Best Arm Options For New 27" iMac

Paclypse71 said:

Any luck at the Apple Store?

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Glad you asked - Monitors In Motion suffers from a bit of a disconnect between their departments.

Even though they asked for customers to specify at the time of ordering if they have the late model 2012 iMac, the part they sent to connect to the back of the computer is incompatible - it's for the previous iMac model(s).

I called MIM and confirmed as much - when I looked closer at the pics on their Facebook page, the part that fits in the back of the iMac looked different from the one I was shipped - and they said over the phone that the part was a week or two away from being manufactured! Frustrating, to say the least - their marketing is ahead of their manufacturing, and if I would have known this I wouldn't have pulled the trigger when I did.

So my build-to-order iMac is sitting useless on the floor and so are the parts from MIM - and have been going on three weeks now, while I wait patiently for this promised part. Then, and only then, can I take it into the Apple store - where I can only hope I haven't been lied to again by MIM if the Apple store tells me "no can do." We shall see...

Hate to tell you but the stand is screwed in, inside the imac. Unless you catch a genius on a great day I highly doubt that they will install it for you. If they will then I will stand corrected, but chances are you are stuck with the imac mount like I have.

voicegy said:

Glad you asked - Monitors In Motion suffers from a bit of a disconnect between their departments.

Even though they asked for customers to specify at the time of ordering if they have the late model 2012 iMac, the part they sent to connect to the back of the computer is incompatible - it's for the previous iMac model(s).

I called MIM and confirmed as much - when I looked closer at the pics on their Facebook page, the part that fits in the back of the iMac looked different from the one I was shipped - and they said over the phone that the part was a week or two away from being manufactured! Frustrating, to say the least - their marketing is ahead of their manufacturing, and if I would have known this I wouldn't have pulled the trigger when I did.

So my build-to-order iMac is sitting useless on the floor and so are the parts from MIM - and have been going on three weeks now, while I wait patiently for this promised part. Then, and only then, can I take it into the Apple store - where I can only hope I haven't been lied to again by MIM if the Apple store tells me "no can do." We shall see...

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Sorry to hear about your experience. That's pretty ridiculous that they sent you the wrong part and haven't even started to manufacture the new adapters that were being advertised a month and a half ago. I saw an interview with one of their salesmen a few years ago where he stated that all of their parts are milled to order onsite using a CNC machine, so I don't understand why it would take so long if the part already exists.
As far as installation goes, I have attached a screenshot of their support page for Apple Computers that addresses installation of the MacHead adapter on older 21.5" iMacs by a certified Apple tech. It says that the Monitors in Motion sales agent can find an Apple Tech in your area that will not void the warranty (You may also want to try this Apple Authorized Service Provider locator, but it's mostly Apple Stores. https://locate.apple.com) Hopefully they can get everything straightened out for you.

mellofello said:

Hate to tell you but the stand is screwed in, inside the imac. Unless you catch a genius on a great day I highly doubt that they will install it for you. If they will then I will stand corrected, but chances are you are stuck with the imac mount like I have.

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It was documented on this site when the new iMac was released that the stand is screwed to the inside and full disassembly was necessary to remove it. That is why Monitors in Motion developed a MacHead Adapter that was compatible with the new mounting arrangement, and they stated in the Facebook post that the adapter needs to be installed at an Authorized Apple Store or dealer because disassembly is required (This was also the case with MacHead installation on earlier versions of the 21.5" iMac). Obviously this is something that would be pre-arranged with a competent Apple technician for a price, and would not be expected to be done by any random Genius.

Paclypse71 said:

Sorry to hear about your experience. That's pretty ridiculous that they sent you the wrong part and haven't even started to manufacture the new adapters that were being advertised a month and a half ago.

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Agreed. I'm actually leaving out of the story with MIM the fact that they also sent me the wrong in-desk mount - I asked for a grommet mount and they sent a side-desk mount - I wrote them an email asking to correct it, and they sent another part, but that was wrong as well. I then sent the PICTURE from their own web site showing the part I asked for originally, and they wrote back and said that mount was no longer being made (?!?) even though it was still on the web site - but they still "had some" and sent the right one. Unbelievable.

