I just received my third replacement for my Late-2009 i7 iMac, for which they gave me the new 2.93 i7. As a result of my continued troubles, I have long since been dealing with an Executive Relations Manager who has handled all of my troubles outstandingly, always making sure I got whatever I wanted in order to keep me happy. Long story short, he mentioned that they have essentially VIP production capabilities in California, should any, well VIP order a system. This way each machine goes through an extensive pre-test, etc. Now I'm not suggesting that every machine built in Cali receives this treatment. I believe my machine was sourced from there more for expediency's sake than because of VIP status.
However, one can imagine that if Steve's or even Forstal's best friend (they must have some) wanted a loaded iMac, I doubt they refer them to their local store or online for Chinese stock...
That's all...