Apple Online Store Offering Refurbished Current-Generation 21" iMac, Shipping in 1-3 Days

[mushroomtip]

Originally Posted by mrsir2009

On Apple's online store, upgrading from the stock 500GB drive to a 750Gb drive costs $160NZ. Looking on somewhere like Ascent, the difference between the average 500gb drive and the average 750gb drive is about $30NZ, and in many cases less. That means Apple charges a $130 premium on the upgrade from a 500gb to a 750gb drive, which is totally ridiculous.

do you expect Apple to give you the physical SSD and install it for you at their cost ? you are not being forced to do buisness with Apple . you need to put things in perspective .

[macnerd93]

Originally Posted by linuxcooldude

Depends on the needs of the user. The iMac has several options including 7200rpm drives and fusion drives. If you do video rendering a better video card could make a difference, iMovie won't probably do much better.

thats my point entirely. You have to spend more money LOL. Thats why I settled for the previous generation.

[Lancer]

The 27" is the better iMac to get, by the time you put extra RAM and Fusion into the 21.5" you're knocking on the door of it's bigger brother. Get the 27" even if you can't afford Fusion, get more RAM later.

I would not be surprised if the next 21.5" has a redesign to put a RAM door in the back. Or maybe they will up the screen size but that could be a couple of years away.

As for upgrades, in the 27" no problem, got 32Gb of RAM. Need more storage I'd get another external HDD or a network drive. Need BluRay, go external.

[Mr. Retrofire]

Originally Posted by Supermule

Everybody knows thats it's the diameter that counts

That's what she said!

[Ynot]

Apple makes great Designed Computers and great Packaging, except for the New iMac. This is where the Packaging Design Team "Failed" sure it "LOOKS" good like all apple Packages. But the first time I saw it I knew that was a bad Design decision. A Pyramid ( /_\ ) is a Stable design even the Egyptians knew that. So what is wrong with the /_\, well Apple always has a reason. Make thing lighter, Packages smaller, allows you to increase the number of boxes you can transport for the same Price. So a /_\ means you take a iMac and put in on it't apex and you get \-/ great now you can get almost double the number of boxes in the same space great for the Bottom-line. "Bad idea", for a number of Reasons (the Egyptians didn't try it):

1: A pyramid on its axis has a Static problem all the weight is on the cutting edge, and the cutting edge is so cool and one of the main features of the iMac. It is not meant to carry the Weight of 10KG or 15KG (don't forget the Box, keyboard & Maus), its own weight but now with the Second layer which is now resting on the Apexes of the other boxes as well.So that actually might work except you don't want to transport one Layer that would be wasting the Place you are trying to gain.
No you make that 4 High so the the Pyramid at the bottom end up carrying the weight of 50 - 60Kg. Then you have to wrap the bottom so that they don't try to break out because of the weight from above you weaken a already unusable construction. You say put them on there Side, now you are on two Cutting edges and the Styrofoam gives no support.
So what probably happened is that there was a over propositional number of Damaged iMacs reaching US and European shores. So now you just replace the glass. Thats Cheep, UUUPS not with this design, you have to replace the screen. Now that is Expensive an all you were trying to save is down the drain. So when the rumors say that apple is having a problem with the yield in the display Production that is only half of the Truth. (Half thats good . Sorry laughing at my unintentional joke) Because you now need twice as many displays, Those for the new Production, and those to replace the Broken ones. Now Replacing Broken glass can be a dangerous endeavor. And i guess that not all of them can be sold a New and so get sold as Refurbished.

So some of you will say, aaah Bull, I got my iMac it was okay

2: So Apple has to Redesign the Box or its innards (the Styrofoam) so that it can take the weight. Why would I say that. Well the First deliveries of iMacs hat the classic Brown cardboard box in Pyramid design as additional transport protection so that your Mac looks pristine and not all scratched. The later Deliveries (now) have a sightly larger external box with additional Foam inside. To Buffer the actual iMac Box. But the nail in my Argument is, have you lately been on apples web sight. Can you find a Picture of the Innovative designed Box which was mentioned at the KeyNote. There used to be a Picture at the bottom of the Tech Specks page its gone and the KeyNote stream as well.

3: UPS, TNT, DHL and all the Others, just love to Transport "Odd Shapes" because it bring in the Money. They charge extra for extra edges and in the case of iMacs they probably upped the Ands. Because extra risk of a Damaged goods.

So that would explain the Slow deliveries and the New Refurbished iMacs.
And if it was a different Problem you would hear a lot more from those that got theirs on the net.

4: Apple needs time to create a new box test it and then, Printing the Millions they will need. Mabe they can use the Old boxes as Furniture ( http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/andrew-dusings-4110 )

Just my thoughts, but they have been stewing for a while. I have no insider information, but if the shoe fits :-D

sorry for Typos and the Rest.

[bigpoppamac31]

Originally Posted by DCJ001

It is important to not get caught up in the "5400 RPM" spec.

