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iMac cons?

B

BlindSoul

macrumors 6502
Original poster
May 30, 2010
466
0
Israel
Hello,

I'm still waiting for my iMac to arrive and I really can't stop thinking of it.
I've been trying to think of some Cons the iMac has besides the fact it is not portable.
So you as iMac users, What do you think his cons are? Is he noisy? Is he getting hot fast?


Thank you :)
 
The biggest con is very limited upgradeability. Only the RAM can easily be changed, getting into other parts involves taking the whole iMac apart.
 
i absolutely love my iMac, but there are a couple of minor things that I guess could be considered cons:

1) The screen is built in. Whilst this is good from an appearance / space point of view, it does mean that if the iMac breaks in a couple of years you could be left with an undamaged screen that you can't actually use because the machine behind it has broken
2) Upgrading (apart from memory) is difficult. Again, due to the all-in-one nature of the machine, upgrading options are limited

Personally, this doesn't bother me as I replace my machine every 2 years anyway and I much prefer the quiet operation and small footprint of the iMac to the Mac Pro, but some people won't touch an iMac simply because it's an all-in-one
 
My iMac G5 broke and I have been unable to rescue the screen. Keep that in mind, you are also paying for a great screen which might become unusable should anything occur out of warranty.
 
"I've been trying to think of some Cons the iMac has besides the fact it is not portable."

What do you mean not portable? I assume you mean you can change parts in it and if one thing die the whole machine is screwed? That is one thing I am worrying about but then it makes no difference if I have a macbook or most laptops.
 
If you're a hardcore gamer, a PC gaming rig alongside is a must. The iMac can handle current games reasonably well. In a year or two this will no longer hold true.

Personally, I don't need much gaming performance.
 
I agree with the PC game part. But consider that last week I was still using a 3 years old Gefore9800 to play all the PC games (whichever still playable) I think it wouldn't be unplayable. Of course probably won't be in the 1900x1024 res area with all details on.
 
If the screen dies it goes back to Apple for however long it takes to replace, taking your precious time and possibly data with it. This is a problem if you're working to deadlines or near death.
 
NutsNGum said:
If the screen dies it goes back to Apple for however long it takes to replace, taking your precious time and possibly data with it. This is a problem if you're working to deadlines or near death.
Click to expand...

or after 3 years if you intend to keep the iMac that long it will become a problem too :confused:

it has to be mentioned if that screen breaks down outside warranty its pointless to replace it as its to expensive , so you will be left with a working iMac but without display, ok there is always the option of hooking up a external display and place it in front of the maybe still working iMac .

and it has to be mentioned the grey black smudges inside the actual panel problem and the yellow tint problem that apple officials think is only present in peoples mind, as it was never solved so far and the problems exists since 2009 :eek:
 
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MacHamster68 said:
and it has to be mentioned the grey black smudges inside the actual panel problem and the yellow tint problem that apple officials think is only present in peoples mind, as it was never solved so far and the problems exists since 2009 :eek:
Click to expand...

My first iMac is on it's way and after reading all those horror stories I really ask myself how representative they are for the quality of Apple today... It is only logical that the people who have problems are spreading the word on message boards like this, but people with a flawless Mac won't keep on posting how marvelous their product is.

I really hope I have ordered a quality machine that will serve me for many years to come, without getting smudges on the screen, getting HD failures,...
 
dont be afraid , i just did want to mention the downsides too , the chances are quiet high that you get a perfect iMac that will serve you well for years..

i mean i have 4 iMac G3's that are still working perfectly and they'd been made in 2001 , i have a further 4 eMac G4 that work perfectly since 2005/2006
a sign that apple can produce high quality All in one computers

ok i had a first generation intel core duo iMac where the previous owner had in the last couple month of his apple care ALL internal parts replaced one after the other after they failed
a sign that apple can produce All in one computers with problematic parts

and if i would add all of apple product lines which had problems in the past .. that post here would be a couple pages long..just read through the archive of Macrumors if you want to get scared
but dont worry same would happen if you go through a dell forum or a acer forum or a hp forum ... sony forum ...sorry to lazy to list all manufacturers
as its the purpous of a forum to post problems and seek help eventually
and after all you did ask for the iCONS

but take one tip to your heart , before you think about buying any kind of upgrade ..buy apple care first at least then you are fully safe for 3 years and get telephone support which is really good from apple even after 90 days as the standard 1 year only offers phone support for 90 days , apple care offers that for 3 years, and apple is usually quiet good in solving your problems over the phone
 
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The dying screen isn't that BIG of an issue.
On current iMacs you can connect an external display through the mini display port/ thunderbolt.
So if the screen dies you can still use the computer with an external display... At least until you source a replacement panel (not too hard with the internet), or get it repaired.
 
