iMac 21.5 - which one for longevity?

[mreg376]

@tubeexperience, you claim that Apple has done warranty work on your iMac after you opened it. That may be true, but it's also true that this forum and the Internet, and Youtube are replete with users who have had the opposite experience. You are apparently very knowledgeable and I'm just asking that you do not ignore that reality when giving advice.
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It's an open and shut case.

Maybe, but cases are won in court, and few people want to spend the money and time to go there.

 

[tubeexperience]

@tubeexperience, you claim that Apple has done warranty work on your iMac after you opened it. That may be true, but it's also true that this forum and the Internet, and Youtube are replete with users who have had the opposite experience. You are apparently very knowledgeable and I'm just asking that you do not ignore that reality when giving advice.

I have actually seen some of these cases.

In all these cases, Apple denied warranty because, even though the devices continued to function, the devices were not repaired/serviced properly (ie. missing screws, screws in the wrong places, missing parts, etc.).

 

[mreg376]

I have actually seen some of these cases.

In all these cases, Apple denied warranty because, even though the devices continued to function, the devices were not repaired/serviced properly (ie. missing screws, screws in the wrong places, missing parts, etc.).

I understand that. But who is in the best position, and who is going to make that determinaton? Do you think a court will let the customer decide if he did damage? The fact is that BOTH sides have self-serving interests there. Don't you think people should be prepared to get into a battle with Apple on this, instead of just walking in and expecting Apple to do the work without question "because that's the law"? That's why this is not the simple legal issue you make it out to be.

 

[tubeexperience]

I understand that. But who is in the best position, and who is going to make that determinaton? Do you think a court will let the customer decide if he did damage? The fact is that BOTH sides have self-serving interests there. Don't you think people should be prepared to get into a battle with Apple on this, instead of just walking in and expecting Apple to do the work without question "because that's the law"? That's why this is not the simple legal issue you make it out to be.

If the Mac was repaired/serviced properly (ie. no missing screws, dislocated screws, missing parts, etc.), then it's not a problem.

If the Mac not repaired/serviced properly (ie. missing screws, dislocated screws, missing parts, etc.), then it's gets tricky: Apple could claim that improper repair/servicing caused the device to malfunction and hence voiding the warranty.

 

[Guy Clark]

Bear in mind that any iMac released from 2012 onwards have the slimline profile are a devil to service should something fail internally.

Although seven years old I swear by the mid 2011 21.5" iMac with the excellent Sandy Bridge i5 CPU. They are entirely user serviceable and are now inexpensive to purchase on the used market.
https://everymac.com/systems/apple/...inch-aluminum-mid-2011-thunderbolt-specs.html
https://www.ifixit.com/Device/iMac_Intel_21.5"_EMC_2428


They will not be capable of running macOS Mojave but are still well worthwhile but run macOS High Sierra very well. The memory can be maxed out to 32GB RAM and a Hard Drive upgrade is inexpensive. I thoroughly recommended Seagate Hybrid Drives which I have installed on both my iMacs
https://www.seagate.com/gb/en/solutions/solid-state-hybrid/
https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iMac+Intel+21.5-Inch+EMC+2428+Hard+Drive+Replacement/110000


Although I have a late 2015 21.5" 4k iMac I continue to use the mid 2011 model as my main machine.

 

[tubeexperience]

Bear in mind that any iMac released from 2012 onwards have the slimline profile are a devil to service should something fail internally.

I don't agree with that.

The display is just held in place with double-sided tape.

 

[Guy Clark]

I don't agree with that.

The display is just held in place with double-sided tape.

Indeed but aligning the display correctly when replacing is difficult and you only get one go at it so if you mess up it is a case of starting all over again. Furthermore the display and glass are integrated so damage to the display can prove to be very costly.
On the pre slimline iMacs all you do is pop off the front glass with two suction cups and release the display by undoing eight T10 Torcs screws which is much more straightforward

Pre 2012
https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iMac+Intel+21.5-Inch+EMC+2428+Display+Replacement/5952

Post 2012 (slimline)
https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iMac+Intel+21.5-Inch+EMC+2544+Display+Replacement/15837