How well has your old iMac held up?

[Fiveos22]

I only purchase refurb machines (my last "new" new computer was the Power Mac G5 in 2003). This is the second of the current generation of iMacs I've owned. Late 2009 3.06 GHz C2D, 4 GB RAM, Radeon HD 4670 256 MB. The DVD drive stopped working about a year ago, but otherwise no performance problems. Still does everything that I want her to do, including the occasional romp around Team Fortress 2.

Don't get me wrong, I'm eyeing the iMac refresh... but that's only because I've heard that installing a SSD in these machines is a bitch-and-a-half. To me, the hard drive is the only upgrade that will produce noticeable changes to performance for the tasks that I ask my computer to do.

 

[fig]

My 2008, £800 custom-made hackintosh PC gets a geekbench score of 8000+ and runs slick and fast. Most people here on MacRumours think that a Dell is the only PC ever made, lol.

And a 2008 Mac Pro runs in the 11000s but that isn't an average machine either. I've built my own machines as well but that isn't what we're talking about.

Are there custom build PCs from a few years ago that still run really well? Sure, you've just given us an example.

Is your average computer bought from HP/Dell/whoever 5 years ago a well running machine on today's apps? Hell no.

Comparatively speaking, a non-custom Mac from 4 or 5 years ago will greatly outperform the PC equivalent.

 

[flopticalcube]

I appreciate the input, yeah most of my PC's like I said have gone at least 5+ years so this makes me a little nervous. If the hard drive fails is it possible to replace it yourself and a easy fix? Does it void warranty?

I don't like that you have to take it in to be serviced for every little thing - makes me nervous at the thought of strangers snooping through my stuff pictures etc

Its not straightforward at the moment as you have to pull the glass off using suction cups to get in. It's about an hour's job to replace the drive if you have never done it before. It only voids the warranty if you break something else while doing it. Hopefully Apple does not take the iMac down the MacBook Pro route and make it completely unserviceable by gluing the case shut.

 

[JRoDDz]

Its not straightforward at the moment as you have to pull the glass off using suction cups to get in. It's about an hour's job to replace the drive if you have never done it before. It only voids the warranty if you break something else while doing it. Hopefully Apple does not take the iMac down the MacBook Pro route and make it completely unserviceable by gluing the case shut.

I recently pulled the glass off just to clean out the dust from the three fans. Surprisingly after about 3 years it was relatively dust free.

 

[flopticalcube]

I recently pulled the glass off just to clean out the dust from the three fans. Surprisingly after about 3 years it was relatively dust free.

Of the 3 I have done it on, only 1 had a dust issue and that was pretty bad. I think its down to the individual circumstances of the machine. If you are in a dust-prone environment, it will collect dust. Frequent vacuuming of the air intake slots underneath can help in this case. Most PC people in-the-know open their cases up at least once a year or so and blow out the dust, if any. On an iMac, that is not as straightforward but once a year is not too bad.

 

[d0nK]

And a 2008 Mac Pro runs in the 11000s but that isn't an average machine either.

A Mac Pro for £800? Lol, no. Triple that price. I was comparing to iMac's. That is the discussion here. For £2000 I could have built a machine that trounces the equivalent-priced Mac Pro.

Comparatively speaking, a non-custom Mac from 4 or 5 years ago will greatly outperform the PC equivalent.

No. I disagree.

 

[bonafide]

Still have my late 2007 IMac and it runs just fine.

With a PC I used to be on a two year plan but with this iMac it's been close to 6.... Lovin' it!

 

[bobright]

Its not straightforward at the moment as you have to pull the glass off using suction cups to get in. It's about an hour's job to replace the drive if you have never done it before. It only voids the warranty if you break something else while doing it. Hopefully Apple does not take the iMac down the MacBook Pro route and make it completely unserviceable by gluing the case shut.

Thanks for the response, hopefully it isn't like a prison I'd love to be able to swap out a failing hard drive and add additional ram by myself.

 

[flopticalcube]

Thanks for the response, hopefully it isn't like a prison I'd love to be able to swap out a failing hard drive and add additional ram by myself.