Sometimes, slower is faster. Believe it or not, today’s 5400RPM drives are even faster than 7200RPM drives from a just few years ago:

http://blog.macsales.com/11825-when-...ctually-faster

I had to read this a few times but I think I get it. I just depends how the data is arranged on the drive. Either standing up or laying down. If the data is "standing up" then even a slower speed drive can seem faster. But how can one tell if the manufacturer puts the data standing up or not??

[AndersBeider]

When is the next keynote acutally?

[photosbynick]

I just laugh at all the people who just not pick and bitch and complain about specs. They think they need the latest and greatest, but in reality they don't do anything but check email, go on forums to complain and then maybe watch a few movies.

With that said, the new iMac is sexy. Very sexy indeed. I wanted one when I first looked at it. Then realized I need a newer laptop instead for the line of work I do. I'm a photographer and need to edit on location at a lot of my jobs. So lugging an iMac wouldn't be the best choice all of the time. Also, the ability to upgrade hard drives and ram aftermarket is a huge factor in not choosing to get the new iMac. I have always used iMacs in our studio and got the base models then upgraded ram and hdd's later.

Our current 2010 iMac just got upgraded to 32gigs of ram and dual ssd drives from OWC. Made the getting old and sluggish machine feel like a new machine. I think this will make it 2 more years of photo editing. I don't think we will ever buy another iMac if you can't upgrade it aftermarket anymore. Plus with our needs for a powerful laptop increases, I think we will just stick to that. We just picked up one of the last 17" MBP and maxed it out from OWC.

Hopefully in 3 years or so when we will need to upgrade our laptops and iMacs, apple will be back to making machines that are user upgradeable again. Or who knows what technology will be like then. We may be getting 120gigs of ram and 2TB ssd drives standard in our machines. Look how fast technology has changed in the last 3 years.

So happy bitching and complaining people. I'll just enjoy my 2010 iMac upgraded with ssd and my 17" 2012 MBP upgraded with ssd. It edits my HD video and 16megapixel raw files just fine.

[linuxcooldude]

Originally Posted by macnerd93

thats my point entirely. You have to spend more money LOL. Thats why I settled for the previous generation.

More money for better/more hardware has been the part of retail as far as I can remember. Its up for the user to decide if its within his budget or if its worth it.

[sectime]

Originally Posted by danr_97070

Since they started welding things shut, I won't be buying another iMac.

No fix for a brain welded shut. New IMacs however are not

[mrsir2009]

Originally Posted by mushroomtip

do you expect Apple to give you the physical SSD and install it for you at their cost ? you are not being forced to do buisness with Apple . you need to put things in perspective .

No - I'm talking about the online store, where the products are built to order. It's no more cost to them to install a 750gb drive instead of a 500gb drive, aside from the price difference of a 500 and 750gb hard drive, which isn't $130.

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Originally Posted by Fatalbert

...How do you know this? Cache specs or real life tests? They're not even made by Apple, by the way.

He's probably referring the the drives that Apple uses.

[Fatalbert]

Originally Posted by mushroomtip

do you expect Apple to give you the physical SSD and install it for you at their cost ? you are not being forced to do buisness with Apple . you need to put things in perspective .

That has nothing to do with anything. He's saying that Apple's prices for extra storage are ridiculous, and they are, which is why some people avoid the iMac.

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Originally Posted by photosbynick

With that said, the new iMac is sexy. Very sexy indeed.

Some people, including me, don't like the huge bulge on the back. Sure it's thin at the edge, but so is any semi-sphere (0mm).

[Canadian Bacon]

Originally Posted by Ynot

but the nail in my Argument is, have you lately been on apples web sight. Can you find a Picture of the Innovative designed Box which was mentioned at the KeyNote. There used to be a Picture at the bottom of the Tech Specks page its gone and the KeyNote stream as well.

Well, here is a picture of the box on apple's website. Looks to me like the same box they premiered at launch:

http://store.apple.com/de/browse/hom...ac/family/imac

[yadmonkey]

Originally Posted by scottsjack

Exactly. Mac Pros are so useful. Need more hard drive space? No problem. Want Blu-ray? Easy to install. Have a need for lots of RAM? MP has you covered. Want to use a really good monitor? Ditto.

A Mac Pro is what can be referred to as "a real desktop computer". Most people do not need that kind of machine but for those who do the Mac Pro is Apple's only choice right now.

Agreed with everything you said. It's just a shame that it's a 2010 desktop at a 2013 price. Apple is really letting down their pros/prosumers right now... you know, those people who got Apple through their lean years.

[KPOM]

Originally Posted by jav6454

Adopters are not impressed I see.

Not necessarily. The 21.5" was the one that was available for more of the holiday season, so there are more returns. It seems like the 27" is the one that people really want and is in short supply.

That said, with the price drops to the rMBP line it does appear that the Mac market has reached a saturation point (at least for now). That probably explains at least some of Apple's lower guidance for the current quarter. While the Mac is only Apple's third largest product line it is still very profitable.

