How Long Do You Think iMacs Last?

[Antares]

Another forum posters say the HDD last like 2-3 years and I really don't want to go through this upgrading thing.

It should last atleast 3-4 years right?

I have an original CoreDuo iMac from back when they were first released in Jan/Feb 2006. It works flawlessly. And I'm a very heavy user of it. The only issue I have is with the Superdrive. But I've burned many, many CD's and DVD's over the last 3 years. The only issue is with burning. It still reads DVD's and CD's perfectly.

The hard drive, screen and every other component work and perform great!

 

[Artful Dodger]

I agree. The only thing forcing me to order a new iMac is the 2 GB RAM limit on my current iMac, which simply isn't enough for me to run my critical Windows apps in Fusion without bogging the system down.

Yeah, I got Aperture 2 last holiday season and while I'm still very new at using it the 2 GB RAM limit shows where it hurts a bit when doing things. Also I'm trying to self teach Blender and well a newer iMac would be welcome not to mention once CS4 enters the home the more RAM the happier things will be for my needs.
I really like the idea of an iMac and a Wacom Cintiq next to each other to get things done. Not that any other Mac wouldn't work it's just nice to have it all right there, nothing under the desk, cables here and there but just my needs is all. I can't complain because the iMac has been on most of the time I've had it as I only use sleep mode and the occasional power down when away for a few days so it's been a champ (must be that super hero chin it has on it ).

 

[Blue Fox]

They'll last as long as they're taken care of. We have a "Mac" lab on campus at NMSU, and they are still using the first iMac's that came with the flat panel monitor (those bubble ones with the screen sticking out the top), and they're still pretty quick as well.

Hard drive wise, it's a complete toss up. Hard drives can either last forever or fail immediately, so there's really no way to tell on that. But I've never had a problem with Mac hardware failing......ever.

 

[Le Big Mac]

Like most computers, the hardware will likely continue to function well beyond the point where it is obsolete.

This is the most important observation. My iMac G4 just got replaced, but only because it has a hard time keeping up with software and websites, not because it had any broken bits (not a one, other than the stuck pixel it came with).

 

[MinorBidoh]

My iMac g5 rev B. top spec bought in september 05 died today. The power supply has given accompanying a worryingly noisy superdrive and a cracked lcd screen!

The new mini today is outstanding in comparison, how good it feels to be astounded by mac again. (Im new to leopard also).

 

[freebooter]

I have an Intel iMac 24" white, about 2,7 y.o.

HD died after 2 years--easy to replace. Video card slowly dying--will have to be replaced sooner or later, likely this summer. Screen becoming unevenly lit.
Sure wish Apple made a mid-size tower...

 

[iKeith]

My current iMac is a mid-2007 and I've been using it daily for 8-12 hours a day. Everything still works and is being supported in upgrades. I don't expect the upgrades to continue supporting it for much longer though. I certainly can't imagine it being supported by anything higher than El Capitan, which is why I'm finally in the market for a new iMac and will sell this one for $200 on Craigslist. (Same model is listed in my area for $400 - $750. But, $200 is fine for me. I think anything more is greedy.)

 

[IHelpId10t5]

I still have a fully functional desk lamp iMac 1st model that works fine. I also dispose of many 7+ year old iMacs each year at work that are fully functional but obsolete.

In the case of Macs I find that obsolete typically means that they can no longer run a supported current Mac OS or at least a modern browser. If, however, you lock them down properly you could continue to use most of them for years for picture frames, backup servers, etc.

You can also put Linux Mint on them and run them for even longer after Apple is no longer supporting them with OS updates.

 

[Brian Y]

Had a Mid 2007 (Core2Extreme) which I upgraded in 2011. That machine has had a number of upgrades, but is still working fine, and I see no reason to replace it in the forseeable future. It's now 4 1/2 years old, and if I get another 3 or 4 years out of it, it's worked out an absolute bargain.

 

[santaliqueur]

I have an Apple IIgs that still works. Computers don't really stop working unless a major part fails.

 

[ucfgrad93]

I still use on a daily basis an iMac that I purchased new in August 2007. Still does everything I need it to.

 

[old-wiz]

I have a 2008 24" iMac that has been on pretty much 24/7 since purchase. Only turn off when on vacation.

 

[sanke1]

21.5" Mid 2011 Sandybridge iMac purchased in May 2011.

4.5 years later, it is working well. It's hard disk developed bad sectors and superdrive went kaput after 2 years but both were replaced under warranty. (Extended Apple care)

It got fitted with new Samsung 840 EVO (I know before that 840 drama blew up) and also 8 GB RAM upgrade. Now has 12 GB (2+2+8) total RAM.

I hope it lasts another 3.5 years as 8 years is an acceptable lifespan for a computer. Touch wood!!