Its doable for sure, at least currently. I have done it three times and it gets easier every time. You basically pull the glass off with suction cups and unscrew and remove the screen, Plenty of youtube videos on it. The RAM is one screw underneath. http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3918

 

[fig]

No. I disagree.

That's ok, you can be wrong.

We're comparing iMacs and not custom built computers, which if you'd bother to quote my entire post is exactly what I said.

And a 2008 Mac Pro runs in the 11000s but that isn't an average machine either. I've built my own machines as well but that isn't what we're talking about.

Are there custom build PCs from a few years ago that still run really well? Sure, you've just given us an example.

Is your average computer bought from HP/Dell/whoever 5 years ago a well running machine on today's apps? Hell no.

Comparatively speaking, a non-custom Mac from 4 or 5 years ago will greatly outperform the PC equivalent.

I quite explicitly said that a custom built computer could perform very well and you ignored it. A custom built computer does not qualify as the PC equivalent of an iMac.

 

[Curren~Sea]

I've had my old white 24" iMac since 2006.

It's been in the shop several times:

1) New screen
2) New harddrive
3) New main board
4) New graphics card

All except the graphics card was done by Apple at no cost to me. This has the matte screen, which is the best computer screen I have ever seen so it has been worth keeping to my eyes.

I've enjoyed using it over the years but I'm looking forward to upgrading next week. This'll go to my kids (8-10) who are pretty excited about getting new computer.

Advice: get the extended warranty, hook up a time machine external hard drive, and never worry about it.

Enjoy.

 

[oldmacrebel]

My wife's 2006 iMac (Core2Duo) has been a workhorse and shows no sign of letting up. The only time it gets shut down is when there are electrical storms/power outages and when we go out of town for days at a time.

 

[bflowers]

I still have a 17in 800 MHz G4 floating screen snowball iMac. The last of the line that could duel boot into OS9 and OSX. I have cracked it open and upgraded the HDD and the non-user upgradeable RAM slot. It's about as maxed out as possible 3/4 gig RAM, 250 gig HDD. It doesn't get daily use, but it works fine for what it is. It's running 10.4 or 10.5, whichever one required a G4 @ 867. I used target disk mode with an iBook to override the installer. I think it's 11 years old now.

 

[Jamiednm]

My 20inch 2007 model is still in very good condition. I'm upgrading because I want a bit more speed and a larger screen.

I wiped the hard drive and reinstalled earlier this year and it runs pretty much like new. I think longevity is one of the real stand out qualities of Macs.

 

[darcyjames]

2009 here, 21.5, core-2-duo, etc - sleep disabled, runs all day every-day and never hiccuped once

 

[JayJayAbels]

Model Name: iMac G5
Model Identifier: PowerMac12,1
Processor Name: PowerPC G5 (3.0)
Processor Speed: 1.9 GHz
Number Of CPUs: 1
L2 Cache (per CPU): 512 KB
Memory: 2.5 GB
Bus Speed: 633 MHz
Boot ROM Version: 5.2.6f1
OS: 10.5.8

Released October 2005.

My baby just turned 7.

Works fine aside from playing HD videos back and being a bit slow overall.

I also own an Apple Tower PC G5 with DUAL processors too! lol
But that's for sale.

 

[JayJayAbels]

I've had good luck with a last gen PowerPC G5 iMac from 2005. A few years back I gave mine my visually impaired brother who still uses it to this day. Only thing I've done is upgrade the RAM from 512MB to 2.5GB, the maximum.

Yep. This is what i currently use. Still runs... great... really.

Like I've mentioned above... VERY slow video playback and some video it can't/won't play at all.

The only other hindrance has been because it lacks Intel, ermmm... "inside".
With 10.5.8 being the highest I can update the OS... lots of current software simply doesn't support it. Read: MOST.

But for Facebook, basic Youtube and even basic Skyping... really... it's just fine.

Since I'm now moving into web design and software development... it's time to upgrade.

Also looking to sell my iPad 3 with Bluetooth Keyboard, Stylus and Case.
#justthrowingitoutthere

heh heh

 

[iHailCarlo]

So far so good, only a couple of years old though.

