I am looking to purchase another iMac - 21.5" with 1TB - and know they have various model production numbers associated with them. I was wondering where I can find the info that will tell me when they were produced and/or if certain models were/are prone to some of the issues I've read about?
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21.5 iMac product numbers
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The serial number tells you when it was manufactured. The week is the third and fourth number of the serial I think, e.g. W1208123456789. Models from 2009 (big week number like 50) have the most defects but some week 6 iMacs have problems as well so.. You can't know it before you actually use it.
OK and is there some resource I can check to see if there were any issues that may have been corrected at a later date? I see some advertising "Late 2009" model for these. Did anything change for 2010?
Apple 21.5" imac 3.06Gz 4GB 1TB MC413LL/A - don't see any reference to a year on this one.
Apple has been trying to fix the issues but they still exist but not as much as when they were released.
That's product number, not serial number. Every single Mac has its own serial so you can't see it online. I'm not sure can you see the serial without opening the box but I've heard people being able to boot their Macs at Apple Stores before buying to check that they are free of defects.
No matter what numbers you look, they don't prove that it's defective or defect-free. Just buy and then return it if it's not okay
Well you are certainly right in the approach you suggest, but I was planning on buying online from a licensed reseller, to save sales tax. They also offer free 3yr. Applecare which is a real plus. However taking the darn machine to the Apple store often isn't what I would want to be doing. Just trying to see if I can mitigate some of this by finding a machine that they may have debugged before it left the factory.
If you don't buy it from Apple Store you can't return it there because it must be returned to the reseller but Apple Store has to repair it though. I would call to the reseller and ask how they deal with returns/replacements and if they are happy to replace it in case of defect (as they should) ask him/her to email it to you as well so you will have written proof in case they "change" their mind.
Don't worry so much, 21.5" have been a lot better than 27"
