Can I buy imac 2017 now?

[DQ11]

If need it now, buy it now.
If must buy it now, buy refurbished.
If buy refurbished, buy with an SSD.

buying refurbished would allow me to get a 1TB SSD as well and have the cost still be within budget.

 

[Juicy Box]

If must buy it now, buy refurbished.

I highly recommended refurbished Apple products, but the biggest downside to this is losing the ability to do BTO options.

To the OP: Unless you are very flexible with the specs and/or patient when waiting and checking frequently on Apple's refurbished store, find one with suitable specs might not happen.

 

[pier]

No, the iMac Pro is a niche workstation product. It's not a mainstream product.

That's precisely my point: performance is not a mainstream need.

Apple already updates on average once a year. Sometimes sooner, sometimes later.

And some times the update doesn't include a CPU refresh.

And some times it takes a lot longer than 1 year.

Again, nobody knows what is going to happen unlike other manufacturers which follow a regular pattern.

 

[tubeexperience]

buying refurbished would allow me to get a 1TB SSD as well and have the cost still be within budget.

You can upgrade the iMac yourself and get a 1TB SSD for ~$200

 

[mreg376]

You can upgrade the iMac yourself and get a 1TB SSD for ~$200

Yes, but doing so by opening the computer will void your warranty, as Apple provides the same warranty on refurbished products that it does on new products.
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I highly recommended refurbished Apple products, but the biggest downside to this is losing the ability to do BTO options.

To the OP: Unless you are very flexible with the specs and/or patient when waiting and checking frequently on Apple's refurbished store, find one with suitable specs might not happen.

Yes, it's a crapshoot on the specs. You have to check often and be prepared to pull the trigger...

 

[Juicy Box]

Yes, it's a crapshoot on the specs. You have to check often and be prepared to pull the trigger...

This is so true.

To the OP and anyone else looking into Apple refurbished products, if you see something you want on the refurbished page, do not procrastinate on purchasing it.

There may only have 1 in stock, and it could be sold at any moment. If you see specs you are happy with, and a discounted price you are willing to pay, there could be countless other people that are looking for the same thing.

This especially goes for Macs with maxed out GPU BTO options.

 

[tubeexperience]

Yes, but doing so by opening the computer will void your warranty, as Apple provides the same warranty on refurbished products that it does on new products.

No, it doesn't not void the warranty.

From FTC:

The Federal Trade Commission staff has sent warning letters to six major companies that market and sell automobiles, cellular devices, and video gaming systems in the United States.

The letters warn that FTC staff has concerns about the companies’ statements that consumers must use specified parts or service providers to keep their warranties intact. Unless warrantors provide the parts or services for free or receive a waiver from the FTC, such statements generally are prohibited by the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, a law that governs consumer product warranties. Similarly, such statements may be deceptive under the FTC Act.

Each company used different language, but here are examples of questionable provisions:

• The use of [company name] parts is required to keep your . . . manufacturer’s warranties and any extended warranties intact.
• This warranty shall not apply if this product . . . is used with products not sold or licensed by [company name].
• This warranty does not apply if this product . . . has had the warranty seal on the [product] altered, defaced, or removed.

“Provisions that tie warranty coverage to the use of particular products or services harm both consumers who pay more for them as well as the small businesses who offer competing products and services,” said Thomas B. Pahl, Acting Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.

From MacSales/OWC

Unfortunately though, there exists a misconception among some users and even technicians that opening the machine voids the warranty.

We address this topic directly with customers via our support portals and are happy to inform you here of the same fact: upgrading your Mac does not void its warranty.

This consumer protection is owed to the little known Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act of 1975. Put simply, the act states that a company can’t require you to upgrade with only its own branded parts to retain the warranty. This important act protects your rights as a consumer and allows you to install upgrades with peace of mind confidence.

 

[EugW]

No, it doesn't not void the warranty.

From FTC:



From MacSales/OWC

Yes, it voids the warranty, if you do it yourself. If you get a certified and authorized Apple dealer to do authorized work on your machine, that's a different story, but Apple specifically states that "unauthorized service and unauthorized modifications" will void the warranty.

Stop spreading misinformation. You've been doing this repeatedly in various threads and everyone tells you you're wrong, but you continue to spread this misinformation.

