Buying Used iMac - What to look for?

Hello,
I'm a devoted mac user. I currently own a late 2008 unibody Macbook, and have been looking for an upgrade. I came across a used iMac posting on a craigslist-like website. The configuration is a low-end mid-2011 21" iMac (quad core i5, 4gb, 500gb).
I asked the seller for the serial number and checked it out the support site. The warranty is due to run out on Thursday, just enough time for me to buy extended AppleCare. The price seems reasonable (approx $730 whereas a new iMac is $1200), and I've asked to see the iMac in person tomorrow. I wanted to know what to look for when making the final decision.
Also do you think I should hold out for an Ivy Bridge iMac (rumoured to be coming soon??) or will it not make a difference for normal coding/browsing (no photo/video editing/gaming)? One factor discouraging me is that Apple has hitched up the prices for the newly released Macbooks here in India (the base 13" pro used to be $1250, now $1530!!!).
Thanks a lot!
Meghana

RRFS wrote:
Then you have to make sure the original owner releases their account at Apple or purchases and upgrades will be impossible.
Oh! Had no idea about this... how does one release the account? I mean, is there a way i can check it on the machine itself? The applecare site doesn't show any registration info.
Thanks!!

Similar Messages

  • Pointer on what to look for (NullPointerException in FontManager.getFont2D)

    I have a screen that we are trying to display remotely (via an RMI bridge). On the local application it displays properly everytime, but when displayed remotely It displays properly once. From then on it comes up blank with a null pointer exception (Posted below). Right now I'm thinking there is something in the set-up for the local applicateion that is not happening on the remote one. But I didn't write either and my brute force investigation hasn't trned up anything.
    Since I only have to disconnect and close the remote application and restart to get it to display again this could also be a problem cleaning up resources on a window close. I'm hoping that someonw might have an idea of what causes this Exception. Moste references I've found to it appear to be listed as fixed (And aren't the same thing since they happen all the time) or are in threads that just stopped with no resolution. I'm hoping that if I find out what it means I might have a better idea what to look for.
    java.lang.NullPointerException
         at sun.font.FontManager.getFont2D(Native Method)
         at sun.font.FontDesignMetrics.initMatrixAndMetrics(FontDesignMetrics.java:343)
         at sun.font.FontDesignMetrics.<init>(FontDesignMetrics.java:336)
         at sun.font.FontDesignMetrics.getMetrics(FontDesignMetrics.java:284)
         at sun.swing.SwingUtilities2.getFontMetrics(SwingUtilities2.java:943)
         at javax.swing.JComponent.getFontMetrics(JComponent.java:1599)
         at javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicTabbedPaneUI.getFontMetrics(BasicTabbedPaneUI.java:1801)
         at javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicTabbedPaneUI.calculateMaxTabWidth(BasicTabbedPaneUI.java:1754)
         at javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicTabbedPaneUI$TabbedPaneLayout.calculateSize(BasicTabbedPaneUI.java:2314)
         at javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicTabbedPaneUI$TabbedPaneLayout.preferredLayoutSize(BasicTabbedPaneUI.java:2261)
         at java.awt.Container.preferredSize(Container.java:1599)
         at java.awt.Container.getPreferredSize(Container.java:1584)
         at javax.swing.JComponent.getPreferredSize(JComponent.java:1636)
         at psip.gui.util.UIDelegate.defineComponentSizes(UIDelegate.java:927)
         at psip.gui.util.UIDelegate.applyAllResources(UIDelegate.java:865)
         at psip.gui.jfc.panel.AbstractContainer.applyAllResources(AbstractContainer.java:254)
         at psip.gui.jfc.panel.AGDTabbedPane.applyAllResources(AGDTabbedPane.java:471)
         at psip.gui.jfc.panel.AGDTabbedPane.<init>(AGDTabbedPane.java:101)
         at psip.gui.jfc.panel.ControlPanelFactory.getUIDelegate(ControlPanelFactory.java:167)
         at psip.gui.uiDelegate.UIDelegateDirector.getUIDelegate(UIDelegateDirector.java:124)
         at psip.gui.viewMap.GUIComponentFactory.createUIDelegate(GUIComponentFactory.java:593)

    Anna:
    Yes, rule no. 1, Firewire or FW/USB
    2. Largest HDD you can afford (having more space than you need it not a problem; needing more space than you have, is.)
    3. 7200 rpms. (Most of them are, but not all)
    Here is a list of some of the best buys already sorted for 200-300 GB.
    Different folks like different manufacturers. I have had my LaCie for 2 years. No problems. I like it for it's compact size and elegance.
    Here are some good hints from Dr. Smoke on Backup and Recovery. Instead of Retropect, which I could never quite figure out, I use Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper.
    Post back with further questions or comments.
    Good luck.
    cornelius
    Message was edited by: cornelius

  • Studio Monitors - what to look for...

