So I've been a member here for years, never really posted much until now. Got really sick of the constant monthly upkeep of Windows so I went out and got a lightly used mid 2010 iMac. It's in really good shape, the previous owner hardly used it. Only real issue it had was the fans running out of control, I solved that by installing MacFanControl. I'm running High Sierra. So far I'm kinda impressed with OSX, on the other hand I miss my old games. I've already had to reinstall the system twice due to screwing it up. Caused me to setup a Yahoo email account and an iCloud account. Anyhow, until tax time when I can get a new Mac, I was curious what apps you all use all the time that I should look into as well as a question along the lines about the machine, if I should worry about it for daily mundane tasks or ditch it and look for something better. Thanks.
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My "First" real iMac
- Thread starter kona0197
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Fans running out of control could be a loose sensor or perhaps putting a SSD in without a thermal sensor.
Does the iMac have an internal hdd or a SSD? If it has a HDD I'd suggest cloning the internal HDD to an external enclosure that has both FW800 and USB3. You'd use FW800 with the 2010 iMac and then after retiring the iMac use USB3 with a newer machine.
Time Machine or a Clone backup gives you something to restore from if you mess things up.
Now that High Sierra is no longer getting security updates gradually more and more software will stop supporting it with new versions. But you can still use old versions for most apps though for web browsers (Chrome, Firefox etc.) you should try to keep up to date.
There are unsupported hacks to run newer Mac OS.
Plex is a good app.
Does the iMac have an internal hdd or a SSD? If it has a HDD I'd suggest cloning the internal HDD to an external enclosure that has both FW800 and USB3. You'd use FW800 with the 2010 iMac and then after retiring the iMac use USB3 with a newer machine.
Time Machine or a Clone backup gives you something to restore from if you mess things up.
Now that High Sierra is no longer getting security updates gradually more and more software will stop supporting it with new versions. But you can still use old versions for most apps though for web browsers (Chrome, Firefox etc.) you should try to keep up to date.
There are unsupported hacks to run newer Mac OS.
Plex is a good app.
I looked into it, this model seems to have issues with out of control fan speeds. All of the sensors are connected, nothing is out of place. The computer has the original hard drive. Very low hours on the drive, and it's fast enough for me. I have a 1 TB external that I turned into a installer and backup drive. I'll look into Clone and Plex. So far all the apps I have installed run just fine, no issues there. And it looks like Apple put out a patch for my OS recently. Still supported for a bit.
Is your Mac a 27"?
If so, do not trash it when/if you get a new(er) Mac. That Mac is capable of Target Display Mode over Mini Display Port, which basically means you can use it with a bunch of devices, and not just Macs.
I am thinking of picking up an old 27" Mid 2010 iMac just for this reason.
If so, do not trash it when/if you get a new(er) Mac. That Mac is capable of Target Display Mode over Mini Display Port, which basically means you can use it with a bunch of devices, and not just Macs.
I am thinking of picking up an old 27" Mid 2010 iMac just for this reason.
No, this is the 21" model. I took the display cover off and gave everything a good clean as well as the fans behind the LCD. Everything looks great. But I just can't get into a Mac. It's so different from Windows that it literally gives me a headache to use. Already thinking about selling it.
If you have a 3rd party hdd or SSD in the model you either need to add a thermal sensor or use MacFanControl to control the fan speeds.
If you put the time and effort in you can probably put Windows 10 on the machine even though Apple doesn't officially support putting it on yours.
I have been running Windows 10 on 2011 iMacs for years even though Apple doesn't officially support running Windows 10 on those Macs.
If you put the time and effort in you can probably put Windows 10 on the machine even though Apple doesn't officially support putting it on yours.
I have been running Windows 10 on 2011 iMacs for years even though Apple doesn't officially support running Windows 10 on those Macs.
