Coursera business courses - useful MBA prep?

I'm salivating over some Coursera choices related to both my academic and career interests: Wharton's Intro to Marketing, Ops Management, Finance, and some Ops Management/Strategy courses offered by a variety of other schools.

I've assumed (and confirmed by reading some older posts) that taking non-credit online courses doesn't necessarily enhance an MBA applicant profile, unless the applicant can weave a learning experience directly into a productive work experience. But, have any of you taken any similar courses for personal preparation either in advance of applying or between admission and matriculation?

My academic and work experience has been pretty focused in engineering and procurement/inventory management, so I don't have much exposure to basic Business education: Finance/Accounting, Marketing, etc. I figure taking some free courses in my spare time can't hurt, but has anyone had experience taking courses that have definitely helped build their knowledge and give a better framework to work with upon starting their MBAs?

I'm happy to report back here in a few months after I've taken my first two courses to discuss whether I found them practical for my own work applications.

Thanks!