The only things missing in this iMac
1. Bluetooth 4
2. USB 3
3. Thunderbolt 2
4. Wifi ac

Can do without them as it is mostly for office use.

 

[maflynn]

I can't speak about the new ones, but my rMBP is moving on to 4 years and is still working great. I'm hoping this new iMac that is sitting on my desk will exceed that time frame, i.e., 5 to 6 years is my expectation and hope.

 

[driftless]

My late '09, which has been passed on to someone else, is still humming along.

 

[BOSS10L]

I have 2 iMacs, an early 2008 C2D and a mid-2010 Ci5. The C2D is running fine, only change is went from 2GB RAM to 4GB. Ci5 has been flawless up until about a month ago, and is now exhibiting some weird pixelization thing. But that's another story for another thread...

 

[Hangs]

I have a late 2009 IMac that is still going strong which is about to be passed on to my grandson. My 2007 MacBook Pro has had a graphics board replacement (thanks Apple) and apart from keyboard lighting it is also usable. It even runs El Capitan - albeit, it takes about a week to load upgrades.

 

[johnnyturbouk]

My iMac 2008 is still functioning, and my 2011 17" mbp is working exceptionally well. Recently upgraded the ram to mx and added a 500 Samsung ssd, wow still flawless!

 

[kazmac]

Yes, ancient thread but I thought I would chime in.

My personal experience has been 3.5 to almost 5.5 years thus far. Because of an unexpected financial snag with school I would be thrilled that this almost 5.5 year old 2010 keeps chugging along until I have enough money to replace her (I have no idea when now.)

I did learn a good lesson though. Given Apple's software strategies lately, I will no longer upgrade the OS until I absolutely have to. This machine flew on Mountain Lion (that's with almost 3.5 year old spinner at that point) and as soon as I upgraded to Mavericks and Yosemite she started having major slow downs / problems. I don't expect spinning hard drives to be as fast as SSDs, that just does not happen but with what Apple is doing now, if you get more than 3.5 years out of a machine I'd be super surprised. Apple computers are disposable appliances, which makes me want to spend less on them.

 

[whodatrr]

They should last a long time, and Apple usually does equip them with durable components. However if they ever do fail, they are much worse than typical desktops to service.

A broken component on a typical desktop represents an upgrade opportunity (HDD/SSD/GPU/NIC/etc). Spend a bit of money for a better component, which will improve performance a bit.

A broken component in an iMac represents an inflection point - spend 50% or more of what your iMac is worth to have it perform as well as it did before said component broke. Yes there are some exceptions (eg. replace HDD with SSD), but even in those situations the maintenance is not for the timid, and labor costs are extreme. Case in point, my late 2012 iMac's stand broke a few weeks ago. While this isn't a huge deal operationally (temporarily fixed by wedging something to hold it firm), eventually I will need to get it fixed. If it wasn't under AppleCare, this would cost me ~$600... for a stand! That's because fixing the stand requires complete disassembly, including the mobo. And, though mine is still covered for a couple months, it will still require me to go 1-2 weeks without my main system.

Point is, these iMacs are designed to be disposable. So, even if something small does break, it can be a big deal.

Always buy AppleCare, for iMacs. While they are somewhat durable, they're not designed to be serviced.

 

[kmpowell]

I've had my Mid 2007 Alu iMac since new and it's only now, 8 and a half years later, coming to the end of its life.

It chuggs along at basic tasks and over the past few months I have had a blue line appear through the screen from what appears to be an impending graphics card failure. It's served me well though, and until recently when the blue line appeared hadn't missed a beat.

 

[illitrate23]

My 17" lamp iMac from 2002 finally stopped working this summer. It was working fine at the start of summer, but i think a power cut/spike may have popped the fuse or power supply. might try and replace it at some point. my father was using my 2006 iMac until this year too. it still works, he just got seduced by the new retina display iMac so bought one himself. my own iMac is a 2009 model that i use daily and hammer the processor on regularly with video processing, and it's still working great.
Macs last for years, i think that's what makes they worth the supposed extra cost over a pc. even the laptops. My dad still uses my old Aluminium Powerbook and Titanium Powerbooks because he loves the keyboards on them, even thought, by most counts, they're obsolete and their batteries won't hold charge anymore.

 

[jazzer15]

Macs last for years, i think that's what makes they worth the supposed extra cost over a pc. even the laptops. My dad still uses my old Aluminium Powerbook and Titanium Powerbooks because he loves the keyboards on them, even thought, by most counts, they're obsolete and their batteries won't hold charge anymore.

I agree the Macs are generally made very well and should last quite a long time, but my own experience is that my PCs have lasted at least as long and, as someone above pointed out, a necessary repair on a Mac that is more than 3 years old often means replacing the computer (or living with the problem, if possible) rather than fixing the problem.