AppleCare extended warranty
As of this writing, Apple's standard warranty length is one year for parts and labor. You can extend this coverage for up to three years for most Macintosh models by purchasing an AppleCare extended warranty contract.
Buy AppleCare
When you purchase AppleCare coverage through the Apple Store for Education, we strongly recommend you buy it as one of the build-to-order options. If you do not buy it with the computer, you can purchase it later through an Apple-authorized reseller.
At the on-line Apple Store, there is an automatic AppleCare enrollment option will be listed as "auto-enroll" or "APP." It is only available for institute -- not personal -- purchases. This AppleCare auto-enroll option automatically registers your computer for AppleCare -- with no further paperwork -- and ties the AppleCare coverage to the serial number of the computer.
Important: If you are ordering from the Apple Store for Education, you may need to purchase the AppleCare auto-enroll package on the second ordering screen, after you have already configured your computer's build-to-order (BTO) options. In this case, don't purchase AppleCare as one of the BTO options. In some cases, AppleCare's auto-enroll package is not listed as a choice on the BTO screen. It is not an option for personal purchases.
Enroll AppleCare coverage after purchasing it
If you purchase AppleCare separately from the computer (or you do not choose the "APP" option for an institute purchase), you must fill out and return enrollment paperwork. Typically, the enrollment paperwork ships separately from the computer. If you do not return the enrollment paperwork, your AppleCare extended coverage is not valid.
The AppleCare auto-enroll package automatically registers any new computer with which it is purchased.
Use AppleCare for warranty repairs
You will need the AppleCare Enrollment number -- which is not the same as the computer's serial number -- to get warranty service after the original warranty has expired. Therefore, you should keep your AppleCare enrollment number (the number printed on the enrollment cards) safe.
If your institute-owned computer was purchased with AppleCare auto-enrollment coverage, your enrollment number is not needed; your coverage is instead tied to your serial number.
If you do not know your enrollment number or are unsure of your computer's AppleCare status, you can call the AppleCare Higher Education technical support line.
You can request Hardware repair from a vendor. We suggest you contact the ITS HelpDesk before requesting hardware repairs on any RIT-owned computer, so that we can troubleshoot the problem fully to verify that it is a hardware issue.
Pros
There are benefits to AppleCare extended warranties:
- extends total warranty coverage to at least 3 years from date of equipment purchase
- guarantees repair costs during life of coverage
- often pays for itself on repairs involving portable Macs
- can be used at any Apple authorized repair vendor
Cons
On the other hand, there are drawbacks:
- up-front additional cost if purchased with a computer
- total AppleCare cost may never be needed to repair a system
- serves as insurance and may not be needed for non-critical desktop systems
- if commodity parts like hard disks or memory fail, it may be cheaper to replace through other means
Details and advice
ITS recommends purchasing an AppleCare extended warranty for every critical Macintosh system used by faculty and staff, or in computer labs. We also suggest purchasing an extended warranty when Apple introduces a new model of Macintosh -- one with a completely new design and case -- such as when Apple brought out the Power Mac G4 Cube.
ITS recommends purchasing AppleCare on all Apple PowerBook and iBook portable computers -- whether purchased by RIT or yourself. These systems often get the most use and abuse, due to their portable nature, and can greatly benefit from guaranteed repair costs. Additionally, there are prohibitive costs involved with repair or replacement of many individual components in PowerBooks and iBooks -- and that is before labor is factored in.
Non-critical Power Macintosh and iMac desktop systems may or may not have AppleCare coverage, depending on the decision of the department making the purchase. And, if you are buying a desktop Mac for yourself, it is entirely your decision on whether to buy the extended warranty or not -- but you can use our advice as a guideline.
