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Something wrong with my 4th iMac Should I be worried?

Tec972 said:
You guys, I totally sympathize with you.. I am on my second and not totally satisfied. I wrote a long post about my experience in another thread and was basically told the same thing you guys were. I bought the macine because of the nice display and am on my second and my $230 23" LG is more accurate than the apple display. It all boils down to "How cheaply can we produce our product to have the largest profit margins". When I pay $2k for $1K worth of hardware you damn well believe I expect perfection on operation, fit and finish. Why are there no problems with Apple Cinema displays???

I would be willing to bet that there are so many people who have "off color" displays and just have no freaking clue. Both of my displays 95% of people would never notice but I did the second I pulled the thing out of the box and started it. I was under the impression the display problems were fixed with the yellow tinge but as soon as the white screen came on my heart sank. I knew it wasn't as white as it should be and it was consistant on the entire display. Granted it was nothing like what we were seeing in the late 2009 models. This is an even uniform tinge with slightly more around the outer half inch of the screen all the way around.

Apple is skimping out big time on manufacturing, and quality control. How many other products have you seen with such a high return rate and so many issues off the assembly line. I had to return one other monitor once in my life. On my current machine the glass panel is about a mm or so off. It's not even flush. Are you ***** kidding me??? That ***** is so easy to spot if they took a second and tried looking.

No, instead they try to pass off poor manufacturing and quality control, hope most people won't notice and then try to put out the fire when they could have prevented it in the first place. Then they tell you that YOU are the one who is seeing things and f-ed up. It's not their fault. That's why they distributed secret company memo's to their stores detailing what managers and staff need to tell people and how to deal with them, because they KNEW their displays were garbage. Yeah Nice!!!!

:apple:-Nice products, horrible quality control, refusal to eliminate the problem at the source and do things right. It would jeopardize their 100+% profit margins per device way too much.
Click to expand...

I am not denying that there are issues with those screens but you do know that an even tint on the screen can be solved by calibrating the screen.
 
Tec972 said:
Don't be a naive fanboy!! I am not saying that as an insult! If :apple: wants respect they need to earn it through quality products which they have been seriously faltering in lately with the macs.

If you were able to see the product you were getting it would be a different story. But their manufacturing is SO inconsistant you have no idea what the problems may be out of the box. Because you have to buy it first and then see what may be in store for you is the problem. You can't go by what they have on display because of the inconsistancies. I brought mine back into the store and it looked different from the other two models I put it next to. One screen was good, mine was too yellow and the other one was to cool or "bluish" when it came to the white balance. All the color profiles were set identically.

I wish they would unbox it fire it up and let you see it. Because I would know right off the bat if the screen was to my satisfaction. I'm sure it would be for many others who either 1- Don't care, 2-Don't know any better. But mine is not good enough for me. I told the manager that if my display looked like the one sitting next to it I would have ZERO problems and would be a happy camper.

Would you spend $30-$40k for a brand new car that ran like **** or had scratches or dents in it?

Spending $2k for a machine it should be perfect!! Especially when it shouldn't cost more than a grand!! Apple doesn't use any parts that aren't found in any other computer for a third of the cost. We are not nitpicking we just expect to get what we paid for. When I spend one tenth the money on another display and it IS perfect, why cant the iMac be at 10x the cost.

I give credit where it is due and apple has certainly not earned mine, or many other people's respect with the iMacs lately. It's that simple.
Click to expand...

I just went through the process of looking at pcs that would compare to the i7 Imac as I wanted to save money and all I cared about was the cpu/graphics not the screen and I couldn't find any models from a reputable brand or even making my own that would cost me less than 1k without a monitor. So the 1/3 the price is not really realistic. Is more 30-50% more expensive not 3x more and that doesn't include the aluminum construction and design.
 
I have had an fine iMac 27" for some months...

There was an slighty yellow thingie but nothing i would complain about.

But after around 4 months i had black/burned marks on the screen.

I got it cleaned, and also changed the display, and the yellow thingie was gone...but now 3 months later the burned/black marks is back.... And the computer will now not turn on...

With reading all the stories here, i am worried how it will go...

From Kehaan
 
dnenciu said:
I just went through the process of looking at pcs that would compare to the i7 Imac as I wanted to save money and all I cared about was the cpu/graphics not the screen and I couldn't find any models from a reputable brand or even making my own that would cost me less than 1k without a monitor. So the 1/3 the price is not really realistic. Is more 30-50% more expensive not 3x more and that doesn't include the aluminum construction and design.
Click to expand...

