Would you buy an iMac again after owning one?

[Moonjumper]

I went from a 24" iMac to a 15" rMBP. My thinking was the scaling modes would allow the same pixel work area, and I would benefit from the portability.

Portability hasn't been used anywhere near as much as I thought, and the scaling mode resulting in everything being too small to sue for extended periods of time. So I'm now using the rMBP with an external monitor and a rats nest of connections (and not finding Thunderbolt reliable on wake from sleep).

I would like to buy an iMac again, but I'll wait for a retina screen and the funding for it.

In the meantime I have bought a cheap iMac G4. It has a good set of speakers, so great for iTunes. It would be a dream come true if they managed to match the level of the G4 ergonomics. Adjustable screen height is important, and a big problem with the current design.

 

[quickcalibre]

Most certainly, I mean, I don't need to until this 2011 version I have breaks.

But it's by far the best computer I've ever had, and my most used and enjoyed apple device, most so than the iPhone.

 

[nanosour]

Have had 6 iMacs since making the switch in 2005. Currently have 3 iMac in the house and although not perfect, they are way better than any experience I've had with a PC with respect to both hardware and operating system.

Would definitely purchase a new one when the need arises.

 

[cynics]

Currently, absolutely.

There is no telling what the future will hold though. Microsoft or a PC manufacturer could do something that makes my life much easier one day and in that case I would go that route.

The only reason I stay with OSX is because of the iOS integration especially with iOS 8 and Yosemite. However I feel iOS isn't progressing as fast as my work load dictates compared to some of the competition. So there may be a day I switch from iOS and if that happens I'll probably just build a more powerful PC a little bit cheaper.

There was a time where I felt the devices in my sig were the best of the best (for me) however now I can find alternatives that are just as good if not better (for me). Maybe at the expense of some convenience.

 

[kazmac]

I'd like to say no, but then I'd be a HUGE hypocrite, because just this past Thursday, my brand new, 21.5" 2.9, SSD, 16GB Mac arrived and I'm loving it. When iMacs (or any Mac) are working right, there is nothing better.

But, with that being said, the following is my disappointing history with iMacs, which probably speaks more to the myth (at least in my experiences) that Apple computers have the highest quality workmanship and quality control. Meanwhile, my work Dell laptop and ancient office Dell desktop are workhorses and keep on ticking without any hardware (or software) problems.

Before I start, you should be aware of Apple's shoddy history with respect to graphic cards since 2006, a quality problem that they forever denied. As I'm typing this on my gorgeous new iMac, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't skeptical, sometimes thinking that I made a mistake and that there will be some hardware failure, whether it's a graphics card or logic board.

Okay, now my iMac history-

1998 - Purchased the original, blueberry iMac. It was very unique at the time and I loved it, other than that hideous hockey puck mouse design. It worked okay, but the HD had such a high pitch sound that it would pain me to sit at the computer for any longer than 15 minutes. I'd get ear and headaches. This was a common complaint on the Apple Support Forum, other than the usual, obnoxious Apple fanboys who trashed those who had the nerve to complain.

As usual, Apple denied any problem. Had one replaced and received another with the same issue, so I had to live with it.

2002 - Apple G4. It might have looked like a desk lamp with a floating screen, but this was the least problematic iMac I've owned. No more high pitch whine, which was a relief.

But, typical of Apple "quality" it had a short shelf life. It crapped out after 2 years. This lead me to by a PC and i DESPISE Windows, so in
2006: I purchased the late 2006 iMac. Loved it till I started experiencing some weird monitor behavior in 2009 that kept getting worse and worse till I had to delete graphics-related files just to get the machine started. This was the start of Apple's faulty graphics cards, which of course they denied existed until five years later and despite thousands of similar complaints.

As an aside, I purchased a 13" MacBook at the same time. Three years later it wouldn't charge or start. Apple, in their usual fashion, denied a battery issue, even though there are tons of similar complaints about this issue, even with the replacement batteries. I had to purchase a battery and a year later donated it to charity.

2010 - Purchased the mid 2010 iMac for my wife. After 8 months it died. Seemingly, the logic board went kaput out of nowhere. Of course, Apple had to replace it. Today, the replacement is still running fine.

2013 - Like I said I just purchased the late 2013 iMac. I'm loving it, but I wouldn't be surprised if something went wrong in a year or two or three. That's Apple quality/denial for you. I know I must sound liek a masochist considering my bad Apple experiences, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed. When they operate, no PC can match it.

