Applecare

If I ever know anybody getting an Apple laptop, I tell them to get Applecare. Applecare extends the warranty of the computer from one to three years; if anything stops working, they'll send you out a new part with overnight shipping or take in the computer for more detailed repairs for free. Here's why I recommend it:

What we payed: $240 (student price)

I had no problems during my computer's first year, but since then I've had these problems:
2 battery replacements - $260
2 power adapter replacements - $160
Logic board replacement- around $800

All of that—at least $1200 worth of parts, not counting labor, plus shipping—was included under the $240.

Now I'm a heavy computer user who takes my computer on the road a lot, so my results are probably not typical. I probably wouldn't buy Applecare with an iMac. But, seriously, I wouldn't have been able to afford all those repairs myself, and I won't buy another notebook without Applecare.