Point taken. 50% is more accurate. The 1/3 was may have been an overestimation on my part. However, don't forget the Mac Pro. Consider the cost on that system. 2x the price is not reaching on an iMac when considering any upgrades from apple especially SSD and or memory.

I have a new i7 PC that came with 2x as much memory and better graphic card much better DVD drive and it cost me slightly less than half of what I paid for the i7 imac. Yes sans monitor.
 
dnenciu said:
I am not denying that there are issues with those screens but you do know that an even tint on the screen can be solved by calibrating the screen.
Click to expand...

Yes I have tried calibrating it, not at great length (without a hardware calibrator mind you) to get the white balance in but it still doesnt look right. I have to move my white balance point to over 7000K and it still doesnt get to where it should look, without adjustment out of the box. I can't go much more because it starts to tint stuff toward blue.

I should also not have to spend over a $100 on a calibration kit. I don't need a "calibrated" screen. But I do want it to just be in the ballpark and look right to my naked eye without adjustment.
 
dnenciu said:
I just went through the process of looking at pcs that would compare to the i7 Imac as I wanted to save money and all I cared about was the cpu/graphics not the screen and I couldn't find any models from a reputable brand or even making my own that would cost me less than 1k without a monitor. So the 1/3 the price is not really realistic. Is more 30-50% more expensive not 3x more and that doesn't include the aluminum construction and design.
Click to expand...

Here you go:

http://www.dell.com/us/en/home/desk...hs&cs=19&~oid=us~en~29~studio-xps-9100-cto1~~

for 1129 you get a 2.8GHZ i7 930 and a 5770 ATI GPU. Not under 1K, but you get the point.
 
My post was in regards to those complaining about loud iMacs, or fingerprints or dust inside the screen, which are either easy to fix, or just plain dumb to worry about.

I don't even have a Apple product so there is no fanboyism at all on my part, but apparently perfection is still something you all are in search of.

Good luck investigating every single item you ever get in constant worry that something may or may not be wrong with it.
 
green86 said:
Here you go:

http://www.dell.com/us/en/home/desk...hs&cs=19&~oid=us~en~29~studio-xps-9100-cto1~~

for 1129 you get a 2.8GHZ i7 930 and a 5770 ATI GPU. Not under 1K, but you get the point.
Click to expand...

Yes that is about the price range i found myself.

But if you add a good monitor (not even talking about something that is 2560x1440 that doesnt even exist only 30" 2560x1600 exists) a 1920x1200 we are talking another 500+ so is not that far of a 27" imac.

Yes with the pc you get more flexibility and better video but you trade off higher power consumption, more noise and no os x.
 
Tec972 said:
Don't be a naive fanboy!! I am not saying that as an insult! If :apple: wants respect they need to earn it through quality products which they have been seriously faltering in lately with the macs.

If you were able to see the product you were getting it would be a different story. But their manufacturing is SO inconsistent you have no idea what the problems may be out of the box. Because you have to buy it first and then see what may be in store for you is the problem. You can't go by what they have on display because of the inconsistencies. I brought mine back into the store and it looked different from the other two models I put it next to. One screen was good, mine was too yellow and the other one was to cool or "bluish" when it came to the white balance. All the color profiles were set identically.

I wish they would unbox it fire it up and let you see it. Because I would know right off the bat if the screen was to my satisfaction. I'm sure it would be for many others who either 1- Don't care, 2-Don't know any better. But mine is not good enough for me. I told the manager that if my display looked like the one sitting next to it I would have ZERO problems and would be a happy camper.

Would you spend $30-$40k for a brand new car that ran like **** or had scratches or dents in it?

Spending $2k for a machine it should be perfect!! Especially when it shouldn't cost more than a grand!! Apple doesn't use any parts that aren't found in any other computer for a third of the cost. We are not nitpicking we just expect to get what we paid for. When I spend one tenth the money on another display and it IS perfect, why cant the iMac be at 10x the cost.

I give credit where it is due and apple has certainly not earned mine, or many other people's respect with the iMacs lately. It's that simple.
Click to expand...


amen. This is an excellent post, and pretty much sums it up. While the iMAC is not 10x the cost, it is certainly in the "lexus" range, and as such should be a pretty sweet ride - or be recalled until it is <g>.

With iMAC #4 right now it seems like I am driving the lexus, but the windshield is cracked and dirty, with an uneven tint job!

