I’m chagrined to admit that I recommended a Dell to a family member the other day. She’s considering the options for a laptop computer for her daughter to take to college. And I recommended a Dell.

Yes, I agree that Apple provides a better value than Dell in Apple’s selected consumer niches. And yes, I would probably recommend an Apple over a Dell desktop. But my experience is that college is an accident rich environment. And AppleCare doesn’t impress me.

Apple does not cover damage due to accident, abuse, neglect, or misuse. That may be acceptable in a benign home environment. But I’d like something a bit more robust for college. Dell CompleteCare covers most accidental damage (spills, drops, surges, breakages). That’s a big difference.