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Frugal or Dumb--Buy new 21.5" to feed old 27"

Roy G Biv

Roy G Biv

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Dec 26, 2010
362
104
I'm thinking of buying a new 21.5" iMac (refurb or wait for refresh) and hook it up to only use my 2009 27" iMac display. I could put the 21.5" on the floor like a regular desktop, or take off the stand and lay it glass-down in my desk's keyboard tray (sturdy with air flow).

The alternatives would be to replace with a new 27", or buy a future 2012 mid-/high-level Mac Mini; but I figure even without using the display, a base 21.5" is a better value than the $800 or $1000 Minis.

Would this be a good way to save $500, or is that just stupid? I am an average user (Chrome, iTunes, & Netflix/Hulu).
 
I'm sorry but this is plain silly.

Leaving 21.5" on the floor or lay on table = you spend more for something you don't use (i.e the 21.5" display).

There is only 1 condition to treat your iMac this low ... the screen crap out, and you're out of warranty/AppleCare, but the damn machine runs fine.

Otherwise, there's no point of buying an AIO desktop if you're not going to use the display. Better get yourself a base 13" MBP/MBA. You don't use it for anything intensive anyway, but it's a portable machine and you get the portability.
So you pay for something you can actually use.
 
How could owning and running two new imacs to use chrome and itunes possibly be frugal? If you must upgrade, it's much cheaper to sell the old one like everyone else does.
 
I should probably add something. I currently have a medium-small desk which can comfortably hold just the 27". I may get a bigger desk in a few years when I move out, and then I would likely use dual monitors/iMacs.

Wouldn't the 27" be using much less power in display-only mode?
 
What I'm saying is, sell your 27" imac and put the money towards the 27" iMac that you actually want. Am I missing something here?
 
...and what's wrong with the 2009 one that your parents generously gave you anyway?
 
Whoa

First, I generously bought it for myself. Young adults are staying at home longer in greater numbers in pandemic proportions across the world. Second, I'm nostalgic, and I've been intimate with this machine.

3rd, I've been having dust appear behind the screen (now on the 2nd display replaced by Apple). I've read the dust entering the machine may be a result of heat (heat causing the glass to expand, reducing the seal, and for the fans to blow in dust). I wonder, if the 27" is operating solely as a display, might it get hot less and be less likely to incur irretrievable dust? Thank you.
 
Roy G Biv said:
First, I generously bought it for myself. Young adults are staying at home longer in greater numbers in pandemic proportions across the world. Second, I'm nostalgic, and I've been intimate with this machine.

3rd, I've been having dust appear behind the screen (now on the 2nd display replaced by Apple). I've read the dust entering the machine may be a result of heat (heat causing the glass to expand, reducing the seal, and for the fans to blow in dust). I wonder, if the 27" is operating solely as a display, might it get hot less and be less likely to incur irretrievable dust? Thank you.
Click to expand...

Same here, got myself a 27" iMac and I have this infamous and annoying smudged and dirty display. You're not alone and a lot of iMac owner have the same problem at some point.

So, really .. if you have the chance, just sell current iMac, get a MBP/MBA since you don't use your computer too intensive anyway, then get a decent 27" display like Dell U2711, same panel, same resolution. You wouldn't lose anything except the smudges.

The smudge does comes back, whether you keep the machine cool or not. It's like a nasty plague that keeps coming up. Using it as external display means you have to turn it on anyway, not as power saving as a true display since it has to power up CPU/GPU and all the guts.

What's so nostalgic about your machine? It got you through high school? Or you get your first love using it? :D
 
Dumb.

If you want to use the 2009 as a display, get a Mini. Better move is to sell and get a new 27".
 
If the 27" iMac is having problems with the display due to heat issues, then why buy another iMac just to use the same dirty 27" iMac as the main display?

Your usage also does not warrant the purchase of a higher performance machine(although that doesn't matter if that's what you want) so I would recommend a more recent 27" iMac than your 2009. Get one refurbished. It won't be up to the specs of the rumors new iMac, but you will definitely notice a performance boost over your current one and you can use the money you save on the refurbished mode to: max out RAM, get some peripherals...or even using chrome's anonymous feature to continue getting intimate with your machines...ok then. I'm going to go now.
 
I was trying to think of an explanation as to why you seem to have a total disregard for the value of your property, and the only logical explanation I could think of is that you didn't pay for it.

The imac is still worth a lot of money. Owning two of them and having them both running for your light usage is not frugal at all. If you bought it then I'm sorry but I'm completely baffled.

If you must buy a new one, sell the old one. It will result in far less cost and a single replacement will be a lot better in every way.

As for the smudged screen. Do hou know if it is behind the front glass or inside the LCD itself? Condensation on the front glass is very common and it's very simple to just lift the glass off and clean it.
 
pubjoe said:
I was trying to think of an explanation as to why you seem to have a total disregard for the value of your property, and the only logical explanation I could think of is that you didn't pay for it.

The imac is still worth a lot of money. Owning two of them and having them both running for your light usage is not frugal at all. If you bought it then I'm sorry but I'm completely baffled.

If you must buy a new one, sell the old one. It will result in far less cost and a single replacement will be a lot better in every way.

As for the smudged screen. Do hou know if it is behind the front glass or inside the LCD itself? Condensation on the front glass is very common and it's very simple to just lift the glass off and clean it.
Click to expand...

I wanted to ask, if it's common for condensation to build up and to also get dirty, is there enough room to place a thin strip of some kind of absorbent material along the edge of the glass to prevent this?
 
