The AppleCare gives you phone support for the entire 3 years as well (extended from 90 days).

Anyway, there is a HUGE retail markup in that $349. I bought mine for $269. https://www.expercom.com/browse_by_c...278&SHOW_ALL=Y if you need one. I debated, waited until my one-year was mostly up, and decided to get it this time. On my previous PowerBook, I might have gotten some use out of the AppleCare if I had had it. The lower price sealed the deal, and then I ultimately had a repair incident that made it worthwhile (including a new battery, which I likely technically shouldn't have gotten under the warranty).

So anyway, $349 may be the going rate, but the resellers are pushing hard on AppleCare. Even the local indie Apple shop discounts it sometimes. And given that, it obviously doesn't *need* to cost that much. If a reseller can sell it for $269, Apple apparently still makes a profit on it at something around or below that price level.

You'll get no argument from me. Extended warranties, and repairs for that matter, are huge moneymakers. Even so, I think they're worthwhile for notebooks, because any repair on a notebook tends to be very expensive. It's the only thing I buy the extended warranty on.

What's the going rate of Tech Support these days? last time I dealt with MS (who couldn't solve the problem, btw), I think it was $70 per incident to call them.

Considering AppleCare is the best support out there and the most likely to resolve an issue, at least you get what you pay for.

I do think it can be worthwhile for novice users, who are likely to need phone support after 90 days, and laptop owners.

back to the topic (sort of)... Has anyone who ordered an iNtel iMac received theirs yet? The first orders are due to arrive any day now... We need reports. Fill us in when you get them.

I wish. Mine is showing Estimated shipped by date of 2/15/06. I have one coming from CDW as well. We'll see which one gets here first. That one is standard config and not a CTO.

The boys at Ars Technica got theirs. The verdict - it's fast. I really think it's the best bargain in the Apple lineup right now. If I were going to buy another Mac, it'd be the 17" iMac.

Must have been a different Microsoft:

2 support request(s) submitted online or by a phone call are included at no charge. Unlimited installation support is available by phone at no charge.
(866) 234-6020

All additional support requests are $35.00 US per request or use an existing contract
(800) 936-5700

Advanced issues include problems associated with software and hardware development, network connectivity, server-based technologies, and mission-critical systems. Issues can also include problems associated with configuration and deployment of business workstations and servers.

Advanced Support is available for $245 U.S. For more information or to request Advanced Support, call (800) 936-4900.

On the Apple website I could not find a price for phone support, all they mention is 90 days free phone support, I assume you need a care pack after that.

They (Apple) obviously have pay per incident or time or whatever, but I dunno how much it costs. I never call them. I can diagnose my own stuff, and if I need warranty repair I just take the damn thing into an Apple Store (or get someone else to). At work we've had a few iMac G5 failures now, unfortunately (out of about 15 of them).

I did buy the AppleCare on my PowerBook for the first time, as I said, and I think I got my money's worth warranty-wise even though I don't use the phone support component. I don't buy extended warranties as a rule.

I've had very good experiences with Microsoft tech support: I've never had to pay, and you tend to get connected to very competant people. In one case, I was hooked up with a software engineer/programmer, which is sort of the ultimate in technical support!

Anything security related, the call is free. Anything bug-related, the call is free. If you're on their business program (I believe it's called "Tech Net") all calls are free. For questions about many Microsoft applications, the call is free. If you're a developer (I am) and buy one of the MSDN subscriptions, you'll get unlimited support on the newsgroups, including experts that will write demo code on your behalf.

The challenge for dealing with Microsoft platforms is that unlike Apple, MSFT doesn't lock down the hardware side of things, so you're potentially dealing with problems that are out of their hands.

-KF

apple does not lock down the hardware in any way. full specs for building hardware and writing drivers are available at apple.com (and have been for years). no approval from apple is required. parts that meet industry standard specs (usb, ide, ram, vga/dvi, etc. ) usually 'just work.'

I think that what the previous poster means is; when you buy a Mac you can only buy from one place; Apple. When you have a PC Microsoft has to deal with 1000's of vendors varying from great to downright crappy.

When you call Apple there is zero chance that you'll be trying to install MacOS on a cheap knockoff Taiwanese clone...

The biggest problem for me with the Macbook Pro is that all, let me repeat ALL existing software that I have purchased, downloaded, acquired etc will not work under the new Intel chip. I know they have Rosetta, but this is not going to cut the mustard for those heavy users of specific software while we wait for new software to arrive, and secondly, we'll have to buy all of the new software again. Can they patch things, like a download for Photoshop that will convert the processing ?

Knowing Adobe; they can, but they won't.

Most likely neither will anyone else. This is a big problem for those of us that are dependant on their machines for work etc. To have to re-buy all software is not that acceptable for someone who has only recently bought most of it.

It is good for Apple, and it is also good for them in regards to piracy as they get to start everyone with a clean deck

In many of the ways that count, of course Apple, Inc. keeps a proprietary lock on their hardware, and they routinely protect this with litigation. There aren't third-party vendors of Apple-compatible motherboards and there haven't been since Apple ended its experiment with licensing MacOS and Mac IP in the late 90s. Some parts of OSX are open for modification and extension, and many parts of it aren't.

From the consumer's perspective and from AAPL's perspective, there are good and bad things that come out of these restrictions. IMHO the rational consumer acknowledges both sides of the coin.

-KF

No, Apple's taken on a completely different architecture now, and "patching" an application compiled for PowerPC so that it would somehow work on the new MacTel hardware would be a little bit like "patching" a program written for Windows XP so that it would work on OSX. Ain't gonna happen very easily.

Of course, if Adobe et. al. were "nice", they would give you the upgrade gratis, but... that ain't gonna happen easily, either.

Apple has swapped architectures a few times now. The downside is self-evident. The upside is that they tend to be able to use these opportunities to sweep away the old: the company isn't hobbled by the need to support a billion legacy devices for all time. If you're willing to buy into the new, the result is usually a more stable and consistent experience, and toys that stay shiny.

-KF