Apple Restricts Hard Drive Replacements on New iMacs

[KingYaba]

It won't be long now until this makes its way into Apple's portable units, too. You see it with the battery and you'll see it with the hard drive.

 

[repoman27]

So... I've seen conflicting replies on this thread... does the iMac 2011 require "non standard" cabling for hard drive replacements or not?

I am rather confused

If you're just swapping the HDD, all the cables you need are already included in your iMac. The SATA power cable for the HDD is a proprietary Apple assembly with a totally normal 15-pin SATA power connector at the business end, so you can plug it into any old drive. The other end connects to a header on the logic board, instead of directly to the PSU like on a PC, so it is proprietary, and the whole assembly is designed to be routed through the incredibly tight internals of an iMac. If you additionally add an SSD or other 2.5" drive to an iMac that did not ship with an SSD, you'll need to roll your own or track down the correct Apple SSD power cable assembly for your iMac in order to get them both running.

 

[xxBURT0Nxx]

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The assumptions in this thread are quite atrocious...

The obstinacy is equally atrocious, IMO. I've seen no definitive conclusions as of yet as to the cause of OWC's problem. Some have suggested that certain drive firmware is compatible with the new iMacs and others is not. I'd like to hear definitively what the problem is before drawing any long-term conclusions. However, to me, Apple's planned obsolescence is very real even if this particular problem is not. Nothing has changed in terms of their shortened shelf lives as of late (bearing the first Intel machines that were still being sold 3 years ago are already incompatible with Lion not to mention how short the shelf life is on iOS devices for OS upgrades). So the specifics may or may not be moot, but the premise for most of the angst in this thread is not, IMO.

There are people in here who have successfully replaced the hard drive with larger capacity drives as well as SSD's. Not sure why people continue to ignore the FACTS, that people have replaced the drives, and instead believe some article that was posted on the internet.
...
For god sakes macrumors, you have threads on your very own forum falsifying this report from OWC. If you can't at least make mention of that stop posting BS journalism because you have people up in a riot right now over news that is inaccurate.

I'm not sure the problem isn't very real for certain brand drives either. Like I said, I want more information. If you cannot comprehend why people would read a front page article and not read 20+ pages first before responding then I think you need to rethink your reasons for responding. You can blame MacRumors for not updating the front page, but then this is called MacRumors not MacNews (or some other journalistic title). I think your own expectations are a bit high flung there. You sound more like you're afraid the Mac market is suddenly going to flush down the toilet and your stock is going to sink because of this article. Get over it.

Those who continue to say "this is terrible, now i can't upgrade my imac, i'm never buying apple again" How many of you would actually upgrade your hard drive in the first place? I'm assuming not many as the majority in this thread don't even realize you have to take the screen out of the iMac (regardless of 2011 or previous gen). I'm willing to bet not a lot of people are willing to do this and if they knew that from the beginning, they probably wouldn't even be complaining, never mind the fact that the entire story is fabricated by OWC.

I personally wouldn't own an iMac, but I have taken my 2008 MBP apart to change its hard drive (not exactly trivial, but not rocket science either).

As for accusing OWC of "fabricating" the story, I would watch myself if I were you. Companies are starting to sue a lot of libel on the Internet and that's a pretty major accusation without proof, IMO that could easily hurt a small business. Just because a couple of brand drives appear to have worked OK doesn't mean there isn't a problem for other brands or that Apple hasn't changed something on purpose to make life more difficult for DIY folk. As I've said, it's still too early, IMO to draw a definitive conclusion based on the limited data I've seen and if OWC is reporting accurately, then they are helping people be aware of a potential pitfall. It is the response that is resoundingly negative and that serves as a warning to Apple that if they continue to ignore their customers desires and just go on Steve's instinct/vision/desire, sooner or later it will bite them in the hind quarter.

Have to reply from my phone right now so gonna try to keep it short

If I need to get over it, how about the 400 other people whining about how awful apple is based on an article that at best is only partially true?

Replacing ram or the hdd on MacBook pro and iMac are drastically different. You didn't have to disassemble your screen to do that.

You think owc is going to sue me because I said they made up a story? Other posters who have replaced the drive and ifixit have said there is no proprietary connector, they have also said there is no longer a temp sensor instead apple is using smart from the hdds. These are both in direct contention of what owc claims. So based on that I guess apple should be suing owc for posting false info about their iMacs and influencing customers that an iMac that was never described as user upgradeable or serviceable can never be upgraded.

 

[repoman27]

One final nail in the coffin...

...for this ridiculous thread:

If you look closely at the HDD that iFixit pulled out of an iMac (mid 2011, 21.5-inch), you'll see that the controller board is identical, down to the revision number, as the one on the Western Digital Caviar Blue WD5000AAKX that is currently available from Newegg.

