To Buy or Not to Buy: A Question on the Extended Warranty

My faithful readers know that we learned we needed an expensive repair to our Mac SEVEN DAYS before the warranty expired. So happy.

Today, Mr. FS and I ventured to Baton Rouge, land of malls, to the Apple Store. We had to relinquish our computer; we hope to get it back in a week or so. While Mr. FS handed over the machine, the Apple fellow offered an extended warranty: $170.00! He explained that Macs are very expensive to fix. Unlike clunky PCs, which you can often fix yourself, the beautiful Mac requires an expert. It takes an hour just to remove the screen. (At how much per hour, I wonder.)

So it seems the virus-free Mac DOES have a dark side, what with pricy repairs lurking here and there. My general rule has been that anything the company is eager to sell you (extended warranties, cancer insurance, variable annuities, bundled services, to name a few) is probably more in the interest of the company than the consumer.

But what think you on the subject? Should we get the extended warranty? Or should we just say no?