Tomorrow is the day I'm pulling the trigger on a i7 27" iMac - 01/14/10.
I waited since October when they were announced, because I wanted to see if there were any Rev A. problems reported. Apparently there are quite a few, but I really need the computer as a bunch of projects is near and I'll need it.
Sadly, I'm almost sure I'll have to swap it out - perhaps a few times, even, before I get a satisfactory unit. I'm willing to live with a very slight yellow tint and keep the computer until Apple solves the problem, then using Apple Care, get it fixed. But if there are more serious problems, like flickering that's not fixed by the firmware, then I'll be forced to swap. I'm an editor and I need a reasonably performing computer. As some of you know, I'm keeping a checklist, and this is what I'll be looking at when I get the computer:
"1)Screen - Stuck/Dead pixels
2)Screen - Flickering screen, with brief blackouts
3)Screen - Yellow smudge at the bottom/elsewhere
4)Screen - LED backlight bleeding through in corners when screen is dark/black
5)Screen - High pitch whine from screen at max brightness after 30 minutes; also after turning down brightness by 30%
6)Screen - Dust or fingerprints trapped behind the monitor glass
7)iSight - Dead pixels
8)iMac as external monitor function not working
9)Noisy HDD - clicking or whirring, rumbling and whining
10)Constantly running fans at high volume
11)Intermittent hiss from external speakers hooked up
12)Frequent beachballs, despite not many programs running
13)Slow boot up
14)Random self generated restarts while using Firefox
15)Airport problems
16)Bad USB ports"
Now, given the sheer volume of problematic iMacs, with some people swapping out 4-5 even 9 iMacs, odds are high I'll be forced to swap too.
This is why I intend to buy it from Apple. Originally, I was going to buy from an out of state reseller, due to the 10% tax here in Los Angeles, but since odds are high I'll need to swap out, the resellers appear to be a really bad deal. I've looked at their return policies, and some even charge a re-stocking fee of 15% on a faulty computer! Others won't accept an opened box computer (how can I check it if I don't open the box?
), all demand a rigmarole of getting RMAs and worse - you are responsible for all return shipping costs - which can be substantial on a $2200 computer that's large and needs insurance. I looked at powermax, expercom, b&h, abt, macconnection, but it's all the same suckage. Further, and this also is bad, it seems like you wait a lot longer on your computer through a reseller. I like Amazon best of all, but they don't carry the i7 - and I need it for editing. All in all, it looks like resellers are not a good deal in this situation.
I thought about buying from a reseller and then just going to Apple to have it fixed, but you are taking a risk that Apple won't simply swap out - plus what if at some point they regard a few dead/stuck pixels or the yellow tint as "within spec" and refuse to do anything about it? You'd be out of luck once you bought from a reseller, cause your 14 days don't apply. At least this way I can use the 14 day return to get Apple to swap it out.
So, bottom line, it looks like I'll be going with Apple and eating the 10% tax.
Anyone have any thoughts on the relative merits of going with a reseller vs Apple online for the i7? Maybe I missed something? TIA.
I waited since October when they were announced, because I wanted to see if there were any Rev A. problems reported. Apparently there are quite a few, but I really need the computer as a bunch of projects is near and I'll need it.
Sadly, I'm almost sure I'll have to swap it out - perhaps a few times, even, before I get a satisfactory unit. I'm willing to live with a very slight yellow tint and keep the computer until Apple solves the problem, then using Apple Care, get it fixed. But if there are more serious problems, like flickering that's not fixed by the firmware, then I'll be forced to swap. I'm an editor and I need a reasonably performing computer. As some of you know, I'm keeping a checklist, and this is what I'll be looking at when I get the computer:
"1)Screen - Stuck/Dead pixels
2)Screen - Flickering screen, with brief blackouts
3)Screen - Yellow smudge at the bottom/elsewhere
4)Screen - LED backlight bleeding through in corners when screen is dark/black
5)Screen - High pitch whine from screen at max brightness after 30 minutes; also after turning down brightness by 30%
6)Screen - Dust or fingerprints trapped behind the monitor glass
7)iSight - Dead pixels
8)iMac as external monitor function not working
9)Noisy HDD - clicking or whirring, rumbling and whining
10)Constantly running fans at high volume
11)Intermittent hiss from external speakers hooked up
12)Frequent beachballs, despite not many programs running
13)Slow boot up
14)Random self generated restarts while using Firefox
15)Airport problems
16)Bad USB ports"
Now, given the sheer volume of problematic iMacs, with some people swapping out 4-5 even 9 iMacs, odds are high I'll be forced to swap too.
This is why I intend to buy it from Apple. Originally, I was going to buy from an out of state reseller, due to the 10% tax here in Los Angeles, but since odds are high I'll need to swap out, the resellers appear to be a really bad deal. I've looked at their return policies, and some even charge a re-stocking fee of 15% on a faulty computer! Others won't accept an opened box computer (how can I check it if I don't open the box?
), all demand a rigmarole of getting RMAs and worse - you are responsible for all return shipping costs - which can be substantial on a $2200 computer that's large and needs insurance. I looked at powermax, expercom, b&h, abt, macconnection, but it's all the same suckage. Further, and this also is bad, it seems like you wait a lot longer on your computer through a reseller. I like Amazon best of all, but they don't carry the i7 - and I need it for editing. All in all, it looks like resellers are not a good deal in this situation.I thought about buying from a reseller and then just going to Apple to have it fixed, but you are taking a risk that Apple won't simply swap out - plus what if at some point they regard a few dead/stuck pixels or the yellow tint as "within spec" and refuse to do anything about it? You'd be out of luck once you bought from a reseller, cause your 14 days don't apply. At least this way I can use the 14 day return to get Apple to swap it out.
So, bottom line, it looks like I'll be going with Apple and eating the 10% tax.
Anyone have any thoughts on the relative merits of going with a reseller vs Apple online for the i7? Maybe I missed something? TIA.