...what drives people like me crazy I think is this:

1) the failure on Apple's part to deal with what are clearly huge manufacturing mistakes, shifting any blame to the customer (e.g., you're just too picky) or other manufacturers (e.g., *everyone's* smartphone has antenna issues)

2.) how close the iMAC is to an incredibly excellent machine- why go to all the trouble of unibody case, silent cooling, stable OS, etc. when you go and spoil it by putting on a piece of crap display? By now, everyone is just expecting/used to pretty amazing displays (tvs, phones, ipads, etc.) and Apple should be recognizing that and paying the extra for a killer display- not these pee-stained color shifting, dead-pixel efforts. (BTW, a previous post said it best when they made the claim that 100% of the iMAC displays have problems and "people that don't see the problems just don't see it.")

If you have to charge a premium for the extra cost, Stevie, so be it. Many (myself included) would PAY the extra for a display that is consistently perfect. Heck, I am already just about to pay $500 MORE for a 27" over the 21.5" that I originally wanted simply for one more opportunity to get a quality display!

When do these defects stop become "bad rumors by a handful of disgruntled perfectionists" and shift to the "...ooops, ya caught us, we WERE trying to save $5 on manufacturing costs with those displays and/or we were just trying to keep up with demand and are having a few growing pains- we'll make it right!

Clearly those posters that claim that Applecare will take care of you - have not experienced the same level of crap that has been happening lately. After all, these applecare people are only human and I suspect that they have a HUGE caseload to deal with these days- unlike in previous years, as Apple has been taking the world by storm in so many areas these last few years. I would not be at all surprised if all the latest engineering/manufacturing cracks in Apple's armor are a result of exactly that; growing pains.

-Iamthinking
 
dnenciu said:
Yes that is about the price range i found myself.

But if you add a good monitor (not even talking about something that is 2560x1440 that doesnt even exist only 30" 2560x1600 exists) a 1920x1200 we are talking another 500+ so is not that far of a 27" imac.

Yes with the pc you get more flexibility and better video but you trade off higher power consumption, more noise and no os x.
Click to expand...

Though expensive, 2560x1440 does exist:
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/...etail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=224-8284

And here is a decent 27.5" monitor at 1920x1200:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824254036

A good, large monitor at 1920x1200 can be found for around 400. so 1100+400 = 1500... which is 700$ less then an iMac. Plus you get a computer you can actually upgrade (and upgrade much easier then an iMac).
 
kryptonitejesus said:
My post was in regards to those complaining about loud iMacs, or fingerprints or dust inside the screen, which are either easy to fix, or just plain dumb to worry about.

I don't even have a Apple product so there is no fanboyism at all on my part, but apparently perfection is still something you all are in search of.

Good luck investigating every single item you ever get in constant worry that something may or may not be wrong with it.
Click to expand...

Lol, fingerprints inside the screen is simple enough for the average consumer to fix? No way. Nor should they have to. And most people here are complaining about major screen defects, so you really should have been more specific if you were just talking about things that were easy to fix (and actually it doesn't matter, you should a problem from device from the beginning).

I hope your happy getting shoddy products, corporations will LOVE you.
 
green86 said:
Though expensive, 2560x1440 does exist:
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/...etail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=224-8284

And here is a decent 27.5" monitor at 1920x1200:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824254036

A good, large monitor at 1920x1200 can be found for around 400. so 1100+400 = 1500... which is 700$ less then an iMac. Plus you get a computer you can actually upgrade (and upgrade much easier then an iMac).
Click to expand...

Well so the 27" with high res from dell adds 900 to the price and gets pretty close to the imac price obviously if you need a cheap desktop that you can modify or want to play games the imac is not the machine for you.
 
Iamthinking said:
amen. This is an excellent post, and pretty much sums it up. While the iMAC is not 10x the cost, it is certainly in the "lexus" range, and as such should be a pretty sweet ride - or be recalled until it is <g>.

With iMAC #4 right now it seems like I am driving the lexus, but the windshield is cracked and dirty, with an uneven tint job!

...what drives people like me crazy I think is this:

1) the failure on Apple's part to deal with what are clearly huge manufacturing mistakes, shifting any blame to the customer (e.g., you're just too picky) or other manufacturers (e.g., *everyone's* smartphone has antenna issues)

2.) how close the iMAC is to an incredibly excellent machine- why go to all the trouble of unibody case, silent cooling, stable OS, etc. when you go and spoil it by putting on a piece of crap display? By now, everyone is just expecting/used to pretty amazing displays (tvs, phones, ipads, etc.) and Apple should be recognizing that and paying the extra for a killer display- not these pee-stained color shifting, dead-pixel efforts. (BTW, a previous post said it best when they made the claim that 100% of the iMAC displays have problems and "people that don't see the problems just don't see it.")

If you have to charge a premium for the extra cost, Stevie, so be it. Many (myself included) would PAY the extra for a display that is consistently perfect. Heck, I am already just about to pay $500 MORE for a 27" over the 21.5" that I originally wanted simply for one more opportunity to get a quality display!