I can certainly relate to your story. I hope your 2013 lasts more than 3 years.

I had no problems with mine after my dud 1999 teal G3 was replaced until two 2010 duds. My third 2010 is still going and it's over four years. She might protest too much at times, but the machine still does what I need.

I wish nothing but good health for your 2013.

 

[lookatchu]

I can certainly relate to your story. I hope your 2013 lasts more than 3 years.

I had no problems with mine after my dud 1999 teal G3 was replaced until two 2010 duds. My third 2010 is still going and it's over four years. She might protest too much at times, but the machine still does what I need.

I wish nothing but good health for your 2013.

Thanks, I appreciate it. Keeping my fingers crossed. Based on my experiences I shake my head when people speak of Apple's "superior" quality. If I didn't hate Windows so much, I might have considered a PC. Like I said, I have two work Dells - one in my office and a work laptop and they've been far more reliable than my Apple purchases.

That said, I'm obviously still an Apple fan, but certainly not a fanboy as I fully recognize their known issues and their often shoddy manner in denying them. Lesser of two evils?

All the best to you.

----------

Thank for taking the time to document your experience. I too have a laundry list this long with iMac problems... many of which were never fixed satisfactorily. I have lugged far too many iMacs to the genious bar and will never do that again.

As a general observation... when I see the word "love" in the same sentence as iMac I kind of roll my eyes. I have never understood the emotional attachment with an iMac or any other tech device.

You're welcome. I think I must be a masochist to keep purchasing Apple product. Sometime they're just so alluring, and when they are working right, they're usually better than the competition. You're right about the "love" part, though I used it in my post as well. "Strong like" probably would have been more appropriate.

 

[Isamilis]

iMac, do not upgrade the OS

I have 2010 version and still going strong with Snow Leopard. No slowness, it's only the fan start making noise because of the dust. It's still in original 4 GB / 1TB HDD. It's for my kids.
I think iMac is good quality product and will keep performing well as long as you didn't upgrade (major upgrade) the original OS.

I would consider another iMac if I found strong case for the purpose or if the existing one broken.

 

[lookatchu]

I've used a strawberry-alien-egg-shaped-Mac-w/-the horrid-hockey-puck-mouse, (Mac OS crashed due to INIT conflicts) the G4 Cube (replaced the hard drive due to overheating issues, the logic board once, the NIC card once), a Haswell iMac due to a faculty LCD (returned) and now the sound has mysteriously stopped working on a several month old mac mini.

(sigh)

I feel your pain. I have an ASUS PC sitting on the floor w/ a blank hard drive a Widows 8.1 install disk. (shudders). Maybe it's time to make the Big Switch Back.

Macs seem to be flaky, don't they? Speaking of the hockey puck mouse, the Apple design team never get the mice right, from both hardware and functionality standpoint (stubbornly refusing to add a right click). Even the new Magic Mouse design sucks - I don't even use it with the new iMac I just purchased; it's too imprecise, very uncomfortable in the hand, and makes an annoying scraping noise on the desk. It's another example of Apple's form and aesthetics over function.

But, in my opinion, Apple is the lesser of two evils, mainly because of the OS. But, hardware-wise PC's seem to be more reliable. I've had many for work and never had the issues I keep getting with Macs, i.e logic board, monitor, graphic card and other hardware failures. They're only replaced because they get old and can't handle the current operating systems well (just like Macs that become obsolete). Only Macs (in my experience) usually don't last long enough to have software/OS incompatibility issues.

 

[JohnPi314]

Macs seem to be flaky, don't they? Speaking of the hockey puck mouse, Apple just design get mice right, both hardware and for a long time functionality (stubbornly refusing to add a right like). Even the Magic Mouse design sucks - I don't even use it with my new iMac. It's too imprecise, very uncomfortable, and makes an annoying scraping noise on the desk. It's another example of Apple's form and aesthetics over function.

But, in my opinion, Apple is the lesser of two evils, mainly because of the OS. But, hardware-wise PC's seem to be more reliable. I've had many for work and never had the issues I keep getting with Macs, i.e logic board, monitor, graphic card and other hardware failures. They're only replaced because they get old and can't handle the current operating systems well (just like Macs that become obsolete). Only Macs (in my experience) usually don't last long enough to have software/OS incompatibility issues.

I like OS X and the industrial design but the quality control issues, journalist's bondage by there PR department, poor working conditions of there supply chain - Hon Hai Precision Industry - and flakey software (Springboard reboots, Maps) doesn't instill evangelical feelings nor makes me want to spend $.