Could the drives with the Apple logo on them ship with a different firmware? Sure.

Are they electrically different? Not at all.

 

[maclaptop]

Just think, if they make all products sealed, then there's no chance of a product liability lawsuit because some user stuck himself / herself with a screwdriver.

The EULA will be revised to say that Apple is the only one authorized to launch law suits, their next venture. Sue em all ... 😱

I have some freshly prepared popcorn, and I'm sitting back watching this hilarious movie. 😀

 

[Gomff]

You must be on Ballmer's payroll. It's not our fault if you're poor and can't afford a new Mac. Enjoy your crappy PC with clunky old Windows on it....

First the OS gets dumbed down, then the hardware and now some of the user base.

 

[showson1]

This is the kind of stuff that caused me to ditch Apple.

Ugg.. sersiously, haven't people learned not to buy Apple products by now.
I used to have iEverything (iPhone, iPod, iMac, Macbook, AppleTV, etc...) but this is exactly the kind of crap that caused me to ditch Apple.

The only Apple product I own now is an iPod Nano (because I won it) and life has been so much easier without being so restricted in every aspect of computing and entertainment.

In fact, just about everything I've replaced the "iGear with is much more functional than the Apple counterpart.

 

[ciTiger]

I see the number of "hackintoshes" increasing if a workaround isn't discovered...

 

[repoman27]

OWC Larry,

OK, looking at the image you linked to, clearly the 27-inch model has a different logic board layout. They went with standard slimline SATA power + data connectors for SATA1 and SATA2, but that won’t cut it for a 3.5” HDD because the 6-pin slimline power connector doesn’t provide 12 V. Thus HDD PWR uses the same 7-pin header as the 21.5” iMac, because even with the luxurious amounts of space available in the 27” model, there’s no way Apple’s gonna waste the logic board real estate required for a standard 15-pin SATA power connector.

Nevertheless, that cable is not the source of your fan woes. (Once again, all you have to do is put a meter to it and see for yourself.) I bet if you use a S.M.A.R.T. utility to check the temperature reported by your replacement drive, it will be accurate. So why won’t the fan slow down? Apple specced several different drives for the mid 2011 iMacs, and their normal operating temperature range is different. I betcha there’s a table in SMC or EFI that maps temp to fan speed for the different HDDs. If the ID for your HDD isn’t in that table, or no ID is reported, you get max fan by default.

BTW, you did try hitting the SMC reset button after you changed drives to see if it fixed things, right?

 

[parapup]

Guys and Gals

Internet's two most logical, intelligent, impartial and independent heroes - Gruber and Arment have agreed with each other (once in a decade event) that they understand why you would want a replaceable hard drive and why OWC would have heart burn over not being able to sell drives for your iMac but if Apple has done something it must be beneficial and complaining and whining about this is pointless *and* fruitless. Besides Gruber rightly points out they did so for the batteries in MacBook Pros and you all took it so it shouldn't be hard to swallow this.

So stop complaining and start discussing rumors about next MacBook Air and how it might be beneficial to pay Apple per hour fee to use it - after all a shiny glowing lock will be sufficiently entertaining for the time you aren't able to pay up.

 

[Bathplug]

I chose to get a macbook pro over an imac earlier this year simply because it was easier to replace the harddrive in the macbook pro than it is an imac but deep down I still wanted to get an imac eventually but not anymore. Terrible move apple.

 

[citizenzen]

If you've replaced the HDD in a post-2008 iMac, how much of a pain was it to get that glass back on without catching 1,000 specks of dust under it?

It wasn't a pain at all.

I had to replace a dying harddrive and an online search resulted in very clear instructions. Suction cups were found at a local hardware store. Apparently people who work with glass use them all the time. Who knew?

Would I prefer a more convenient way to replace a harddrive? Omigosh yes. Is this trouble enough to drive me into the arms of a PC? Not on your life.

 

[LIV2]

Except now it sounds like it fails apple hardware tests and thus does not boot. IF it does, I don't get the fuss then.

Wrong.

AHT is a CD that is used by technicians to diagnose faults with your mac.

"AHT Fails" means it'll just say it can't read a temperature from your drive.

It'll boot fine.

 

[aloshka]

Wrong.

AHT is a CD that is used by technicians to diagnose faults with your mac.

"AHT Fails" means it'll just say it can't read a temperature from your drive.

It'll boot fine.

Then this really is just overblown on a whole new level. High profile companies have to deal with this

 

[erzhik]

This is why I prefer building my own PC. Change whatever hardware you want in minutes without all huff and puff from manufacturer.

 

[oban14]

That's some bull. Just an unnecessary Apple hurdle. Don't they realize this is the kind of thing that really pisses off with regards to their company?

Sometimes I appreciate the closed ecosystem/"walled garden" but I don't need to wear a helmet and straight-jacket in my private garden.