Well my friends I purchased a 500GB SSD for the mac. I gently, very gently, opened it up by removing the screen cover with a pry tool, loosening the 6 torx screws holding the display in place, and opened it just barely enough to look around. Then I found out the bad news. Someone has been in here before. The hard drive wasn't the stock drive and the hard drive temp sensor was just taped on to the outside of the drive. To make matters worse the display cable was held in to the motherboard with tape. Take a lock at the pictures here. It came loose as soon as I opened the computer. I can find the cable for cheap on the web, do you think the motherboard connector i still good? Currently the Mac sits in my closet barely assembled. I'm not too happy.
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The eDP connector on the logicboard seems intact, although with some bending. Probably when the previous user opened the iMac to replace the HDD, he wasn't aware of the lock mechanism of the eDP cable and yanked it out of place.
I would do like below:
- Cut a hard plastic card (ABS plastic like of old bank card/credit card type) to fit the slot (preventing over pressed)
- Also place another plastic piece to the other side of the logicboard
- The use a small pair of pincers to squeeze the 2 tips
Or don't do it at all, as it's still working.
Bizarre response. If I had to rely only on fan control software I would never run a Mac. I’ve never experienced any issues whatsoever with the fan hardware sensors. Use the right tools for the job.
Congrats on your new used Mac. And good on you for exploring and trying to make it run better.
As to the OS, give yourself some time to get used to Mac. It is a great OS and miles beyond Windows, in my opinion.
In regards to some apps, I would start with getting a good password manager (Strongbox is free unless you want to do an "in app purchase, or Bitwarden). I would then look into getting an adblocker. Once you have learned the OS and gotten familiar with the stock apps, you can look to getting other apps that may be useful to you day to day.
As to the OS, give yourself some time to get used to Mac. It is a great OS and miles beyond Windows, in my opinion.
In regards to some apps, I would start with getting a good password manager (Strongbox is free unless you want to do an "in app purchase, or Bitwarden). I would then look into getting an adblocker. Once you have learned the OS and gotten familiar with the stock apps, you can look to getting other apps that may be useful to you day to day.
It takes a week or two to get used to it, then once you do you'll likely never want a Windows machine again.
Pretty outdated response there. Windows 10 is every bit as good an OS as MacOS these days. I run both regularly and don’t really find one superior to the other. I believe this to be the view generally in informed computer circles theses days.
I'm not sure what "constant monthly upkeep" you are talking about with Windows, but it seems to me you traded one headache for another. What's the point? You don't say what equipment you were using for Windows (which might be the cause of the "upkeep"), but this relic of an iMac is good for having some fun exploring Mac for the first time, but it's hardly a replacement for a decent, current Windows PC.
If you decide that macOS is just what you want, then look at a Mac Mini M1. Faster than most PC's and Intel Mac's and they were on sale for as low as $650. You already have a mouse, keyboard and Monitor from your Windows PC, so you're pretty much set. The Mini M1 is a desktop you can really move forward with.
You are right. My Windows response was outdated, as I haven't used Windows in 12 or so years.
I also use both Mac and Windows daily, and while I think Windows has improved a lot (when compared to MacOS) over the last 25 years since I switched to using mostly Macs, I wouldn't say that it is every bit as good of an OS as Mac.
It still has something about the UI that makes it feel dated and messy.
Windows 10 is more stable than any other Windows version I use, but I don't think it is as stable as even an older version of MacOS.
Again, I think that Windows 10 is better than any other Windows (even the much loved XP), but I still think that MacOS is superior to it.
The gap in which MacOS is superior to Windows is closing though.
If Apple does something that I really don't like and I decide to jump ship, Windows is now a realistic alternative to MacOS.
MacsFanControl is made specifically for imacs. It reads the smart sensor on the drive. Easy, safe and probably better than trying to attch a dumb sensor that could fall off or fail in some way.
@Lankyman – this model has KNOWN fan control issues. Google search can show you that. Using MacFanControl was pretty much my only option. Besides, the hard drive had the sensor just taped on, so no actual temp reading were being measured.
@Apple_Robert - No, OSX still falls behind Windows especially for gaming. I don’t need a password manager, I use Chrome, it handles the storing of all my passwords for the sites I use on the web and on my Galaxy S10 phone. And I do not wish to use the stock Apple apps except iTunes. And for the record I hate Safari.