However, when I DID write them, they always wrote back same-day, and they shipped out the parts next-day, as a way to make up for the inconvenience. So I'll give them credit for that, but it hasn't been the experience I had hoped for given the major amount of cash I laid out for this product.

I wrote on their Facebook page a question regarding when the new Mac Head spigot would be ready for shipment, and also emailed them this morning...I'll update when I hear something.

UPDATE: Here's an email from Monitors in Motion dated April 3rd:

We are still waiting for the new adapters. We were hoping to have them ready by the end of March but they are slightly delayed.

We will hopefully have them in another couple of weeks.

Sincerely,

Adele McKendrick
Inside Sales & Marketing

I see you're in San Diego - there's a place called CryWolf in town that is an authorized Apple service center, so that's a possible option for installation in case I strike out with one of the Apple stores in town. I'm still very positive this will all work out.

2011 27" iMac

Mounted my 27" iMac to a Innovative 7500-hd-1500 with the help of this forum. I thought I'd upload my pics. Super happy with the way it turned out. I'd say the arm was set for the full 44#'s and I didn't think I was going to be able to get it down to adjust without breaking my desk.

Finally

It was a long road to get here, but I finally got the right part from Monitors In Motion for the late-2012 model iMac.

When it came, I took the part (along with the MIM Facebook page shot that shows the "spigot" connected to the back of the iMac) to our flagship Apple store in San Diego and asked if they could attach it. They walked away slowly....figured as much. But they did recommend CryWolf, which I had as a backup to try out anyway.

CryWolf raised their eyebrows, but said "yup, we can." A few days and 200 bucks of labor later, here is the whole set up at my home office.

I currently have a 30-inch Apple Cinema Display that I want to get a Humanscale arm for, though I am thinking of getting a new iMac sometime soon.

I was looking at getting the M8 for the 30-incher, and from what I can tell, the M2 is not rated for the 30-incher, but would work for the new iMac.

Is there any advantage to the M2 over the M8 if I use it in the future for the new iMac?

Thanks.

voicegy said:

It was a long road to get here, but I finally got the right part from Monitors In Motion for the late-2012 model iMac.

When it came, I took the part (along with the MIM Facebook page shot that shows the "spigot" connected to the back of the iMac) to our flagship Apple store in San Diego and asked if they could attach it. They walked away slowly....figured as much. But they did recommend CryWolf, which I had as a backup to try out anyway.

CryWolf raised their eyebrows, but said "yup, we can." A few days and 200 bucks of labor later, here is the whole set up at my home office.

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I'm glad to see that Monitors in Motion finally got their production figured out and you were able to get the right adapter. It's a little disappointing that the Apple Store wasn't able to do the installation, but it's actually better that they didn't try to attempt something they weren't capable of doing properly. I noticed that your photo has been added to the Monitors in Motion Facebook page, so you may very well be their first customer to actually have this done.
Since I live in the San Diego area I'll keep CryWolf in mind for when I get the new Thunderbolt Display (or possibly TV). Have you noticed any issues with their workmanship?

voicegy said:

It was a long road to get here, but I finally got the right part from Monitors In Motion for the late-2012 model iMac.

When it came, I took the part (along with the MIM Facebook page shot that shows the "spigot" connected to the back of the iMac) to our flagship Apple store in San Diego and asked if they could attach it. They walked away slowly....figured as much. But they did recommend CryWolf, which I had as a backup to try out anyway.

CryWolf raised their eyebrows, but said "yup, we can." A few days and 200 bucks of labor later, here is the whole set up at my home office.

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Could you please provide more info on this? I would like to have one for my late 2012 iMac. This is exact what I want to have the set up to look like.

Jindra12 said:

Could you please provide more info on this? I would like to have one for my late 2012 iMac. This is exact what I want to have the set up to look like.

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Start from his original post on pg 18 (#430).

Paclypse71 said:

Have you noticed any issues with (CryWolf's) workmanship?

