Refurbished IMac G5 or Brand New?

[jenrafi]

Hi,
I know this question comes up a lot but I have a "more specific" one. I'm ready to buy and am looking at the Apple Store: either the new IMac G5 out now (20 inch 2.1 w/ ISight and Front Row, slimmer model) or a refurb. 2 Gig 512 ram 20 in.) Either way, I would buy the 3 year warranty. I would save $400 going with the refurb. (w/ an older model, no isight, no Front Row, and whatever else the new one offers). I'd rather save the $ but my main concern is the overheating issue! I've read the new ones are designed differently to where the problem was "fixed". I've also read that if one was to buy the refurb. one, get one that is a "rev. B" vs. "rev. A." Last night I called Apple sales and they said they would have no way of knowing which one they shipped (unless it was taken apart; I guess it's written inside somewhere). The sales man was telling me to go with the new one for the fact that it would be faster (even though they are both 512 Ram I guess the new one is a faster kind of RAM? It's all a little over my head). I wasn't so concerned about the faster RAM... I just don't want to get an older one to find out my hard drive has already been somewhat damaged and have a shorter life due to whatever overheats. Anyways just hoping I could get some opinions - thanks!!

 

[mkrishnan]

I can't answer all your questions, and I have my own thread going about fiending for an iMac....

But there is one I can answer easily for you: how to tell which iMacs are Rev. B and which are Rev. A.

All the units for sale in the refurb store (which has not yet offered the Rev. C, with the iSight in it) with 512MB of ram standard are Rev. B, and all the units with 256MB of ram standard are Rev. A. You can also see that when you go to the pages of the ones with 512MB of ram, Airport Extreme and Bluetooth 2 are listed as standard features (which happened with Rev. B), whereas they are not listed for the 256MB ones. It's conceivable that you could order a Rev. A and accidentally get bumped up to a Rev. B, but if you order a Rev. B, only the Rev. B or C can offer the feature set (since there's no way to put Bluetooth 2, even as an upgrade, inside a Rev. A, because the module design changed), so you would definitely get a Rev. B if you ordered a Rev. B from the store.

Does that help?

EDIT: Let me write it one more time:

Rev. A - 256MB standard RAM, 64MB video card, no standard AE/BT
Rev. B - 512MB standard RAM, 128MB video card, standard AE/BT
Rev. C - 512MB standard RAM, (better) 128MB video card, standard AE/BT, iSight, Front Row, Photobooth.

 

[dcv]

I've also read that if one was to buy the refurb. one, get one that is a "rev. B" vs. "rev. A." Last night I called Apple sales and they said they would have no way of knowing which one they shipped (unless it was taken apart; I guess it's written inside somewhere).

Rev A would be 1.6GHz for a 17 inch
or 1.8GHz for the 20 inch or 17 inch SuperDrive model

Rev B would be 1.8GHz for a 17 inch
or 2.0GHz for the 20 inch or 17 inch SuperDrive model

That's the quickest way to tell them apart. i.e. if you order a 20" 2.0GHz iMac then it is definitely a Rev B, not a Rev A.

I have a Rev B and bought it as a refurb and I'm not aware of the "overheating" issues you mentioned. I would steer clear of the Rev As though as those apparently did have some problems.

The Rev C (latest model) is a very good all-in-one deal if you think you would use the built-in iSight. Photo Booth, Front Row and the remote etc are a bit of a gimmick in my opinion; it's up to you to evaluate if you'd actually use those features... if not then save yourself a few $ and go with the refurb!

 

[jenrafi]

Yes very much; thanks! (I wonder why the Apple salesman didn't know/tell me that?) I swear I learn more on these threads than anywhere else!

 

[hubristol]

I just got my refurbished 2Ghz Rev B today.

I agree with diet. While the Rev C is significantly faster in some apps, if you won't be using those certain apps then I doubt you'll notice a substantial speed upgrade. However, I would admonish you against getting the Rev A due to, most notably, the slower graphics card.

 

[bodeh6]

If you have the money, the Rev C in any size is a great buy. One of the best in terms of performance to price ratio.

 

[FFTT]

Have to agree, go for the newest Rev C if there's any way possible.

Better display resolution, PCI-Express, larger HD, iSight and front row, remote etc.

Absolutely best bang for the buck in any affordable desktop.

 

[CalfCanuck]

Yet another vote for the Rev C - not only is it new, but the specs are worth the extra cash. You can get a 20" for $1550 from Amazon, so the price is only about $250 different.

http://www.macprices.com/imactracker.shtml

 

[jenrafi]

oh, the pressure to buy bigger and better is lurking all around me

 

[jblock]

I had originally bought a refurb but changed my mind and cancelled the order and bought a new one based on the comments regarding the fan noise. To me it was definitely worth the extra money for the slight upgrade buying new, and there's no noise.

 

[mkrishnan]

Better display resolution, PCI-Express, larger HD, iSight and front row, remote etc.

I like the Rev. C iMac, but AFAIK, the resolutions of the screens have never changed -- they have always been 1440x900 (17") and 1680x1050 (20").

 

[shadowmoses]

I like the Rev. C iMac, but AFAIK, the resolutions of the screens have never changed -- they have always been 1440x900 (17") and 1680x1050 (20").

Thats exactly what i though....I just bought a Rev.B 17" and it is being delivered this afternoon, can't wait, personally i think they are a great buy at the moment thanks to there superb prices plus the built in iSight doesnt appeal to me nor does front row,

SHadow

 

[hubristol]

I had originally bought a refurb but changed my mind and cancelled the order and bought a new one based on the comments regarding the fan noise. To me it was definitely worth the extra money for the slight upgrade buying new, and there's no noise.

I haven't noticed my Rev B being any noisier than any other computer I use, really. I know, for sure, that it's a lot quieter than my eMac but maybe relative to the Rev C (which I haven't used), it's louder. *shrug*

 

[CalfCanuck]

I don't think the screen is the issue.

I personally have a Rev. B and am happy, but there were MAJOR changes to the Rev. C.

The obvious are the faster CPU, built-in iSight, larger HDD and memory, and remote.

The not so obvious are the far superior video processor and the totally redesigned motherboard configuration. This can be seen in the connectors (went from vertical and horizontal, which I believe also added a third USB?) and the new shape of the back of the iMac.

From what I've heard, the internal temperatures for the HDD have now dropped considerably, so one would expect less HDD failures over the long term with the Rev. C.

The $250 difference between a refurbished Rev B (a rebuilt lemon) and a new Rev. C machine from Amazon just doesn't seem large enough to justify buying an older, used machine.

 

[Lara F]

I haven't noticed my Rev B being any noisier than any other computer I use, really. I know, for sure, that it's a lot quieter than my eMac but maybe relative to the Rev C (which I haven't used), it's louder. *shrug*

RevA apparently had major fan noise issues that were fixed in RevB. But I dunno if RevC was further improved and made quieter.