 

[JoeG4]

Sure! My brother had an imac for 8 years! It lived a really rough life and went through many road trips and even a few drops. I finally retired it but it probably would've kept going if I replaced the screen. I sold it to someone who apparently uses it with an external monitor now.

 

[Georgio]

Arguably there is a void between the lower spec Mac Pro and the higher specced iMac, but I suspect in real terms the difference would not be noticeable except for the anal.

The big problem as I see it with a Super-iMac is that if good, it would compromise the Pro's position in the market.
Ultimately heat is always going to be a problem in an all in one where performance is built in.

 

[lookatchu]

I like OS X and the industrial design but the quality control issues, journalist's bondage by there PR department, poor working contains of there supply chain - Hon Hai Precision Industry - and flakey software (Springboard reboots, Maps) doesn't instill evangelical feelings nor makes me want to spend $.

I agree with these sentiments. By the way, I just edited my post that you responded to, as it was incoherent in spots--lot's of typos and missing words. Either I was extremely tired or my keyboard abandoned me!

 

[Richdmoore]

It is just my opinion, but it looks like all the Mac computers are becoming even less upgradable over time, and are starting to be feature limited after a few years even on those devices that could be easily upgraded.

An example is the continually features of the new osx Yosemite. Only the newest ac wifi/bluetooth 4.0 systems get all the features in the latest beta software. No current iPhone uses ac wifi, so no reason that is a requirement. I can easily add a usb 4.0 bluetooth dongle, but that still won't allow me to use all of the features the new models receive.

Other people have actually swapped the internal cards in there older macs to a compatible ac wifi/bluetooth 4.0 official apple card used in the newer models, but apple even blocks that without doing kext modifications to the OS in the later beta releases.

Assuming this trend continues, my plan is to purchase the cheaper Mac mini computers, and replace them more often, rather than the more expensive iMac computers. I plan use the thunderbolt target display mode to re-use my current 2011 iMac display, until the time that 4k displays become common.

Of course, it will be a while until the Mac mini outpaces my current iMac, and things may change by then to make me re-evaluate my plan.

 

[Fishrrman]

I've seen quite a number of posts in this thread from folks who have said that even though they bought an iMac, they might not buy one again.

That could become problematic for Apple, down the road a bit...

 

[kazmac]

Thanks, I appreciate it. Keeping my fingers crossed. Based on my experiences I shake my head when people speak of Apple's "superior" quality. If I didn't hate Windows so much, I might have considered a PC. Like I said, I have two work Dells - one in my office and a work laptop and they've been far more reliable than my Apple purchases.

That said, I'm obviously still an Apple fan, but certainly not a fanboy as I fully recognize their known issues and their often shoddy manner in denying them. Lesser of two evils?

All the best to you.

----------


You're welcome. I think I must be a masochist to keep purchasing Apple product. Sometime they're just so alluring, and when they are working right, they're usually better than the competition. You're right about the "love" part, though I used it in my post as well. "Strong like" probably would have been more appropriate.

I have a Lenovo here at work and am not a fan of Windows either (working with out-of-date SharePoint and IE with 2010 Outlook and Word is crazy making.)

So, again, I can relate.

My frustration with Apple (particularly build quality and snipey help at some stores here) makes me less of a fan woman than I was; but I prefer Apple product for the ease of use. And I will continue to use Apple products as they continue to work for me.

Again, long life for your 2013.

I have 2010 version and still going strong with Snow Leopard. No slowness, it's only the fan start making noise because of the dust. It's still in original 4 GB / 1TB HDD. It's for my kids.
I think iMac is good quality product and will keep performing well as long as you didn't upgrade (major upgrade) the original OS.

I would consider another iMac if I found strong case for the purpose or if the existing one broken.

Lesson learned on updating the OS. Mountain Lion made my 2010 roar, Mavericks is making it hiss and swat at me when it's grumpy. I will hold off on updating the OS until I absolutely have to with my next Mac.

 

[j800r]

I've seen quite a number of posts in this thread from folks who have said that even though they bought an iMac, they might not buy one again.

That could become problematic for Apple, down the road a bit...

Doubt it. A lot of these would be recent migrants who had a complaint with a recent Windows version, thought the grass was greener and then just couldn't adapt to the Apple way. Some just have bad experiences anyways.


Anyhoo, on to me...