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Not at all - they were professional, courteous, and my iMac looks the same going out as it did going in. Considering the way these particular models are built, it's a friggin' miracle.

I've been following this thread for an ETERNITY! Finally, just this week bought 2 arms for my 27" iMac and 27" led cinema. Freedom arm for iMac. Includes the VESA adapter, looks cool, works great, and best of all: on sale at opensky for $99! Free shipping. I got it mostly because of this review:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2Q53ZJ3RiE

hogo said:

I've been following this thread for an ETERNITY! Finally, just this week bought 2 arms for my 27" iMac and 27" led cinema. Freedom arm for iMac. Includes the VESA adapter, looks cool, works great, and best of all: on sale at opensky for $99! Free shipping. I got it mostly because of this review:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2Q53ZJ3RiE

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That's nice, but that is incompatible with the late-2012 (thin) model iMac, which was my particular struggle.

voicegy said:

That's nice, but that is incompatible with the late-2012 (thin) model iMac, which was my particular struggle.

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Yes this was more aimed at the earlier posters.

Just wanted to say thanks for everyone for their very detailed research of all the options. And a special thanks to hogo for mentioning the Freedom Arm for iMac, which is still priced at $99 on Opensky with free shipping. I'm guessing it's not on sale, but is simply a drastically cheaper price.
http://www.opensky.com/ergotech/product/freedom-arm-for-imac

Furthermore, I called Ergotech to ask for more info about the Freedom Arm and was told that the iMac version differs from the PC version in that it supports more weight, and the original version has a mount that specifically matches Apple models not counting the newest iMacs. So despite what the Opensky page says, you should not order the PC version with a VESA adapter for your new iMac. Also despite that page's image, he said all models should come with the 8" post. Moving the arm all the way up and to the top of the post should get around 19"-20" off the desk, which I need.

Around mid-November (a couple weeks) they'll be releasing a version of the Freedom Arm for iMac with a VESA mount that is compatible with new iMacs that were ordered with a VESA mount.

So I've ordered the current iMac version for my Thunderbolt display, and I plan on waiting and ordering the VESA version for my laptop, with the hope that it would get replaced with a thin iMac at a later date. Sadly I need two single arms since my desk has a big column in the middle which prevents me from using a centered dual arm, and basically all the reasonably-priced dual arms I've researched can't reach high, reach far to the side, and support a lot of weight at the same time.

You can still get new VESA compliant 27 inch iMacs

bobob said:

Thanks to all who contributed to this thread - - my first to reach a quarter million views!

My good old 27" iMac and its trusty 7500-1500 arm companion are now into their fifth year of working as a team.

It's been sad to see Apple's move away from easy arm compatibility on the iMacs, and I imagine I will be going for a MacBook Pro or MacBook Air when it comes time to purchase my next computer. The arm will then take over duties with a new (4K?) external monitor on my desk.

Best wishes in 2014 to all MacRumors forum's Armonauts!

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Hiya,

Apple do sell VESA compliant iMacs with the VESA adapter already mounted but they ship them without a stand. I purchased one in November last year online from Apple in the UK and mated it with an Ergomart SAA2718-1500 with the Heavy Duty Tilter Mechanism. Essentially it's the same arm that you have

To find these iMacs you need to click on Buy Now and then just below the four configurations of iMac you will see a link

"Looking for an iMac with a Built-in VESA Mount Adapter"

From there you can customise your Mac to you own specification or accept one of their default configurations.


I bought mine from this link
http://store.apple.com/uk/buy-mac/imac-vesa

The link for US customers is here
http://store.apple.com/us/buy-mac/imac-vesa

Don't give up on the new 27 inchers just yet !

When Apple first brought out these new "slimmer" macs without the VESA option, threads like this one were responsible for quite rightly kicking them in the teeth and making them see the error of their ways.

Apple do charge more for these VESA compliant stand-less iMacs but I can confirm that they are a doodle to mate to an arm such as yours with you not having to purchase anything else, as long as you already have the 100 x 100 VESA plate which would have shipped with your arm.

