Though for anyone who can afford it Applecare is a good idea, let me make a few suggestions based on a few years of working in macintosh labs in a university setting.
1. If you buy with many credit cards you can get a doubled warranty up to a year. Theoretically, you get a one year from apple, that is extended to two years for free just by purchasing the computer with your credit card (check your credit card company for details).
2. Many new computers do have something go wrong, but usually it's noticeable within the first month or two of ownership, well within the initial coverage. 9/10 if a computer survives the first year, the chances of something breaking that applecare will cover is rare.
3. Laptops have variables more likely to fail than desktop machines. Batteries and power adapters are especially quirky beasts. Be wary of those, but also keep in mind, it's cheaper to replace them than to buy applecare. A battery can usually be had for about 120, an adapter for 70.
4. There are many third-party repair companies (some better than others) that do repairs a lot cheaper (and often better) than Apple's. They also have varying warranties on their work. These are often cheaper than apple warranties.
5. BIG POINT - APPLECARE IS NOT INSURANCE. It's a warranty. If you drop your laptop or spill coffee, apple is not going to repair it. Of course there are some examples of apple doing this, but technically this is not what applecare is designed for. It's designed for faults with the hardware, not damage to it caused by user behavior. Get a good insurance company like safeware.com. They'll cover a fully loaded powerbook against *ANY* accidental damage no matter whose fault for about $100 a year.
Dropping a laptop rather than some hardware randomly failing is a more common repair.
Good luck.
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Though for anyone who can afford it Applecare is a good idea, let me make a few suggestions based on a few years of working in macintosh labs in a university setting. 1. If you buy with many credit cards you can get a doubled warranty up to a year. Theoretically, you get a one year from apple, that is extended to two years for free just by purchasing the computer with your credit card (check your credit card company for details). 2. Many new computers do have something go wrong, but usually it's noticeable within the first month or two of ownership, well within the initial coverage. 9/10 if a computer survives the first year, the chances of something breaking that applecare will cover is rare. 3. Laptops have variables more likely to fail than desktop machines. Batteries and power adapters are especially quirky beasts. Be wary of those, but also keep in mind, it's cheaper to replace them than to buy applecare. A battery can usually be had for about 120, an adapter for 70. 4. There are many third-party repair companies (some better than others) that do repairs a lot cheaper (and often better) than Apple's. They also have varying warranties on their work. These are often cheaper than apple warranties. 5. BIG POINT - APPLECARE IS NOT INSURANCE. It's a warranty. If you drop your laptop or spill coffee, apple is not going to repair it. Of course there are some examples of apple doing this, but technically this is not what applecare is designed for. It's designed for faults with the hardware, not damage to it caused by user behavior. Get a good insurance company like safeware.com. They'll cover a fully loaded powerbook against *ANY* accidental damage no matter whose fault for about $100 a year. Dropping a laptop rather than some hardware randomly failing is a more common repair. Good luck.