 

[tubeexperience]

Yes, it voids the warranty, if you do it yourself. If you get a certified and authorized Apple dealer to do authorized work on your machine, that's a different story, but Apple specifically states that "unauthorized service and unauthorized modifications" will void the warranty.

Stop spreading misinformation.

No, it doesn't.

Apple warranty stated that damages causes by third party repairs void the warranty.

Also, you are not modifying anything.

LED bulbs are designed to take place of incandescent bulbs.

Likewise, SSDs are designed to take place of hard drives.

I am not "modifying" my lamp by replacing the incandescent bulb with the LED bulb.

 

[EugW]

No, it doesn't.

Apple warranty stated that damages causes by third party repairs void the warranty.

Also, you are not modifying anything.

LED bulbs are designed to take place of incandescent bulbs.

Likewise, SSDs are designed to take place of hard drives.

I am not "modifying" my lamp by replacing the incandescent bulb with the LED bulb.

You're fooling yourself. Good luck trying to get any warranty work done.

Basically you're splitting hairs at this point.

 

[tubeexperience]

You're fooling yourself. Good luck trying to get any warranty work done.

Apple replaced the speaker and didn't even bat an eye.

 

[EugW]

Apple replaced the speaker and didn't even bat an eye.

You're lucky. They've denied lots of stuff before for other members here, because sometimes they don't know if the damage for a part is due to your fiddling around or not. Remember, Apple repair technicians will assess each case on a case by case basis.

Sometimes they are nice to you, and sometimes they just refuse to repair the machine under warranty. For a speaker though, that's probably far enough removed from the SSD that it will be less likely to incur their warranty-denial wrath.

 

[tubeexperience]

You're lucky. They've denied lots of stuff before for other members here, because sometimes they don't know if the damage for a part is due to your fiddling around or not. Remember, Apple repair technicians will assess each case on a case by case basis.

Sometimes they are nice to you, and sometimes they just refuse to repair the machine under warranty.

Apple Store broke the display on one of our iMac then claimed that it was already cracked.

Thanks to due diligence, we took photos before taking in the machine and was able to debunk this claim.

 

[EugW]

Apple Store broke the display on one of our iMac then claimed that it was already cracked.

Thanks to due diligence, we took photos before taking in the machine and was able to debunk this claim.

And what does that have to do with what you're talking about?

I guess you're going to suggest that when you replaced your drive, you took a video of the entire process, confirming that you dealt with every single wire and connector appropriately so that Apple can't claim you stressed one?

 

[tubeexperience]

And what does that have to do with what you're talking about?

I guess you're going to suggest that when you replaced your drive, you took a video of the entire process, confirming that you dealt with every single wire and connector appropriately so that Apple can't claim you stressed one?

You may do that, but I just took photos.

 

[EugW]

You may do that, but I just took photos.

That's the point I was making. Photos don't tell you if you've damaged small connectors or not. That's probably the biggest issue when dealing with these DIY modifications.

 

[tubeexperience]

That's the point I was making. Photos don't tell you if you've damaged small connectors or not. That's probably the biggest issue when dealing with these DIY modifications.

I am not aware of Apple claiming that user damaged the connectors unless the connectors are either literally ripped off or broken in such a way that one can see.

 

[kschendel]

... Apple specifically states that "unauthorized service and unauthorized modifications" will void the warranty.

IANAL, but I'm pretty sure that statement is a violation of Magnuson-Moss, and is exactly the sort of thing that the FTC wrote warning letters about. Just because Apple makes a statement doesn't make it legal.

Now ... does that mean you'll get warranty service without dragging a lawyer into it? Not necessarily, and you'd probably have to show that you serviced/modified the unit rather than breaking it, and who knows what else. But I don't think opening the case is by itself a permissible cause for warranty voiding under the M-M rules.

 

[Juicy Box]

Just because Apple makes a statement doesn't make it legal

A lot of people forget this

I am not sure if Apple will void the warranty, but that doesn't mean that they still be hekd liable for the repair. Car companies do this all the time, they might not honor certain warranty repairs if maintenance records are not available/good enough.

does that mean you'll get warranty service without dragging a lawyer into it?

That is the question. The whole point of warranty and return policies was to avoid a backlog of small claim court hearings.