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Acorn

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Jan 2, 2009
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Found a after market vesa mount that apparently works on 2013/2014 imacs. You need to remove everything but it is possible. This is good news for some of us because before if you didnt order with a vesa you were sol. I just messaged the guy to see if it works on late 2012 models. I looked at ifixit and it looks like it will fit as well. Now to see who is brave enough to try it. :eek:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/iMac-VESA-M...=US_Monitor_Mounts_Stands&hash=item338cf94333
 
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the guy never emailed me back so im not sure why his listing doesnt say 2012 also. Im still tempted to get one. Its just that I have apple care until 2015. The nearest apple certified technician is about 30 minutes away. With my luck ill ruin my apple care and something will happen. decisions decisions.
 
The eBay article that you linked states that:
With the latest 27' iMac models offered since early 2013, the release latch for the stand assembly that was available on previous 27" models has been removed.

The 21.5-inch had a model added in March 2013, which may have also allowed for the VESA model, which is also at the time that Apple started selling the special VESA mount models.
It may be that Apple made a production change in all iMacs manufactured after that time, to allow for the VESA mounts. And, (just a guess) that the company that makes the adapter isn't just guessing.

(Maybe it also means that, for a few months, the Late 2012 iMac 27-inch DID have the release to remove the stand from the outside. You would have to determine when yours was manufactured, and know where yours is in the production run. There's probably no way to find out when some minor change like that was actually included, but sometime in early 2013, I guess.)

Anyway, sounds like a messy proposition to change out the mount.
I suspect that even if you have an Apple service shop do it, they will mention that Apple will no longer keep it in warranty. It's just too major a mod (that's just my opinion, but ask Apple about it, too. I'm not Apple, obviously!)
Probably 2 or 3 hours labor (maybe more) to install a $50 piece, won't be cheap..
 
the guy never emailed me back so im not sure why his listing doesnt say 2012 also.

My guess is most likely as there was a change made to that model, When Apple added their official version with VESA support. So early versions of the 2012 model may not support this modification internally.

I looked at ifixit and it looks like it will fit as well.

But you are correct looking at the iFixit repair guides it looks like it would work.

DeltaMac, Agree with most of what you have said.

Maybe it also means that, for a few months, the Late 2012 iMac 27-inch DID have the release to remove the stand from the outside.

The current generation of iMac's the 2012 and 2013 models, never had this release mechanism for the stand.
 
My guess is most likely as there was a change made to that model, When Apple added their official version with VESA support. So early versions of the 2012 model may not support this modification internally.



But you are correct looking at the iFixit repair guides it looks like it would work.

DeltaMac, Agree with most of what you have said.



The current generation of iMac's the 2012 and 2013 models, never had this release mechanism for the stand.

I agree with you that is what concerns me the most. What I looked at on ifixit guide was a late 2012 model guide. That could have been after they started selling them with vesa mounts. Mine is a early 2012 before they actually started selling them with vesa. So im still unsure if the inside of the back looks like it should.

it may be expensive to have installed but not as expensive as having to buy a whole new imac for 2 grand with vesa.
 
Can anyone confirm whether this solution works? (or any solution).

That eBay listing has ended. Can anyone find the product anywhere? I can't see it...

I am desperately in need of a VESA-mount for my late-2013 21.5" iMac which arrived today (I am partially disabled so I need VESA-mount).

I had no idea this would be so difficult. I didn't imagine for one second that Apple might be so annoying as to create a display that could not be VESA mounted. I am aware one can purchase a new model with VESA-mount. I have just spent all my money on a secondhand one.

I am feeling very defeated today.

π
 
My guess is that they are no longer available and that it is currently pretty well impossible to do this without ordering a VESA mounted one in the first place.
 
http://imacmount.com/ seems to be a possibility. But it is a very ugly hack.

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iMac+Intel+27-Inch+EMC+2639+Stand+Replacement/34185 shows a good hack for a 27" model, which unfortunately doesn't extend to the 21.5" model.

https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/iMac+Intel+21.5-Inch+EMC+2638+Teardown/17829 shows that the mount is not in fact welded to the chassis. So it should be possible to remove without a hacksaw.

Apple sells VESA mount models http://www.apple.com/shop/buy-mac/imac-vesa -- so I suppose if I could find a "spares or repair" VESA mount model I could either extract the mount or transplant the internals of my current machine into the VESA chassis.

But that suggests somewhere in the world there is a factory making that VESA mount component. Which makes it extremely frustrating that I can't get hold of it!
 
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Can anyone confirm whether this solution works? (or any solution).

That eBay listing has ended. Can anyone find the product anywhere? I can't see it...

I am desperately in need of a VESA-mount for my late-2013 21.5" iMac which arrived today (I am partially disabled so I need VESA-mount).

I had no idea this would be so difficult. I didn't imagine for one second that Apple might be so annoying as to create a display that could not be VESA mounted. I am aware one can purchase a new model with VESA-mount. I have just spent all my money on a secondhand one.

I am feeling very defeated today.

π

There is no reason to feel defeated.....

I have just seen this online which adapts the stand to allow it to use a standard VESA Mount....

http://www.newertech.com/products/numount_vesa.php

If you go to the Find A Distributor / Reseller Tab you can find who sells in in your country.....
 
The problem with this kind of attachment is: (1) it is extremely ugly and nonportable, (2) it doesn't stop the hinge joint from rotating. I am connecting to an arm which suspends from the ceiling. There is a ball and socket joint at the end of the arm which takes care of angling the screen. I'm not at all sure it will play nicely with this attachment.

I've been looking through teardown videos. I haven't found a single one that shows removing the stand. It is starting to look as though maybe it is not possible.

My other thought is to get hold of a chassis with VESA mount and simply transplant the innards. However I can't find such a chassis.

π
 
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