NY Times reports on new iMac 'problems'

[hakr]

This is from today's NY Times:


Gadgetwise - The New York Times Blog
November 30, 2009, 11:42 am
Chinks in the New iMac’s Armor
By STEPHEN WILLIAMS

Apple’s reconfigured iMac desktop—a bright, shiny, widescreen example of a home computer—works beautifully…unless it doesn’t work at all, or arrives out of the box with a cracked display.

While my previous generation 24-inch iMac operates flawlessly, some reviewers and, judging from a survey of some Mac forums, some users are encountering issues with some new models.

The review team at Engadget, for example, found that their new Intel Core i7-based iMac would not boot up. (The 2.8GHz Core i7 processor is sold as a $200 built-to-order option, and isn’t generally offered on machines sold at Apple retail stores.)

And Digital Tech reports that some customers ordering the Intel Core i7 are finding cracked display screens, commonly with the damage near the bottom left corner, speculating that the problem might be due to insufficient shipping packaging. The defective products are being replaced by Apple.

One of the reasons I’ve not yet asked Apple for a review unit of the 27-inch iMac is because it simply won’t fit anywhere in the house except where the Sony Bravia flat-panel TV sits. But the LED-lit display is gorgeous, and the upgraded model with the Core i7 chip is searingly fast. As a slightly overwrought reviewer from Wired points out, the screen “will turn your brain into a gob of HD-saturated jelly….it will render you dumb with child-like glee. You’ll just want to sit there and watch movies all day and night.”


- - -

Perhaps Apple will respond to the NY Times...

 

[archipellago]

hey look,

Apple's cheaply made chinese crap is just the same as everyone else's cheap chinese crap...

95% cutsomer satisfaction no doubt.. because Apple let me swap my DOA iMac.

 

[robotkiller]

This is from today's NY Times:


Gadgetwise - The New York Times Blog
November 30, 2009, 11:42 am
Chinks in the New iMac’s Armor
By STEPHEN WILLIAMS

Apple’s reconfigured iMac desktop—a bright, shiny, widescreen example of a home computer—works beautifully…unless it doesn’t work at all, or arrives out of the box with a cracked display.

While my previous generation 24-inch iMac operates flawlessly, some reviewers and, judging from a survey of some Mac forums, some users are encountering issues with some new models.

The review team at Engadget, for example, found that their new Intel Core i7-based iMac would not boot up. (The 2.8GHz Core i7 processor is sold as a $200 built-to-order option, and isn’t generally offered on machines sold at Apple retail stores.)

And Digital Tech reports that some customers ordering the Intel Core i7 are finding cracked display screens, commonly with the damage near the bottom left corner, speculating that the problem might be due to insufficient shipping packaging. The defective products are being replaced by Apple.

One of the reasons I’ve not yet asked Apple for a review unit of the 27-inch iMac is because it simply won’t fit anywhere in the house except where the Sony Bravia flat-panel TV sits. But the LED-lit display is gorgeous, and the upgraded model with the Core i7 chip is searingly fast. As a slightly overwrought reviewer from Wired points out, the screen “will turn your brain into a gob of HD-saturated jelly….it will render you dumb with child-like glee. You’ll just want to sit there and watch movies all day and night.”


- - -

Perhaps Apple will respond to the NY Times...

"judging from a survey of some Mac forums, some users are encountering issues with some new models"

Awesome journalism there. Message forums are worthless as a barometer of reliability. I've yet to own a product, car, etc. that didn't have a message forum filled with bitching (legit or otherwise).

 

[joudbren]

"judging from a survey of some Mac forums, some users are encountering issues with some new models"

Awesome journalism there. Message forums are worthless as a barometer of reliability. I've yet to own a product, car, etc. that didn't have a message forum filled with bitching (legit or otherwise).

Amen! Not to diminish anything in regards to the people that are having legitimate issues with their new iMacs but you just nailed my opinion on this "article". Cheers!

James

 

[Btom]

"judging from a survey of some Mac forums, some users are encountering issues with some new models"

Awesome journalism there. Message forums are worthless as a barometer of reliability. I've yet to own a product, car, etc. that didn't have a message forum filled with bitching (legit or otherwise).

Yes, and the reported 191 flickering screen problems are just one, or two trolls, trying to rain on our parade...