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Originally Posted by yadmonkey

Agreed with everything you said. It's just a shame that it's a 2010 desktop at a 2013 price. Apple is really letting down their pros/prosumers right now... you know, those people who got Apple through their lean years.

I think the 15" rMBP is a good product. Also, they did promise a new Mac Pro this year.

That said, the whole PC market has shifted. Consider that even Microsoft is out promoting the Surface "Pro" with MacBook Air-like specifications, and has designed Windows 8 around tablets rather than the desktop.

[thekev]

Originally Posted by The Samurai

Wrong.

Returns from users who thought the thinness would make an impact on their lives.

I hate that anyone thinks it makes a difference. People have mentioned lessened materials, but then they place them in excessive packaging.

Originally Posted by maxosx

Actually Apple's 5400 rpm drives run quite quickly. They're amongst the fastest in that category.

HDDs today are mostly Seagate or Western Digital. You don't have a large matrix of choices, so saying they're among the fastest is a bit disingenuous.

Originally Posted by Fatalbert

Can ANYONE repair these? Once one part dies, the whole computer, possibly even the screen, is useless.

I paid about $1000 for my Mac Pro. If a part failed in it, sure I wouldn't be happy, but it would be easy to fix by myself or by taking it into a repair shop.

Mac Pros are solid for the most part. If a gpu dies, hopefully a newer one is available. If it's a logic board, you're out of a lot of money anyway.

Originally Posted by Fatalbert

Nobody can fix welded parts.

The only thing welded is the the screen to the glass. I think display panels are sometimes refurbished, but they aren't repaired when you send them in for warranty purposes, and displays are mostly unrepairable. Most people will not try to replace a dead backlight. Nothing else is welded. Some things are glued in, which I really dislike, but repair service is still available for at least 5 years past discontinuation of that model according to their vintage policy. Some of the pricing is higher with the new stuff. For example the 15" rmbp battery service costs $200. The older one was around $150 or so. I think the user replaceable ones were $130 or so. They might have been less.

[iSayuSay]

Originally Posted by snipper

I've seen comparisons with 5400 rpm hd's from 1999 in this forum. Some people seem to believe the rpm is the only property that determines the speed of a hard drive. It's not.

Yep maybe RPM ain't everything. But it's also a fact that low end 27" 2012 iMac is faster at loading things compared to the high end 21.5".. And that's because of??

[Akarin]

Originally Posted by iSayuSay

Yep maybe RPM ain't everything. But it's also a fact that low end 27" 2012 iMac is faster at loading things compared to the high end 21.5".. And that's because of??

That is what I was wondering... iMac 2013 21" or iMac 2012 27". What would you recommend?

[mushroomtip]

Originally Posted by Fatalbert

That has nothing to do with anything. He's saying that Apple's prices for extra storage are ridiculous, and they are, which is why some people avoid the iMac.

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Some people, including me, don't like the huge bulge on the back. Sure it's thin at the edge, but so is any semi-sphere (0mm).

the bulge has always been there .

[jvmxtra]

These are gorgeous imac. I love imac and I hope apple continues to make awesome imac. As 2011 27 imac owner, I would like to see next version imac lose the bezel and chin..(or get them thin out).. and then next version to get retina.. I hope that falls on 2015 or 2016.. as I don't want to shell out another 2k.. so soon.. but next time retina imac comes out, I will be getting it..

Enjoy your imac folks!

[jamesryanbell]

Yet no 4th gen iPads....

[Fatalbert]

Originally Posted by mushroomtip

the bulge has always been there .

On Intel iMacs, yes, but it's never been nearly that big. On the iMac G5, there was no bulge at all.

[chuxdaddy]

This way a big miss for many people due to the lack of cd/dvd drive. I love apple, I have a 2009 mac mini, but the lack of dvd drive will not allow me to purchase a newer mini or imac. Many people still purchases music on cd. I may be in the minority, but i do like to read the liner notes. Plus many still handbrake their dvd collection. The design of the imac is beautiful, but the lack of the superdrive may have been a deal breaker for many people.

[Macrolido]

Anyone knows if refurbs exists in other countries?

[gnurf]

Originally Posted by DCJ001

Sometimes, slower is faster. Believe it or not, today’s 5400RPM drives are even faster than 7200RPM drives from a just few years ago:

http://blog.macsales.com/11825-when-...ctually-faster

Size of the platters and how many add/subtract speed too. Same size drive and same number of discs will always benefit at faster RPM. Beyond that there's nothing guaranteed

Originally Posted by Macrolido

Anyone knows if refurbs exists in other countries?

I've seen them on three of the Scandinavian stores, a long time ago. I haven't seen anything at all at least in the past two years. Either they don't dare to sell them here without extra testing (consumer protection laws are nastier to big companies , or people refresh the pages all day and buy them to sell them on the local Craigslist equivalents (and pretending they're new).