Applecare & Consumer Reports

Here at Small Dog, we get a many inquiries about the value of Applecare. Personally, I always recommend buying Applecare – especially for laptops. This is because MacBook and MacBook Pro repairs tend to be notably more expensive than Mac mini, iMac or Mac Pro repairs. Also, laptops tend to get more use (and abuse) than desktop machines.

Several months ago, Consumer Reports (which typically recommends against extended warrantees) actually recommended buying Applecare:

“We also think it may be wise to get an extended warranty (which includes extended tech support) if you’re buying an Apple computer, because they come with only 90 days of phone tech support.”

The only other extended warranty Consumer Reports recommended are for rear-projection televisions, which are not only expensive to repair but also prone to breaking.

Macs are notably more reliable than other computer models. They do come with a one-year warranty. However, if you are the type of person who intends to keep a computer for up to three years, Applecare is definitely the way to go. Every week our technicians hear someone say “I wish I had bought Applecare” when presented with their repair bill. I admit, I’ve thought that myself – and that’s partly why I now recommend it.

We have all Applecare on sale for the holiday season, which you can see by clicking here.

Applecare can seem expensive, especially when you’re already buying a $2499 computer. It’s a service you hope to never use. However, it does bring a certain amount of peace of mind.