They've been doing this for years - and every apple fanboy has awarded their behavior by paying top dollar for everything they sell and defending the company until they're blue in the face.

Why should they change anything?

 

[iLilana]

1984

images of the athlete throwing a hammer at the screen... i don't even need to use the word irony here do I? Seriously this is complete BS. Anger doesn't even begin to describe. Why would apple decide to pull this kind of a Douche Bag move by moving back in time to the days of when people didn't buy mac/apple products?

 

[hyssop6841]

Last I checked, I bought and paid for my machine, and I own it, not Apple. What difference does it make to them what kind of hard drive I have, or who replaces it (other than more $$). I love Mac's, but this kind of stuff is insane, esp. for those without an apple store nearby. Last time I had to replace the hard drive on my MPB, I was told it would take a week. I did it myself in 3 hours.

 

[MaSx]

This is uber disappointing. Apple is doing proprietary hard drive now too, to get another arm and leg!

 

[maxinc]

Nevertheless, that cable is not the source of your fan woes. (Once again, all you have to do is put a meter to it and see for yourself.) I bet if you use a S.M.A.R.T. utility to check the temperature reported by your replacement drive, it will be accurate. So why won’t the fan slow down? Apple specced several different drives for the mid 2011 iMacs, and their normal operating temperature range is different. I betcha there’s a table in SMC or EFI that maps temp to fan speed for the different HDDs. If the ID for your HDD isn’t in that table, or no ID is reported, you get max fan by default.

This is the best reasonable explanation so far and I agree that the best bet to upgrading the hard drive is to use one of the models chosen by Apple for the 2011 models.

As for using the y-splitter and putting extra load on the logic board, you are right and I thought about it beforehand. The Vertex 3 is rated at 1.6W with a measured power consumption or only 210mW according to reviews and tests so I figured this should be well within the safety margin Apple had to account for when designing the HDD Power circuit on the Logic Board.

But you are right, using an integrated power cable should be possible and probably preferred. When I took it apart, because I didn't completely remove the logic board and I was looking at an angle, I was convinced the sata power connector was the 4th SATA port and didn't consider the option at that time.

Thanks for your input in this thread. Hopefully someone will eventually change the title and stop the mass panic effect this article has had.

 

[Baunkjaer]

Bad news. Very bad news. On the bright side it made my current situation a lot easier.
The plan was a new 2011 iMac, and then replace the original HDD with a vertex 3 SSD.
Now it seems like a refurbished Mac Pro - most probably the 2006 and then do the CPU upgrade - 3,0 Woodcrest or 2,33 Harpertown.
Just a shame they are so expensive in Denmark were i live - the 2010 Mac Pro basic equal 3.600 USD😱

 

[maxinc]

Bad news. Very bad news. On the bright side it made my current situation a lot easier.
The plan was a new 2011 iMac, and then replace the original HDD with a vertex 3 SSD.
Now it seems like a refurbished Mac Pro - most probably the 2006 and then do the CPU upgrade - 3,0 Woodcrest or 2,33 Harpertown.
Just a shame they are so expensive in Denmark were i live - the 2010 Mac Pro basic equal 3.600 USD😱

The only bad news is that people only read the headlines. I have added the Vertex 3 into my new 27" 2011 iMac and enjoying dizzying 500MB/s speeds while not encountered any difficulties of the ones mentioned in this silly article.

Read here about how I did it and how others successfully replaced their hard drives into the 2011 27" iMacs. Just make sure you read the whole thread before passing any judgement.

 

[systole]

Raid

FWIW, I bet we will see a 7-pin to 4-pin converter in a month-or-two. Maybe even a temp sensor on the converter itself, making the increased fan RPMs a non-issue.

At least we still have TB Raid enclosures.

 

[maxinc]

FWIW, I bet we will see a 7-pin to 4-pin converter in a month-or-two. Maybe even a temp sensor on the converter itself, making the increased fan RPMs a non-issue.

It's been around since sata was invented.

But that is not the problem as there isn't even an external thermal sensor, despite the OWC Report. The only trick is to use a model from the ones Apple has pre-selected for their 2011 range or at least one that report the temperature the same way. Users on this forums have already identified a few 2TB and 3TB models so it's only a matter of time until a complete list gets compiled.

 

[MrWinters]

Well if you want to be a "power user" on a mac there is always the Mac Pro, which is built to be upgradable.
.

NO It's Not. Doing a simple upgrade such as changing a video card, a hard drive, or adding some RAM doesn't make a person a "Power User".. That's plain silly. Every computer manufacture makes a mid to low end machine that is "built to be upgradable".... Apple needs the xMac, a machine they will never build because as long as a VERY SMALL percentage of the world's computer users are willing to buy a new overpriced computer every 2 or 3 years, they are making a fortune..