 

[trollied]

Amen! Not to diminish anything in regards to the people that are having legitimate issues with their new iMacs but you just nailed my opinion on this "article". Cheers!

James

Yeah, it's silly.

These things are heavy. Couriers are going to break them. Fact of life. Apple will replace them instantly - UPS will take the hit.

No idea why anyone would think Apple would ship a broken computer. It's obviously shipping abuse, out of their control.

 

[robotkiller]

Yes, and the reported 191 flickering screen problems are just one, or two trolls, trying to rain on our parade...

Hate to break it to you, but I had a flickering iMac that was returned. Never mind the fact that I never accused anyone of being a troll.

As one who had a defective iMac (and other defective products from other companies in the past), I just know that, in my experience, forums are often disproportionately populated by people with complaints, particularly during a new product launch.

 

[techound1]

I just know that, in my experience, forums are often disproportionately populated by people with complaints, particularly during a new product launch.

Or fan bois. I'm not saying that's the case here. People need to be strongly motivated to go out of their way to do something, even to bitch. That something is usually love or hate.

 

[Cascadians]

New iMac i7 arrived last Friday, beautiful, fast, total pleasure.

Some quirks, but AppleCare and the Apple Store are good at working to resolve them.

Definitely love

 

[archipellago]

New iMac i7 arrived last Friday, beautiful, fast, total pleasure.

Some quirks, but AppleCare and the Apple Store are good at working to resolve them.
Definitely love

wow, just wow.

 

[invisionblue]

Yes, and the reported 191 flickering screen problems are just one, or two trolls, trying to rain on our parade...

Not sure if this was sarcasm or not but I had a flickering i7 imac that had to be returned. My replacement is coming at the end of this week.

 

[Freis968]

Since I purchased my Mac Pro in January of 2008, I have not kept up with the last few revisions of the iMac.

I have ordered a 27" iMac Quad Core i7 and all of these negative reviews are really quite shocking.

Did the iMacs that were released since early 2008 have as many issues overall like the 27" iMacs seem to be having?

 

[powerbook911]

Apple must hate that new product goes this way, but it is a bit of a new generation, considering the slightly new form factor, 16x9 and Quad in the upper end.

Still, it must hurt sales, I was really set on a i7, and I'm scared now.

 

[alphaod]

hey look,

Apple's cheaply made chinese crap is just the same as everyone else's cheap chinese crap...

95% cutsomer satisfaction no doubt.. because Apple let me swap my DOA iMac.

IF Apple wasn't so cheap and paid Chinese workers more they'd get better results.

 

[UAofE]

Yes, and the reported 191 flickering screen problems

Out of how many thousands of units Apple has shipped?
You have a better chance at winning the jackpot of a $20 scratch lotto ticket than getting a flickering or cracked screen iMac.

 

[hakr]

IF Apple wasn't so cheap and paid Chinese workers more they'd get better results.

Might be cheap labor, might be parts, might be underspec'd packing materials, depending on the problem. Making and assembling the units elsewhere, though, would be a step in the right direction for all sorts of reasons.

 

[hakr]

Out of how many thousands of units Apple has shipped?
You have a better chance at winning the jackpot of a $20 scratch lotto ticket than getting a flickering or cracked screen iMac.

A. We don't know how many thousands of units apple has shipped, and,
B. We don't know what percentage of the units shipped have the problems reported here.

Could be a huge percentage of troubled iMacs, could be a small percentage.

As soon as you know, let us know.

 

[Btom]

Out of how many thousands of units Apple has shipped?
You have a better chance at winning the jackpot of a $20 scratch lotto ticket than getting a flickering or cracked screen iMac.

UAofE,

Your faith in Apple is commendable, yet some of the guys were reporting flickering screen on two, or I think in one case THREE computers in a row. Apple was replacing them very smartly, no hassle at all, I am not sure, if any of the affected persons was playing lotto though...

As for today there is 194 reported cases of the flickering screen (whatever that means) on the poll setup earlier on one of the threads (the thread is closed, but you can still see it and vote here). I am just assuming, that percentage of the problem computers sold to the general population is not that much different from the percentage of the problem computers sold to the members of this forum. Just think about it, 45% failure rate! This is the number we have for now, until a better one will come from Apple (not holding my breath though).

Tom B.