecare. Also, it's a strong selling point if you decide to sell it. My PB had over $1,000 worth of repairs within the first 4 months.

When i asked about this, Technologist (hope thats spelt right) gave me an interesting link that give lots of information about various laptop failures and effieceny they are dealt with etc. gives you lots of details with which company has the most failures and who is the best at fixing them etc! can't find the link at the moment but im sure your come across it if you search!

For you infor when i purchase my powerbook i will be getting apple care for it, not straight away though.

I waited till I had one month left on my basic warrenty to get my extended warrenty, and I pick mine up on ebay for like $240 for the 17inch powerbook. I think that warrenty runs $349 at the store or apple.com.

Gotta love ebay!

It is deffinately worth it.. and if you buy it with your American Express card you will get 4 years because AE will expand any warrenty you buy by double up to a year if you buy it with their card. So yes, deffinatly get it, and if you have an AE card use that.

PowerBookG4 said:

It is deffinately worth it.. and if you buy it with your American Express card you will get 4 years because AE will expand any warrenty you buy by double up to a year if you buy it with their card. So yes, deffinatly get it, and if you have an AE card use that.

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Where does it say that?? I've never heard that before, but thats a good deal!

I think it is worth it as well. I didn't think so at the time of purchase, but after the superdrive failed for no reason, it paid for itself. I take better care of this powerbook than most other items I own....and for something to stop working like that was inexcuseable. If I didn't have the applecare, I would have been left to pay for it myself.

peace,
steve

Could someone please post a link to the 3 year warranty or is this just the apple care program?

Let's face it, extended warranties are high profit items for the companies that offer them (either the manufactures or the after market vendors). My rule of thumb is that somebody is making money off these things, and it isn't me. Therefore, for the most part, I avoid extended warranties like the plague. I have never before purchased an extended warranty for a desktop computer (or a car, or an appliance for that matter) and have never regretted it.

On the other hand, I believe all of the people who have responded to this thread (and other related forum topics) with examples of how their extended warranty saved them far more than the cost of the coverage. I also feel that portable computers are subject to far more extreme environmental conditions than their desktop counterparts (just try carrying your desktop system around, jostling it about in luggage, using it outdoors, etc.) and have tougher temperature requirements (dissipating power supply and CPU energy over a smaller volume). Therefore, I have abandoned my usual behavior and purchased the 3-year warranty extension for my new PB.

As a couple of people have mentioned, you do not have to purchase the Apple protection plan from Apple. Ebay is one option, but I found mine for $253.00 by using CNET and saved myself nearly $100.00 for the exact Apple warranty product (Apple P/N M8853LL/A).

Just my two cents.

metsfan489 said:

Could someone please post a link to the 3 year warranty or is this just the apple care program?

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It is just the Apple care program, which I believe is a three year coverage.

terpfan said:

Where does it say that?? I've never heard that before, but thats a good deal!

Click to expand...

It is actually a American Express policy.

Technically, AppleCare is only two years. Every Mac sold by Apple (even refurbished models) comes with a full one year warranty and 90 days of phone support. AppleCare simply adds two years of warranty, thus making the total three years. AppleCare does extend the phone support to be valid the entire length of the three year period, though.