Absolutely if/when I could afford to!! I've only owned one Mac. I've lived a very unlucky and unfortunate life and have never been made of money or even worked full time paid yet (long life story there, trust me there are reasons).

In around late 2008 I was living alone in a dingy little ground floor Council flat. Moved into there around March of the year. Anyways, I had a big compensation payout around the end of the year. Over £10k. At the time, I bought a custom PC. Built to be top-of-the-line at my local independent store. Not too long after having it the HDD went. Except I didn't know what it was at the time and neither did the store.

Couple of years passed bringing us to around August 2010. I sold my motorcycle which I'd bought with that payout as I could no longer afford to keep it on the road (I'd been a little wild with my cash and found it didn't last forever). Got £1k for it and used that 1k to go down to my nearest Apple store which me dad had to drive me to and pick up the bottom-of-the-line £999 iMac. Incredibly, ridiculously expensive at that price I might have thought. However, took it home, connected it (power and ethernet was all it needed), switched it on and I was instantly entranced from the moment of the OSX welcome video (I miss those).

Fast forward four years and several OSX versions later and this beauty is still running as well as day of purchase and trust me, I've put it through it's paces. Had to replace my external backup drive but the iMac itself is a champ and can run the latest OSX as easy as it could Snow Leopard. It may be the bottom end model but it's no slouch. It can even run some basic games such as WoW, Minecraft, Dragon Age: Origins and The Sims. To this day my iMac is the best computer I've ever used. I'm a console gamer so I don't miss out on the gaming front.

However...

Recently I've grown a deeper love for Linux systems and their theming capabilities, especially since OSX has moved away from the Aqua look I adored. I would prefer the iMac to be able to run Linux no problems (namely Majaro) but that's an issue unfortunately.

That being said, unless I switched to PC gaming and wanted to build a gaming PC (and even then I may have kept it separate to my main use PC) I will absolutely buy another iMac when I can afford to one day! Only this time I may try to go for a higher end model to get even more out of it!

 

[JohnPi314]

I agree with these sentiments. By the way, I just edited my post that you responded to, as it was incoherent in spots--lot's of typos and missing words. Either I was extremely tired or my keyboard abandoned me!

Your keyboard abandoned you. You used the one made by Apple, right? (snickers)

----------

It is just my opinion, but it looks like all the Mac computers are becoming even less upgradable over time, and are starting to be feature limited after a few years even on those devices that could be easily upgraded.


Of course, it will be a while until the Mac mini outpaces my current iMac, and things may change by then to make me re-evaluate my plan.

It's my opinion too. They even changed the screws in the iPhone to make them less accessible.

I thought as you do, but I'm discovering that I'm outgrowing my mini. And I don't want an iMac for the reasons you described.

I believe this is planned obsolescence by Apple; that it is done deliberately to force users to upgrade -needlessly- which of course maximizes there profits.

Not cool, Apple; not cool.

----------

However...

Recently I've grown a deeper love for Linux systems and their theming capabilities, especially since OSX has moved away from the Aqua look I adored. I would prefer the iMac to be able to run Linux no problems (namely Majaro) but that's an issue unfortunately.

That being said, unless I switched to PC gaming and wanted to build a gaming PC (and even then I may have kept it separate to my main use PC) I will absolutely buy another iMac when I can afford to one day! Only this time I may try to go for a higher end model to get even more out of it!

I'm a fan of GNU/Linux; especially the design philosophy of no DRM.

I've tried OpenSuSE, Ubuntu, Mint...unfortunately I could never get it to work right. Spent to much time tweaking, rather then using.

And Ubuntu, one of the easiest distro's yet, is taking off with it's own design philosophy, apart from the general Linus community.

(sigh)

 

[sue cuthbert]

My iMac? I wouldn't be without one!

I have an old 24" early 2009 iMac and wouldn't be without it - my desk would be so empty without it! I have a Windows PC upstairs that I was given, but rarely use it - everything about it is so slow and complicated! I might for fun try running linux on it - that or sell it! But I will be using this iMac until it gives up the ghost and then I shall purchase another one, no question!

 

[xxbrankxx]

I'm still using my 2008 24" iMac and it still runs alright. I don't think I'd buy another one though after all the problems with the image retention I had and still have. Apple repaired the display a bunch of times and I still get ghosting and it's beyond annoying.