    I'm going to say this right now - I'm NOT asking "hey, whats the best studio monitors I can get for x dollars." That's not what I'm interested in.
    What I AM interested in is what TO look for, and what NOT to look for in buying a new set of stereo monitors.
    I've decided I'd like to upgrade my studio monitors. I'm mixing on a pair of Event TR8 XL monitors - they're great, but i know there's better out there. I spent about $600 on the pair.
    At this point, my limited knowledge of monitors only allow me to assume that more expensive means better, but I don't understand WHY, or what to look for. So, my question is this. What is more money buying me? Are there brands that are more or less reputable than others?
    I'm really looking for general, or specific, advice on shopping for new monitors. Help me make an educated decision, there are too **** many monitors out there to choose from.
    For what it's worth, I'd like to keep it under 1k. I'm interested in active near-fields, good for mixing, with decent clarity and few gimiks. Granted, nothing beats getting into a GC and listening to a few (which I intend to do in the next day or two), but I need a little more to go on when I take a look at these in person and listen to some of my mixes on them.
    Thanks!
    Chris

    To add to the previous poster, I have a pair of old NS10's and I use them because I'm used to how they sound and how their sound translates to several other of my references, i.e. my SET/Bottlehead listening system, my car CD player, my table radio. One reason a studio owner would buy say Genelecs or Mackie HR 824's is because they have become somewhat of a standard and like the NS10's of 15 years ago, people know what they're getting once you're used the way mixes translate from them to other systems. That being said, get the Mackies, or Dynaudio BM5A's. Both those seem to be widely accepted and studio proven. That's a good place to start.

  • Any suggestions for what to look for in a good production monitor?

    I'm in the market for a production monitor and I'm looking at B&H's online catalogue now. Any tips on what to look for and if anyone has any recommendations or favorites? Thanks.

    it would help if you could determine a budget and then shop for models within or slightly above that budget.
    basically, some necessary items are switchable aspect ratio, underscan/overscan and then some sort of blue check for proper chroma and phase calibration. some monitors have a gray scale blue check which i think completely blows. it's better to have a monitor with viewable red, blue and green guns as the blue gun is more accurate for calibration than a grayscale blue check feature. also, there are other diagnostic functions that are viewable by using the red or green guns to view color bars.
    some other nice features to have are horizontal/vertical delay, sdi inputs, hd-sdi inputs.
    it's been mentioned in the last larry jordan newsletter than the crt monitor is going the way of the dinosaur and now sony and panasonic are marketing lcd products only. i think this is a very sad trend. as a freelance video operator/camera shader, i am of the opinion that lcd monitors are horrible; they hurt my eyes and the color rendition isn't as accurate as a crt. leitch is now manufacturing an lcd scope which is just terrible to behold. the black area of the vectorscope is a huge, amorphous blob of white light that shows no signal detail whatsoever.
    i don't know what to make of larry's statement as a quick check of the sony business website reveals only bvm crt's in their product lineup, no more pvm series. i haven't looked at the panasonic product catalog yet.
    although the sony pvm L5 that shane mentioned is a quality product, to my eyes, i would get an ikegami monitor but you'll find that the superior imaging of the ikegami also has a superior price point.
    one last point, don't buy an used monitor from ebay, you don't know where it's been or how it's been treated. give jvc monitors a fair shake as well, not a bad product for the price, no matter what their reputation is.
    good luck.

  • What to look for in free fonts?

    I want to download some free fonts (I am a student) to use for some 300ppi print pieces and am wondering what to look for in a free font to determine whether it will print nicely at a high quality. What makes a good quality font? I know there is lots of garbage out there though there are also many good quality free fonts.
    Thanks.

    This is not remotely a Photoshop question.
    Try the Adobe Typography forum:
    http://forums.adobe.com/community/design_development/typography

  • What to look for when purchasing external display

    Hey everyone,
    First and foremost I want to say I am a web developer and graphic designer so what I am looking for is a display (not too big) 20" - 23" TV OR Monitor. This way when I am developing I am not making things HUGE so i can see them while other viewers can't. I have seen the display on a 30" screen and no that isn't going ot work.
    I am now searching for an external display for my newly built office but I don't know what to look for besides DVI support. What resolution do I need to make sure it goes to? There is just so many options when looking at TVs or Monitors..
    any input?

    DVI support is a must and most LCDs in the size that you are looking for are going to have it.
    Your MB can drive a display with a resolution of up to 1920 x 1200 which just happens to be the resolution of the 23" Apple Cinema HD Display. I didn't want to pay Apple prices for a display, so I went looking at Dell. I picked up a 20" 2007WFP display from them for about $360 shipped and it works like a charm with the Apple Mini-DVI to DVI adapter.
    I prefer displays that use a S-IPS panel over the more common and cheaper TN panels. S-IPS is much better for color reproduction and that is why Apple uses them in their Cinema Displays. Dell uses the same panel is some of their 20" models - I got one - but some buyers are very upset that they got a TN panel instead of the S-IPS panel. I was lucky I guess.