Oh, come off it! Like I'm the first guy to have ever upgraded his electronics beyond his needs. We're all here to feed the dragon.
 
Yes, Miike, thank you. Your insight is staggering.
 
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Roy G Biv said:
Oh, come off it! Like I'm the first guy to have ever upgraded his electronics beyond his needs. We're all here to feed the dragon.
Click to expand...

I don't think anyone is denying that people upgrade unnecessarily and beyond their individual needs. I just know that I have never heard of anyone considering buying another computer just to use their current computer as a display(when that computer's display is dirty).

So the posts here aren't a response to a unnecessary upgrade per se, but in response to your idea to make an absolutely unnecessary and almost unjustifiable purchase when removing and wiping the display of your current computer would be more cost effective and maintain your current setup with your limited desk space.

And if it is a defect or normal occurrence with the 27" iMacs, does that mean that Apple will continue to replace the screens for the life of the computer, or only for as long as you have AppleCare? Because if it's for the life of the computer, then I would personally have no problem asking them to replace or clean the glass every few months as opposed to trying to find an unnecessarily expensive way to ignore the problem.
 
People, the 21.5" wouldn't sit in hiding indefinitely! It may come into its own as a fully autonomous unit, but its infancy would be spent feeding its elder.
 
Roy G Biv said:
People, the 21.5" wouldn't sit in hiding indefinitely! It may come into its own as a fully autonomous unit, but its infancy would be spent feeding its elder.
Click to expand...

Maybe not, but for how long would it sit there? My point is that to ignore the problem(the dirty screen) by simply buying another computer doesn't make sense. The 27" screen is still going to be dirty and will become even more so even with the possibility of decreased heat accumulation while being used solely as a display.

I would just go to a home depot or lowes and buy a couple of large suction cups. After that, remove the screen and clean it and the LCD underneath. It should not take that long and then you will have saved yourself a lot of money.
 
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Nah, bro. Apple has replaced the display twice. As in, it was beyond cleaning to the point they replaced it at the cost of about $650 and $550 (they must have gotten cheaper). Let's just forget the whole mess; leave a fool to his folly?
 
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Roy G Biv said:
I'm thinking of buying a new 21.5" iMac (refurb or wait for refresh) and hook it up to only use my 2009 27" iMac display. I could put the 21.5" on the floor like a regular desktop, or take off the stand and lay it glass-down in my desk's keyboard tray (sturdy with air flow).

The alternatives would be to replace with a new 27", or buy a future 2012 mid-/high-level Mac Mini; but I figure even without using the display, a base 21.5" is a better value than the $800 or $1000 Minis.

Would this be a good way to save $500, or is that just stupid? I am an average user (Chrome, iTunes, & Netflix/Hulu).
Click to expand...

That is just outrageous, I don't even.......

Moving on, this is the reason why YOU should probably invest in an upgradable custom built PC. If you can't fork out the money for a new iMac every 2 years then it's not for you unfortuantely.
It all depends on situaution.
 
Roy G Biv said:
I should probably add something. I currently have a medium-small desk which can comfortably hold just the 27". I may get a bigger desk in a few years when I move out, and then I would likely use dual monitors/iMacs.

Wouldn't the 27" be using much less power in display-only mode?
Click to expand...

It might, but your theories on the results are only theories. There's no real reason to believe it will work this way in practice. The dust issue just sounds like a design flaw. Perhaps they will address this with the next iteration of the design.

Roy G Biv said:
Second, I'm nostalgic, and I've been intimate with this machine.
Click to expand...

You're nostalgic because you downloaded porn on it?

Roy G Biv said:
3rd, I've been having dust appear behind the screen (now on the 2nd display replaced by Apple). I've read the dust entering the machine may be a result of heat (heat causing the glass to expand, reducing the seal, and for the fans to blow in dust). I wonder, if the 27" is operating solely as a display, might it get hot less and be less likely to incur irretrievable dust? Thank you.
Click to expand...

It's possible, but again this would be a design issue. The backlight can generate a fair amount of heat, and I'm not sure how it's being vented. Some if it in that region would undoubtedly come from the display itself. I've never examined how the backlight is fit on this one or where it disperses heat. Overall this sounds like a clunky idea. Your current machine should have no problems with web browsing and watching videos.
 
Roy, while I completely disagree with your idea, your posts and sense of humour are quality mate. :)

As for the display. You don't even need those industrial skyscraper climbing tools that people buy. You can use any kind of air sucker, like a stick-on bathroom tile hook or a car window toy; or even, on the newer models with the edge to edge glass, just pull it towards you with your fingers. If you grip the two top corners with your fingernails and pull fairly firmly towards yourself, the glass will smoothly release from the magnet's grip. It will be hinged from the bottom, so it won't come flying off, it just opens towards you. Then lift it and put it somewhere safe.

Power on your mac to see if the LCD itself is okay, if so, then your problem is nothing but dirty glass. Use a damp lint-free cloth, and rub the inside of the protective glass quite firmly in a circular motion. Go over the area thoroughly with the damp cloth and then give it a quick dry with the same circular motion. Then re-attach it.

You'll probably find that a grain or two of dust has made it's way in, but now that you've learned how easy it is to remove the glass, you can just lean it towards yourself and lightly dust them away with the lint-free cloth in a few seconds.

It's really nowhere near as hard as people think. It's just general cleaning in my opinion.

If the LCD itself is damaged the that's a whole different problem. There's a thread about it here, but it's about a thousand times more complicated.
 
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