I think my next Mac would be the new Mac Pro even though it's a bit overkill for my needs. I refuse to spend good money and have to play the screen lotto with their iMac displays. $2200 I spent back in '08 for their flagship iMac and the display's ghosting is horrible. Plus I hate schlepping a 24" computer through a crowded shopping mall when I have to bring it in for service at the Apple store.

 

[Acorn]

I think there have been more no then yes but I didnt count them all. At least people who do switch still seem to stay with apple. There does seem to be some reliability issues for some people.

 

[LizKat]

I'm occasionally tempted to get an iMac. Lots of people in my extended family have them. I've been pretty well spoiled by how easy it is to work with a laptop (and how easy to pack it into the turnaround box if a repair is required).

Still, I must admit to having stood in front of the big screen of an iMac a few times at the home of one or another family member while thinking... hmm... hmm... so there could still be an iMac in my future. I'd probably be pretty ticked off at myself for making that choice if I ever had to lug it in for a fix. That possibility won't stop me if I finally tip in the direction of getting one. After all, I've lugged big ol' microwave ovens back where they came from a few times.

The main thing for me about laptops over desktops is no need for a UPS and no need to go park myself where the computer is to use it. I'd probably be a better candidate for a standalone display than a desktop machine. But the door's still open for that iMac, I suspect.

 

[Kyle-K]

Simple answer is yes, just bought the 2013 iMac late last year a couple months after release.

Which means I've had five iMac's.

1. iMac Original "Bondi" [First Computer]
2. iMac G4 "Lampshade"
3. iMac (2007) [First Personal Computer]
4. iMac (2009) [First Computer Paid for by Me]
5. iMac (2013)

2 to 5 are all still working, The lampshade iMac is in its original packaging in storage. 3 to 5 are all still on my desk in use today.

 

[rambo47]

I will definitely be sticking with the iMac line. I used to get PowerMacs religiously as the early iMacs were ridiculously underpowered and under-displayed. But now the iMac is powerful enough for all but the most graphic-intensive applications and the most complex scientific calculations.

 

[old-wiz]

I've seen quite a number of posts in this thread from folks who have said that even though they bought an iMac, they might not buy one again.

That could become problematic for Apple, down the road a bit...

I have a 24" iMac from 2008, and it still works fine. As far as replacing it I would probably just use my 2013 rMBP with an external display. But I would certainly stay with Apple/OSx/IOS - never a serious problem since 2005.

I only once returned anything and that was an MBA where they couldn't fix the trackpad after two replacement trackpads, but after returning bought an rMBP and 6 months later an MBA for my wife. I have 8 working Macs, but only 4 are in use. None have ever required service by the Genius. Maybe I am just lucky.

I don't miss the DVD drive, but I did buy an external DVD for the rMBP just in case. My first Mac, a 14" portable from 2005, still works fine. It's nowhere near as fast as my rMBP, but you can still use it for web surfing and eMail.

But I do have multiple SuperDuper backups for all machines on multiple external HDDs, so if one goes south, I don't worry too much.

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

I still own my mid-2010 iMac and would absolutely upgrade it in the future. For me, the machines are just getting better and better.

My first experience with one was at college in the early 2000's, where I used a 'Bondi Blue' version of the original model for graphic arts. It's difficult to convey just how exciting it was to use this machine after growing up with Windows, but it was in a league of its own. Even the CRT was radically better than anything else on the market, and the fact that it was built in with the computer was just incredible.

Subsequent iMacs have had their fair share of flaws; the aforementioned no exception with its hockey puck mouse. The G5s, while having far better performance and one of the best LCDs of any iMac, were quite badly designed. Without regular maintenance, they liked to hoover dust and became very noisy.

The first aluminium iMac's were better designs internally, but as most of us will recall, had terrible LCDs that could not be trusted for colour grading.

So when I look back at just a few of the iMacs that have been released and compare them to the today's offering, I'm both excited and proud of what is a genuinely well-rounded product. It features the best screen of any iMac to date, it runs the coolest, has one of the most ergonomic designs (though still not G4 territory) and offers brilliant performance for the most peoples needs.

The lack of a DVD drive is no issue to me, as for the rare occasions that I would need one, it requires little effort or space to use an external one.

Those who slate the product due to its upgradability are also missing a point. Providing you choose your specs wisely at the time of purchase, there should be little need to upgrade in the future, what with software becoming 'lighter' in many instances (This has has been driven by the Mac App Store). And if a component fails, let Apple deal with it. I'm under the impression that many users just want to tinker with their machines just for the sake of doing so.