They put supercomputers wherever they want. I even interviewed for a position on the red sea in Saudi Arabia...but that job wasn't worth the hassles involved. The one I'm running is going away at some point. It's replacement is in Fairmont, WV. I may or may not get that job, so I'm applying for every interesting sounding position I can find.
It seems to me adjusting the range on the attenuator to match what need makes more sense than changing the gain on an amp that isn't readily set up for that.
I've never gotten applecare because 90% of what can go wrong I can fix. The cost is fairly high for what you get, and odds are good anything that will break will break in the first year. Things that break later are likely gonna be covered by a recall or easily fixable.
alternate point of view: if you're going to use your laptop outside, I've never seen a laptop that will work worth a shit. For other regular use, the glossy macbook screen is fine, and most situations, the display looks great.