 

[dmps]

iMac 2010 s

Si far

LCD scree ana board
Opticall drive. Twice.
Screen

All done in 8 months?
.
Wonder what will it cost one AppleCare is over.

 

[Moonjumper]

I have a late 2006 24" iMac that I bought new in early 2007. It had the screen and hard drive replaced under Applecare. The screen buzzed a bit, but still worked. The hard drive also still worked, but occasionally froze and was making some funny noises.

It is used every day for long hours developing iOS apps. It isn't unusual to have open Xcode, Unity, Unitron, Abobe Illustrator and Photoshop Elements, Pages, Audacity, Wings 3D, and Safari. The only ones where performance can be a problem are Illustrator and Safari. I do have to push it a lot in Illustrator though. But Safari can just hang even when it is the only thing open.

 

[d0nK]

That's ok, you can be wrong.

Oh dear.

Comparatively speaking, my PC which I built instead of getting an iMac (in 2008), runs better than the equivalent-priced iMac from the same time. Just because you choose to not consider a custom-built PC as not being equivalent does not make it so. We are talking about making a computer from the best bang-for-buck technology that is available at the time. You carry on in your Dell vs iMac bubble but the real equivalent of an iMac is a custom-built PC.

 

[wonderspark]

You haven't tried using a 4 or 5 year old PC recently, have you?

Actually, my self-built PC is ten years old, and still runs fine... but it's still on Windows XP, haha. I'm amazed, given how hard I pushed it prior to my Mac Pro.

Conversely, my parents' (read: light use at best) have gone through two iMacs in that time frame, and have their third iMac now, a 2011. They just buy a new one every three years, which has been how long they've lasted. Each time one failed, they took it to the Apple Store, where they were told the repair would be more than buying a new one, hence they buy new every three years... which happens to be just after AppleCare has expired in every case.

Do the guys at the Apple Store give them a "break" and fix it free, given the AppleCare only expired a month or so ago? No, even though they are loyal Apple fans since the first ones came out.

I love my Mac Pro, and I've seen some amazing life from MacBook Pro laptops, but I won't buy an iMac until they prove to be more reliable. I know that is *my* perception, based on every iMac I've known of personally, and doesn't mean there aren't millions of very reliable ones out there. There are a few more I know of at friends' houses, schools, and so on, and the only ones I personally know are working well are less than three years old.

I don't think there's a conspiracy with AppleCare being three years or anything silly like that, but I do think that if you see five flawless years from an iMac, you've got good luck. People rag on PCs (and this *is* a Mac forum) but I say they last as long or longer than iMacs do. Mac Pros, well-treated MacBook Pros... they might outlast PCs and PC laptops, but the iMac is the weak link in my view.

 

[Sensa]

early 2006 imac - except for getting all the air vents cleaned once, which took a 1/2 hr at a local repair place) have had absolutely zero issues (and I shut off my computer every night). only reason I'm buying a new one is that between the 2g core duo and ati 1600 graphics card I can't update to mountain lion or play most new games (and that includes new cheap game centre type games like latest versions of checkers ... lol)

 

[Fried Chicken]

Durability?!

Hah, my original intel iMac (2006) is my main computer and has maintained me through HS and college... and I'm a huge fan of technology.

It's an incredible machine and I don't remember *anything* ever going wrong with it.

What's more incredible, I've flown to Europe 3 times in its original packaging, it has moved countless times... and on top of that? I bought it refurbished.

In between I've upgraded the CPU from a 1.83 Core Duo to a 2.0 GHz Core 2 duo, maxed the RAM to 2 GB and upgraded the HD.

The only drawback is some general slowness and not being able to play the latest and greatest games.

 

[driftless]

I have a late '09, purchased in 2/10 so it is still covered under Applecare. No issues today except for the 1TB HDD exchange. I expect to pick up the new iMac this winter. I have been very happy with my iMac experience. Given the constant changes in computer technology being able to keep a computer for 3 years and have it be covered by something as wonderful as AppleCare is perfect.