Do not underestimate the value of the AppleCare Protection Plan - particularly if you are going to buy a MacBook or MacBook Pro - there are just too many things that can go wrong and replacing notebooks and their parts can be very expensive.

In 2004 I purchased a 15-inch Aluminum PowerBook 1.25GHz and the main issue confronting me was whether or not I should purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan (APP). Buying AppleCare turns out to be one of the best purchases of my life, as some major issues began to crop up.

1) Trackpad was not functioning properly
2) HDD died that would have ran me US$159 by today’s current market prices
3) Return key was beginning to work sporadically (US$60 for a new keyboard)
4) SuperDrive was not longer super (US$130)
5) Lower RAM slot went kaput
6) Motherboard died (US$900, used) and when my laptop was returned the RAM slots were bogus again…

This time I went into an Apple store to see a genius, because I wanted someone to document the near mint condition my machine was in and that all of these issues were not due to mistreatment of the PB.

I called Apple and wanted to know their policies on replacing computers because I went out and bought an Apple and came home with a lemon. The product engineer stated that their policy on replacing computers was that a computer had to have at least three major repairs in a year.

7) HDD died again (US$159)

When the machine came back I was immediately having issues the fan would come immediately after booting up the machine. When I called Apple I was told that this issue happens from time to time and as long as nothing was freezing I am okay. I am an artist if something freezes it will be hell to pay was my response.

For a month my loud PB and I had a very strained relationship until the freezing started I called in and the AppleCare Specialist and I went through resetting the power management. It had no affect and the machine would still freeze the next time I called in I was sent back to an engineer. The engineer’s advice was do an archive and install on the machine. I did him one better and went with a clean install.

That was on a Friday I was told if the machine freezes over the weekend call him back first thing Tuesday and we would take matters from there. After the clean install I was still having the same issues and I had already made up in my mind that on Tuesday to request a replacement PowerBook.

No need for that when I called the engineer and told him that I was still having the same issue he offered to replace the computer. Now I was thinking at best I would end up with a refurbished PowerBook G4 15-inch. Nowhere in my wildest imaginations did I know that I was going to be offered a brand new 15-inch MacBook Pro 2.16GHz.

So my US$349 investment in AppleCare save me over US$1400 in repairs and last but not least the cost of receiving a brand new MacBook Pro. Priceless.

Contributed by: Joshua Stein