Being an apple guru of sorts my feelings are mixed about applecare. I personally don't go for the extended warranty. However i'm also the type of person who would either know how to fix the problem myself or be the one who caused it, voiding any warranty i would have.

Apple has a pretty mixed track record with their computers as far as being shoddily made. you may get a good one, you may get a bad one. That's the gamble. Though if you're not a techie super-geek i'd recommend getting the service just to have the peace of mind.