A quandary.

Hi All,

So I am about to buy a new iMac, and of course, I know that I can buy it with a VESA mount. I have a Humanscale M8 ready to use. Problem is, if I DO buy it with a VESA mount, I fear that my re-sale value will be impacted when I eventually go to sell this iMac.

I mean, the # of people that WANT an iMac with a VESA mount must be pretty slim. I DON'T think I can add a stand to the VESA equipped iMac.

Am I the only one with this quandary? Any suggestions other than "sorry bud, thems are the breaks!"

- Thanx
- Jon

jonbauer said:

Hi All,

So I am about to buy a new iMac, and of course, I know that I can buy it with a VESA mount. I have a Humanscale M8 ready to use. Problem is, if I DO buy it with a VESA mount, I fear that my re-sale value will be impacted when I eventually go to sell this iMac.

I mean, the # of people that WANT an iMac with a VESA mount must be pretty slim. I DON'T think I can add a stand to the VESA equipped iMac.

Am I the only one with this quandary? Any suggestions other than "sorry bud, thems are the breaks!"

- Thanx
- Jon

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You are correct on all points.

Only you can decide on what's best but surely you considered all of this before purchasing the arm ?

In my instance, the consideration of resale value against the benefits of using an arm for at least 3 years was a no brainer. For another person it might well be a deal-breaker.

You could always sell the arm (maybe you got it as a gift, pre-owned it or something similar etc.) and stick with a stand-mount iMac. That way re-sale value is a little better gauged but then you have all the hassle of dealing with rear-mounted peripheral slots, a barely adjustable screen and all the other tastefully designed form-over-function quirks we all love

I would end with this however: Buy things that fit a particular need or desire to make your life easier, not necessarily things that might have a better chance of re-sale once they are second-hand and dated, years down the line.

Debating whether to get the Ergotron Freedom Arm (about $140 with grommet option) or the Humanscale M8 ($370).

Both look great, but the Freedom Arm is very reasonably priced. Thoughts??

My goal is to get a reclining office chair and retractable keyboard for ultimate neckbeard setup.

sh1nn3r said:

So after looking at the Apple ilift and the innovative 7500 I finally decided on going with the Humanscale m8 and bought it from ergo lcd. They shipped it the same day which was nice. It seems like you have to wait for other arms. Anyway I got this arm the other day and I have to say it is gorgeous with the chrome finish and white trim. The assembly was a snap and got my mac mounted. Thanks for the help guys I will have to post pictures soon.

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That will NOT work for sitting on a couch in front of a TV... That is built for a desk. I'm looking for a floor stand of some sort.

3587 said:

That will NOT work for sitting on a couch in front of a TV... That is built for a desk. I'm looking for a floor stand of some sort.

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I am not sure if you know this, but you've replied to a post from 2012. Ergotron does various stands that sound like exactly what you're looking for.

canhaz said:

Debating whether to get the Ergotron Freedom Arm (about $140 with grommet option) or the Humanscale M8 ($370).

Both look great, but the Freedom Arm is very reasonably priced. Thoughts??

My goal is to get a reclining office chair and retractable keyboard for ultimate neckbeard setup.

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This is where I'm at, as well. I don't know enough about the two arms to decide. I will say that the Freedom Arm matches my office/desk/equipment's aesthetics more closely than the M8 but I'm not sure what features it's lacking compared to the M8 to justify the cost differential.

BL4zD said:

This is where I'm at, as well. I don't know enough about the two arms to decide. I will say that the Freedom Arm matches my office/desk/equipment's aesthetics more closely than the M8 but I'm not sure what features it's lacking compared to the M8 to justify the cost differential.

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I ended up with the freedom arm with desk grommet. Works great!

New imac same problem.

So I had to get a new iMac and the company the furnished it for me could not give me the VESA mount version. I had no choice but to take it, and now am faced with installing that internal vesa mount. Either the harrowing experience of diy, or the sizable expense of hiring a shop to do it. Any new solutions to this now years old problem?