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Is small iMac more dependable?

TallManNY

TallManNY

macrumors 601
Original poster
Nov 5, 2007
4,836
1,754
I'm buying a new Mac once the iMacs come out. It will probably be one of the new iMacs, but I certainly want to be able to factor them into my decision. So I'm waiting for the announcement.

Does anyone think that the smaller iMacs might be the way to go because of the heat issues, yellow screen and the general stress that the weak graphics cards might have driving the 27" iMac's screen? I've also heard about slow wi-fi for the 27" iMac. The smaller mac doesn't seem to suffer as much problems. I don't think I really need all the 27" real estate. I don't care about the cost difference between two sizes since I expect to have them for years and I've always gotten good enough value for the money from all my other Macs.

I'm really in the market for a new computer due to a failing screen on a 2006 iMac, so I can't do the normal wait for two months to see what the issues are with this refresh.
 
It's just because there are more 27" iMacs then 21,5" iMacs around.

27" should be cooler because it has more space, but most people have the i7 wich makes it hotter.

However, if size doesn't matter for you, just pick the 21,5" iMac, it's cheaper.
 
This might not be the response that you are looking for but:

You said that you really don't need the 27" screen and you sound like you have some concerns about possbile issues with having a larger screen. If you purchase a 27" iMac and having these issues you mentioned, you can call Apple get them to replace it with another one. I have 21.5" iMac (2010) that was release last July and haven't had one issue. Basically is comes down to what you feel comfortable with. Hope this helps.
 
Applecare for iMacs costs about $110, or $35 a year.

Probably worth it with all the concerns you seem to have.

I honestly dont know how you people even leave the house, with all the killings, car accidents, fires and general mayhem that happens all over -- your mind must go crazy thinking about all those things before going outside... :p:confused:
 
You know, I was feeling glum about the noisy hard drive in my 27" iMac, that its screen has two broad dark gray bands visible when you use gray wallpaper... and I went to visit a friend in Glasgow to check out his smaller iMac... On the way I went into John Lewis and checked out their iMacs. All had quiet drives, all had even screen illumination, though predictably the 27" model was hot to the touch but seems to have been designed to be so. When I got to my friend's house the first thing I heard was the rumbling popcorn maker sound of his iMac's hard drive. Oh, dear. I assumed it had a Seagate drive in it like mine but it turned out to be a Hitachi. Screen illumination was (relatively) even, a little 'smoky' (again, only if you went out of your way to look for it) and no yellowing.

Perspective wise, and forgive my stating the obvious, keep in mind that people come to forums to share anxieties rather than joys and that there are a huge number of very satisfied iMac owners. As with any computer you at the mercy of a not wholly successful testing process during assembly and that's what we have warranties for. Put more helpfully, in my opinion Applecare makes a lot of sense, as would any extended guarantee for any closed and locked down PC. Best of luck, though being an Apple, if reliability/customer satisfaction reviews are anything to go by, I suspect you are less likely to need luck than with computers from other manufacturers. :)
 
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Thanks for all the comments. It seems the consensus is that the 27" isn't at risk for being a lemon in any significant manner more than the 21". I currently have a 24" Early 2008 iMac and have had very little issues with it. Screen seems perfect and it is quiet. Those are two very important qualities for me. It has crashed a few times in the last four months, something it didn't seem to do during the first several years of ownership. But powering down and rebooting always fixed things and now it has been a month or two without any shutdowns.

I suspect I will go low level 27" after the refresh. I can afford the more powerful processor, but I don't anything that current processors can't easily handle. I will probably spring for the best graphics card I can get, since that is the weak link for these machines. Hopefully that doesn't result in too much extra heat.

I've never gotten Applecare, but will consider it for this purchase. First I will look into if my Visa doubles the warranty, which I've heard about. If that is the case, then I won't get Applecare because all that will do is cover me in year 3. I can afford to buy a new iMac after two years, so if it crashes then it will be a bummer but no disaster. If the computer is still working three years from now, then I will do what I am doing in this case which is hand it down to a family member.
 
My iMac 27 has no flaws (that I've seen) at all. It also stays completely cool, according to smcfancontrol, without any changes in the fan speed at all. It also has no loud hard drive problems or anything like that. I'd say it doesn't really matter which iMac you get when it comes to dependability, just purchase the one you want.
 
Using my friend's 21" model I was surprised to find I didn't feel I was lacking much, unless watching movies or playing games with my chair pushed back. It was still a gorgeous screen. Re 27", I haven't seen it discussed here but IPS panels can be a little exhausting if you're in front of one the whole day with the brightness up (and even turned down a nats), something I experienced with my Dell IPS model, too, but at the smaller size it was more tolerable. Then again, who sits in front of their screen all day. If concerned about heat you possibly don't want to go for the most powerful graphics card as that's what most of the whiners whine about when querying idle temps, though I have noticed that some of those people ramp up the fans a nats with third party fan controls.
 
Bmaintz said:
Another thought, a 21.5 would be much easier to carry to the Apple store for repair work or just help on the software....:D
Click to expand...
As someone who lives in a city without an Apple store who doesn't have a car... what Bmaintz just said!

That said, it's really, really hard to mug a person who is determinedly lugging a 27" iMac along a sidewalk from a train station that doesn't (quite) merit a taxi journey home. Seriously, the cost of a couple of taxi rides, here, and you could buy a new iMac. Or a week at a chiropractors.

But cynicism aside! :)
 
Detosx said:
As someone who lives in a city without an Apple store who doesn't have a car... what Bmaintz just said!

That said, it's really, really hard to mug a person who is determinedly lugging a 27" iMac along a sidewalk from a train station that doesn't (quite) merit a taxi journey home. Seriously, the cost of a couple of taxi rides, here, and you could buy a new iMac. Or a week at a chiropractors.

But cynicism aside! :)
Click to expand...

You need to move closer to an Apple store... :rolleyes:
 
TallManNY said:
I'm buying a new Mac once the iMacs come out. It will probably be one of the new iMacs, but I certainly want to be able to factor them into my decision. So I'm waiting for the announcement.

Does anyone think that the smaller iMacs might be the way to go because of the heat issues, yellow screen and the general stress that the weak graphics cards might have driving the 27" iMac's screen? I've also heard about slow wi-fi for the 27" iMac. The smaller mac doesn't seem to suffer as much problems. I don't think I really need all the 27" real estate. I don't care about the cost difference between two sizes since I expect to have them for years and I've always gotten good enough value for the money from all my other Macs.

I'm really in the market for a new computer due to a failing screen on a 2006 iMac, so I can't do the normal wait for two months to see what the issues are with this refresh.
Click to expand...

The only regret I have about my 2010 21.5" iMac is that it's not a 27".
 
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