Hmm.. I am debating whether to replace my laptop with an imac (since laptop never leaves office anyway), but reading avout screen issues makes me hesitant - a 3year life expectancy for $1500 is $500/year... I paid $1000 for my laptop and its 4years old.

What are other compelling reasons to get an imac?
 
DigitalRanger said:
Hmm.. I am debating whether to replace my laptop with an imac (since laptop never leaves office anyway), but reading avout screen issues makes me hesitant - a 3year life expectancy for $1500 is $500/year... I paid $1000 for my laptop and its 4years old.

What are other compelling reasons to get an imac?
Click to expand...

As someone who has owned most of the current lineup (Mid-2010 Mac Mini until recently, 2011 15" MBP, 2011 Ultimate 27" iMac)...

  • Best bang for buck. Overall, it's the most powerful solution that gives you "an entire computer" (including display) that Apple sells for a given price. The speakers are very decent as well, which is why I don't bother with separate external ones at all.
  • No footprint. Since the computer is the display, there's no extra laptop or Mac Mini or 40lb hunk of aluminum around. The display is the computer, so the "computer" has no effective footprint. They're not large either -- a 48 x 24 inch desk is PLENTY for a 24" iMac. I have both a 27" iMac and 27" LED Cinema Display on a 48x24 desk and I have all the room I want.
  • One cable. If you choose. Bluetooth peripherals, 802.11n, no display cables. Just plug it into the wall and you're done. Cables are for noobs.
  • Powerful. Sure, a dual-socket Mac Pro has more CPU horsepower, can take more memory, and have more internal storage, but the iMacs just aren't slow, and are cheaper since they're not using workstation class chipsets and CPUs. 16GB of memory is $180 (32GB is possible, but price prohibitive). Thunderbolt will allow for serious additional storage, or even connecting to a SAN with an HBA adapter. If you play games, the 6970M not only will run Crysis, but Crysis 2 and Metro 2033, even at native resolution.
  • Sex appeal. An iMac gets the ladies' motors running even more than snow tires. And chicks go NUTS for guys with snow tires.

If your computer never needs to go anywhere, I find it hard to choose something *other* than an iMac.
 
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mrfoof82 said:
As someone who has owned most of the current lineup (Mid-2010 Mac Mini until recently, 2011 15" MBP, 2011 Ultimate 27" iMac)...

  • Best bang for buck. Overall, it's the most powerful solution that gives you "an entire computer" (including display) that Apple sells for a given price. The speakers are very decent as well, which is why I don't bother with separate external ones at all.
  • No footprint. Since the computer is the display, there's no extra laptop or Mac Mini or 40lb hunk of aluminum around. The display is the computer, so the "computer" has no effective footprint. They're not large either -- a 48 x 24 inch desk is PLENTY for a 24" iMac. I have both a 27" iMac and 27" LED Cinema Display on a 48x24 desk and I have all the room I want.
  • One cable. If you choose. Bluetooth peripherals, 802.11n, no display cables. Just plug it into the wall and you're done. Cables are for noobs.
  • Powerful. Sure, a dual-socket Mac Pro has more CPU horsepower, can take more memory, and have more internal storage, but the iMacs just aren't slow, and are cheaper since they're not using workstation class chipsets and CPUs. 16GB of memory is $180 (32GB is possible, but price prohibitive). Thunderbolt will allow for serious additional storage, or even connecting to a SAN with an HBA adapter. If you play games, the 6970M not only will run Crysis, but Crysis 2 and Metro 2033, even at native resolution.
  • Sex appeal. An iMac gets the ladies' motors running even more than snow tires. And chicks go NUTS for guys with snow tires.