@emac82 – Nope. If anything I use my Windows machine even more.
@dmylrea – Windows upkeep mean scanning for viruses, malware, and spyware every month. It means manually updating each program you use. It mean scanning and repairing the Windows registry. And making a complete backup of the drive. I got tired of over 20 years of doing this. Mac lets me update all my apps from one place and use Time Machine to backup. Quite nice. I don’t have the money for any new Mac and monitor. My Windows machine is a Notebook.
@vertical smile – Windows 7 is by far more superior to Windows 10. At least 7 does not phone home everything you type and spy on what sites you go to.
Guys my original question still does not have an answer. What if I get this cable and it will not plug in to the connector? Where do I get a new board for the computer?
@Apple_Robert - No, OSX still falls behind Windows especially for gaming. I don’t need a password manager, I use Chrome, it handles the storing of all my passwords for the sites I use on the web and on my Galaxy S10 phone. And I do not wish to use the stock Apple apps except iTunes. And for the record I hate Safari.
@emac82 – Nope. If anything I use my Windows machine even more.
@dmylrea – Windows upkeep mean scanning for viruses, malware, and spyware every month. It means manually updating each program you use. It mean scanning and repairing the Windows registry. And making a complete backup of the drive. I got tired of over 20 years of doing this. Mac lets me update all my apps from one place and use Time Machine to backup. Quite nice. I don’t have the money for any new Mac and monitor. My Windows machine is a Notebook.
@vertical smile – Windows 7 is by far more superior to Windows 10. At least 7 does not phone home everything you type and spy on what sites you go to.
Guys my original question still does not have an answer. What if I get this cable and it will not plug in to the connector? Where do I get a new board for the computer?
I'm a little confused by the conflicting answers. You say Windows 7 is superior for privacy but you use the worst browser for privacy (Chrome)? Also, Windows 7 is obsolete. No more updates or support. Your "upkeep" is mostly automatic or background processes nowadays. Literally no manual intervention is required for the things you spent so much time upkeeping. Apps usually check themselves for updates and apply automatically.
In any case, I'd look on ebay for a system board should you wind up needing one. But the display was working when you got it, right? So one must assume the connector is fine unless you did something opening it up. Ebay has boards for $40 or more, depending on your model and config.
Just curious how much you paid for this iMac? It's obviously had more use than "hardly ever used it".
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I use Chrome for several reasons. It's faster than Firefox and Edge. And the bookmarks sync across to my phone. I'm heavily invested in Google products. I know 7 is obsolete, but 7 didn't have the privacy concerns that 10 has. I know apps can check for updates on their own, but I have that turned off on all my apps. I don't like things going on in the background that suck down resources and bandwidth. Yes, the display worked just fine. When I opened the Mac up, the ribbon cable slid out of the holder. Was just held in with some old blue tape. I paid about $200 for it. Got it from a nice old man. Looks like it was barely used, the hard drive has very little use on it, but I assume this is a new drive since it wasn't an Apple OEM part. Just a Western Digital 500 GB 7200 RPM drive.
That is a tiny connector socket and plug.
From the photo, it looks like the old cable plug may have had piece broke off. I would try to suck out any bits that might still be inside the socket, just in case.
IIRC, there is a metal bracket on the cable that holds the cable connector in place and secure in the socket. It looks like that the person that opened the iMac pulled on the plastic pull tab too hard perpendicular to the logic board, thinking that was the way to unplug the cable connector. But, IIRC, you just pull perpendicular to unlock and then slide the cable out of the connector with very little effort.
That is probably why the connector was held in with tape, and the connector looks messed up.
The socket still looks good, A new cable might be all you need.
I would use Ebay, but a working high-end logic board could be around the price of a whole iMac. The base model ones could be gotten for cheaper.
Hopefully it won't come to that, but if the socket is broken, you might as well just spend your money on another iMac.
I guess it depends on what metrics one is using, but I prefer Windows 10.
Windows 7 would be in second place for me.