When do these defects stop become "bad rumors by a handful of disgruntled perfectionists" and shift to the "...ooops, ya caught us, we WERE trying to save $5 on manufacturing costs with those displays and/or we were just trying to keep up with demand and are having a few growing pains- we'll make it right!

Clearly those posters that claim that Applecare will take care of you - have not experienced the same level of crap that has been happening lately. After all, these applecare people are only human and I suspect that they have a HUGE caseload to deal with these days- unlike in previous years, as Apple has been taking the world by storm in so many areas these last few years. I would not be at all surprised if all the latest engineering/manufacturing cracks in Apple's armor are a result of exactly that; growing pains.

-Iamthinking
Click to expand...

Thank you... Your post is right on cue also. They are trying to show a level of quality in the style, fit and finish, but they are coming up short on the manufacturing and quality control. The iMac is a beautiful product and would be so much better if the panels were consistant. It's all about dollars and cents and they will not sacrifice their gross margins. I think they somehow went on the cheap with the panels lately to keep costs down and margins up. It has really shown lately.

The ACD's don't have the problems these do because they are better quality displays and much more consistant.
The ACD's I've seen in the Apple store didn't exhibit the problems my displays have had. They were pretty solid.
I didn't have any interest in the macs a few years ago, were the 24" lcds having this many problems??
 
I'm in college and just sold my MBP so I could get the 27 i7 for the larger screen since I am majoring in graphic design... I'm ordering today and if this thing is not perfect it's going back, I don't have money to throw around on a half-assed machine.... I think whoever made the comparison about the car not being perfect is spot on. I have never had any trouble with my MacBook(s) or iPad/iPods so I'm hoping I can luck out on this too lol :rolleyes:
 
symbology said:
Should I be worried? I mean this is my 4th one. (27" i7)
Click to expand...

Having to return a $2000+ product, four or more times would worry me. In fact, I'd be very worried after three returns and would've just given up.

Why would you endure this?

Don't you find something disturbing about this common occurance with iMac buyers.

All of the iMacs has yellow tint. If you did some searching you'd know this by now. You either keep it or return it for a full refund. You are wasting your time if you think your repalcement will be any better than the last. Some of the replacements were actually found to contain refurbished parts. You are better off keeping it or returning for a full refund. Replacements seem to be of the refurbished variety. Buyer beware.
 
IndustrialSpace said:
Having to return a $2000+ product, four or more times would worry me. In fact, I'd be very worried after three returns and would've just given up.

Why would you endure this?

Don't you find something disturbing about this common occurance with iMac buyers.

All of the iMacs has yellow tint. If you did some searching you'd know this by now. You either keep it or return it for a full refund. You are wasting your time if you think your repalcement will be any better than the last. Some of the replacements were actually found to contain refurbished parts. You are better off keeping it or returning for a full refund. Replacements seem to be of the refurbished variety. Buyer beware.
Click to expand...

Well, I am without an iMac at the moment. Not sure if I will try for #5.

A problem for me is, I already went ahead and purchased a new version of Photoshop CS5 which is only for the Mac platform. So, even though I can go back to my old PC, I am still out the $ for the Mac software that I purchased.
 
IndustrialSpace said:
Having to return a $2000+ product, four or more times would worry me. In fact, I'd be very worried after three returns and would've just given up.

Why would you endure this?

Don't you find something disturbing about this common occurance with iMac buyers.

All of the iMacs has yellow tint. If you did some searching you'd know this by now. You either keep it or return it for a full refund. You are wasting your time if you think your repalcement will be any better than the last. Some of the replacements were actually found to contain refurbished parts. You are better off keeping it or returning for a full refund. Replacements seem to be of the refurbished variety. Buyer beware.
Click to expand...

Hey the OP has had problems ranging from cracked screens to dead pixels. Don't you read?

I don't think any of us in the "multiple returns" camp are continually returning them for the yellow tinge. Speaking for myself, I was ready to accept the yellow tinge defect for iMAC #3, but there were dead pixels ALSO, which I am not prepared to accept (esp in the middle of the screen). I have not needed to accept dead pixels on LCD monitors for the past 2 or 3 years as just about every major monitor manufacturer has had a ZERO dead pixel policy in place for quite a while.

You are probably right- it likely IS a waste of time to think the next monitor will be any better than the last. (that's what the Applecare rep told me too). But common, you would HOPE that not every single iMAC has some sort of issue though, wouldn't you? If these machines were $500, then I think everyone would be like, yup, it's pretty good for the money. BUT at 2K you want something *approaching* what a windows machine costing 1/2 the price would look like? Is it really too much to ask?

