Your point about some saying that AppleCare is needed for laptops more than desktops is valid. Many do say that. However, it is important to note to those people that an iMac has many laptop components inside. There’s a reason those sexeh computers are so skinny!

Sorry it took so long for your comment to be approved. For some reason it was marked as spam.

It appears that AppleCare is global – http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=244673&highlight=applecare+ebay – a good few people there having bought AC from the US but were able to use it fine in the UK when they needed it

Brilliant idea indeed and just found a £55 cover for my iMac (purchased June 2008). Any idea if people have ever had issues trying to use the ‘foreign’ AppleCare though?

Always a bit suspicious of these great deals

I wouldn’t have thought about eBay if it hadn’t been through word of mouth on Twitter. So glad I shopped around – the deals on there are great and blow Apple’s price out of the water

I did have a few problems with my first IMac, but they all occurred within the first year. This year I also had some minor problems with my Powerbook, and would have had them fixed if I’d had Applecare, but tried to live with them because I didn’t have much choice in the matter.

I think the extra expense has put me off in the past, but I’m definitely thinking of purchasing Applecare for my mac mini.

I hadn’t known that you could buy Applecare so cheaply on ebay, that will definitely make it a much more attractive option for me. Thanks.

Great examples of why AppleCare is a good idea, Chris. I would be totally bummed if anything happened to my iMac after spending £800 on it. I have heard some say that taking out extra cover for a desktop is not as essential as it is for laptops, but I neglected to take out any insurance on a desktop PC eight years and it died on me after 2 years…when I had no cover. I then spent £1,200 on a [toshiba] laptop…and took out a VERY extended insurance on it which lasted a lot longer than my interest in it

The second trip to AppleCare for Mr. iBook was for a hard drive replacement, as the drive failed during routine web browsing. And this was before Leopard and Time Machine. Suffice it to say, I am glad that I was practicing a good backup routine with SuperDuper!

Now I have my MacBook. And I fear I need to take it to the Apple Store (as I live near one now) for a checkup. The FireWire port has stopped. This isn’t urgent, as my Time Machine drive can also use USB. I’m just waiting for the right time where I can live without my MacBook for an entire week.