Should you get AppleCare?

As a former Apple employee, I am frequently asked questions. The most common question I receive, obviously, is "Which Mac should I get?" After that, however, the most frequent question is "Should I get AppleCare?" to which I usually answer "definitely...maybe". AppleCare is a good idea full stop, but budgetary concerns are always paramount, especially now.

Whether you get it really depends on a few factors. Chief among these is whether you are buying a desktop or a notebook. Notebooks are designed to be tougher than the desktops, but their failure rates are statistically much higher. This isn't linked to build quality, but to use and design. Notebooks are carried around, and in the process, things move around. Hard drives are typically the first to go, then optical drives. If the notebook is involved in a sudden shock, the trauma can kill the logic board (motherboard). Even if the computer shows no signs of distress, and was properly secured, an electrical charge can do huge amounts of damage.

Even if you leave a notebook on your desk and never move it, it will still go bad before a desktop. A MacBook Pro has roughly the same innards as the top of the line iMac, but in less than half the space. This does wonders to heat buildup, and that heat is murder on the smaller seals and mounts.

This makes AppleCare a very good idea on a MacBook or MacBook Pro. However, you will pay out the nose for it. At last glance, AppleCare was $250 for MacBooks and $350 for Pros. On the other hand, an out of warranty logic board repair is $800 plus labor.
Now, with desktops, your failure rate is going to be less than two percent, so if you want to roll the dice, you are far less likely to come up snake eyes, but the AppleCare is only $150, so its very hard to go wrong.

The most important consideration though, is how long you plan to own your computer. If you plan to only own it for 12-18 months, skipping AppleCare may be a smart idea, since you are less likely to use it. If you're going to buy an iMac to run it into the ground, than AppleCare is a very smart move.

I hope this answers any questions you have. As always, if you have any more, you know how to reach me.

UPDATE: I would also recommend anyone worried about data check out My Digital Life.