Peace

Iamthinking.
 
IndustrialSpace said:
Having to return a $2000+ product, four or more times would worry me. In fact, I'd be very worried after three returns and would've just given up.

Why would you endure this?

Don't you find something disturbing about this common occurance with iMac buyers.

All of the iMacs has yellow tint. If you did some searching you'd know this by now. You either keep it or return it for a full refund. You are wasting your time if you think your repalcement will be any better than the last. Some of the replacements were actually found to contain refurbished parts. You are better off keeping it or returning for a full refund. Replacements seem to be of the refurbished variety. Buyer beware.
Click to expand...

BTW, I had a 27" iMac that had no signs of yelliow tint, none what so ever.
 
Iamthinking said:
Hey the OP has had problems ranging from cracked screens to dead pixels. Don't you read?

I don't think any of us in the "multiple returns" camp are continually returning them for the yellow tinge. Speaking for myself, I was ready to accept the yellow tinge defect for iMAC #3, but there were dead pixels ALSO, which I am not prepared to accept (esp in the middle of the screen). I have not needed to accept dead pixels on LCD monitors for the past 2 or 3 years as just about every major monitor manufacturer has had a ZERO dead pixel policy in place for quite a while.

You are probably right- it likely IS a waste of time to think the next monitor will be any better than the last. (that's what the Applecare rep told me too). But common, you would HOPE that not every single iMAC has some sort of issue though, wouldn't you? If these machines were $500, then I think everyone would be like, yup, it's pretty good for the money. BUT at 2K you want something *approaching* what a windows machine costing 1/2 the price would look like? Is it really too much to ask?

Peace

Iamthinking.
Click to expand...

I think you're not seeing my point.

5 yellow screens or a mixture of 5 unique issues with each replacement. Same difference. You the consumer, are paying a LOT of money (a premimum vs. a PC) for a sophisticated piece of machinery. Why should you haveto go through the inconvenience and hassle of returning a computer becasue eachtime there is a problem of a different nature. I'm not sure which is worse, a recurring yellow screen, or other random defects, to receive one after the other.

These are NOT isolated incidences. Many owners have to go through many replacements until they 'settle' on one with minimal problems. Perhaps they learn to live with the buzzing sound. The grey bar. The scratched discs. The dreaded yellow.

Apple knows people have only so much patience. They will offer repalcements to placate the customer, but it really does no good. History has shown that multiple repalcements never really yield a perfect monitor. Just one that doesn't "seem too bad."

I wanted this new iMac back in late 2009 but held off due to the iMac being plagued with problems. I patiently waited for the 2010 refresh, yet there are STILL reports of bad monitors.

Until Apple fixes this (most likely in the next revision) yellow and grey are here to stay.

So I say.. "ignornace is bliss." Buy it but dont bother looking forthe flaws. Once you notice them, you will be very unhappy with your iMac. It will sour you on the whole experience each time you log on to your computer.

From a business persepective, Apple used to design qualiy computers and generally had very good quality control. With the advent of mobile devices and such, Apple has shifted their work force towards dominating this world. Thisis how Apple allocatestheir human resources. They are displaced to other projects as necessary. iMacs and their screen quality is not high up on their "to do list."
 
IndustrialSpace said:
I think you're not seeing my point.
So I say.. "ignorance is bliss." Buy it but dont bother looking for the flaws. Once you notice them, you will be very unhappy with your iMac. It will sour you on the whole experience each time you log on to your computer.
Click to expand...

mmm....OK. So are you saying I should somehow ignore a black splotch in the centre of my screen, or in the case of the OP, a crack in the screen? Is your point here to not LOOK for flaws? How about when the flaw jumps out and grabs you in the a$$?

I think that the best way to get Apple to sit up and take notice is if you DO complain, ask for multiple replacements, etc...until they smarten up. Hoping they will quietly fix it on the next refresh is naive.

Iamthinking.

p.s. how are you privy to Apple's "to-do-list", BTW? Just curious.
 
Iamthinking said:
mmm....OK. So are you saying I should somehow ignore a black splotch in the centre of my screen, or in the case of the OP, a crack in the screen? Is your point here to not LOOK for flaws? How about when the flaw jumps out and grabs you in the a$$?

I think that the best way to get Apple to sit up and take notice is if you DO complain, ask for multiple replacements, etc...until they smarten up. Hoping they will quietly fix it on the next refresh is naive.

Iamthinking.

p.s. how are you privy to Apple's "to-do-list", BTW? Just curious.
Click to expand...


You're deviating even further!

Have you any comprehension skills?

EDIT: I have no patience to respond. Think what you will.:rolleyes:
 
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