If your computer never needs to go anywhere, I find it hard to choose something *other* than an iMac.
Click to expand...

look there is one happy customer , that should be enough to convince you to get a iMac :D
no serious now i would buy one too ,if they would ask dell how to get a display working without yellow tint and appearing smudges inside the panel
and not so glossy please , as i believe there must be a sensible middle way between
matte and high gloss so even people who live in bright well lit rooms can use the iMac too, or are all iMac users now live in dark caves :confused:

as i know now a company who paints the iMac white or any color configuration you might like
http://www.colorware.com/p-199-imac.aspx
 
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MacHamster68 said:
look there is one happy customer , that should be enough to convince you to get a iMac :D
no serious now i would buy one too ,if they would ask dell how to get a display working without yellow tint and appearing smudges inside the panel
and not so glossy please , as i believe there must be a sensible middle way between
matte and high gloss so even people who live in bright well lit rooms can use the iMac too, or are all iMac users now live in dark caves :confused:

as i know now a company who paints the iMac white or any color configuration you might like
http://www.colorware.com/p-199-imac.aspx
Click to expand...

Guys, Is it true the iMac has an against electrical blackout system? My friend has an iMac and they had an electrical blackout and his iMac still worked... So weird.

And what if I get my iMac with yellow tints? Can I ask for a replacement?

Thanks! :)
 
MacHamster68 said:
no serious now i would buy one too ,if they would ask dell how to get a display working without yellow tint and appearing smudges inside the panel
and not so glossy please , as i believe there must be a sensible middle way between
matte and high gloss so even people who live in bright well lit rooms can use the iMac too, or are all iMac users now live in dark caves :confused:
Click to expand...

so true
 
BlindSoul said:
And what if I get my iMac with yellow tints? Can I ask for a replacement?

Thanks! :)
Click to expand...

yes you can , and honestly i would encourage you to do so at the slightest yellow you see and on the tiniest smudge that appears inside the panel
dont let them get away with it like some do
you find many posts here who say something like "its not to bad, i can live with it "
i mean if you would buy a lcd tv for example from company xxx and everything thats supposed to be white would be in a slight yellow tint on the bottom of the display ,you would not accept it , so why accept it on a computer from Apple:confused:

after all we dont talk about a $200 tv , we talk about computers that cost up to 10 times that money , your hard earned money
 
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I think if people want to upgrade later on, the iMac might not be the best for you. I have a late 09 iMac (27" i7), and I just recently replaced my optical drive with a SSD, and added 16gb of RAM. I do VERY little gaming, and I mostly use it for video and audio. I have Apple Care on it until the middle of 2013, so Im fine until then.

With that being said, I love my iMac for MY needs. Its the fastest machine I have ever owned, and it does what I need it to do. That is what it comes down to; what you want your PC to do for you.
 
Hellhammer said:
The biggest con is very limited upgradeability. Only the RAM can easily be changed, getting into other parts involves taking the whole iMac apart.
Click to expand...

Yup. For me, this is the biggest con. I've already upgraded the RAM and that just about does it (I don't feel comfortable changing anything else inside the iMac).
 
Yeah

My machine came out a year or so before Thunderbolt. It would have been nice to have that but right now the Firewire 800 ports and the ethernet ports are the fastest expansion in this - no eSata directly available (I could remove the superdrive and connect a sata connection to that and then use an external USB burner or something I suppose).

Otherwise I really do love it, fast useful machine with only a few things I miss from my old G5.
 
I was considering this not too long ago when deciding what Mac to upgrade to. I love the 27" iMac and was sorely tempted to upgrade on the spot when I saw one in the Apple Store, but I'm glad my brother was there to talk me out of it.

It's nice no doubt, but it's limiting. The cons (for me at least) were:

1) Can't upgrade components. Means expensive long term costs should hardware break down or if I simply need a more powerful machine.
2) Stuck with one internal HDD (I want 2, an SSD for OS and software, and a regular drive for file storage)
3) Monitor is nice, but I would love to be able to use that huge screen for gaming or something.
4) Limited to internal Super Drive, meaning no Bluray.

It's left me with the Mac Pro option, but that's so crazy expensive that I've even started to consider a hackintosh build...
 
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