  • How can connect my macbook pro mid 2012 to my imac 21.5 inch mid 2010 ?? I want to use imac like a display for macbook.

    How can connect my macbook pro mid 2012 to my imac 21.5 inch mid 2010 ?? I want to use imac like a display for macbook.

    Target Display Mode: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
    with a mini display to mini display cable. Attach it to the Thunderbolt port on your MBP and to the mini display port on your iMac.
    How do I enable TDM?
    Make sure both computers are turned on and awake. 
    Connect a male-to-male Mini DisplayPort or ThunderBolt cable to each computer.
    Press Command-F2 on the keyboard of the iMac being used as a display to enable TDM.
    Note: In Keyboard System Preferences, if the checkbox is enabled for "Use all F1, F2, etc. keys as standard functions keys," the key combination changes to Command-Fn-F2.

  • Raid Card, what to look for in a card?

    Hi guys,
    Im looking for help on what to look for in a Raid card. Im new to Raid, but i have read the tweakers pages and it seems like the way forward.
    Im a full time editor working with AVC-Intra footage doing fast cuts. Im about to ditch my 2008 mac pro and build a up to date PC around the i7 4930k. Im planning on running 8x3-4tb drives for footage; raid 5, 3x3tb raid 3 for exports, maybe 2x256 ssd raid 0 for boot, 2x3tb drive for page file and media cache, and maybe 3x3tb for stock footage raid 0.
    Im totally lost in what to look for in a Raid card?
    Cheers Ryan

    For 13 drives is there a cheaper option?
    Yes, Areca 1882ix-16, 1264IL-16, Intel RS2WG160, LSI 9260-16i - or for that matter, any RAID controller with 13+ internal connections. There are much cheaper controllers from Highpoint and others, as well.
    If your next question is, is it worth it going cheaper? ...Usually not for me personally - at least certainly not with Highpoint or other entry level controllers with subpar support and all kinds of performance and reliability problems. Even Tier 1 controllers aren't exempt from them.
    That said, I am curious about Intel and LSI controllers I listed above. The LSI one especially so given the availability of SSD caching and other neat features.
    Hope this helps.

  • I am trying to migrate from macbook to a new imac and the looking for source keeps spinning

    I am trying to migrate from macbook to a new imac and the looking for source keeps spinning

    The warranty entitles you to complimentary phone support for the first 90 days of ownership.

  • Color issue with pdf from Indesign. I have a special cmyk mix for a bcard in Indesign. When I export the pdf the cmyk mix has changed Just started today 1.13.15 Running Yosemite 10.10.1 Any help on what to look for would be greatly appreciated.

    I have a special cmyk mix for a bcard in Indesign. When I export the pdf the cmyk mix has changed Just started today 1.13.15 Running Yosemite 10.10.1 Any help on what to look for would be greatly appreciated.

    Thank you Peter. Someone else must have been on my computer because I do not change the settings. You pointed me in the right direction.
    Thanks again.
    Patrick

  • What to Look For when Buying a Used Storm to activate on Verizon Pre-Pay

    Hi, I am looking to buy a Storm 9550 refurbished for use on Verizon Pre-Pay and am just wondering what all I need to look for.
    Would something like this work:
    http://www.ebay.com/itm/Great-BlackBerry-Storm2-9550-2GB-Black-Verizon-Smartphone-WIFI-GSM-Phone-/181217767463?pt=Cell_Phones&hash=item2a316bb027
    Or is it more complicated than just finding a Verizon-branded phone?

    The lugs that hold the base onto the phone are not strong enough and the base often needs to be replaced. Give the base (the bit with the button on it) a tug to see whether it's broken.

  • What to look for when buying a used N8?

    I am buying a used N8, so I want to know if there is something specific to look for or just general things?

    The lugs that hold the base onto the phone are not strong enough and the base often needs to be replaced. Give the base (the bit with the button on it) a tug to see whether it's broken.

  • What to look for when buying a used MacBook Pro? Tips

    Here to acquire a few tips on purchasing a used Macbook Pro. I am not graced with an Apple Store in my area, so I must rely on my own sub par geek wit and with the help of yours.
    Tips I know.
    Checking Battery Cycles and mAh capacity.
    Looking for third party applications.
    Request the original StartUp/Install Disks.
    Checking memory ratios...

    Shop your local and nearby Craigslist websites, starting with:
    http://tampa.craigslist.org/
    Read this excellent post by frequent contributor JasonFear about buying and selling through Craigslist:
    http://discussions.apple.com/click.jspa?searchID=-1&messageID=9958349
    Avoid Ebay.
    If third-party applications or other software are included, they add nothing at all to the value of the machine unless you are given the original installer discs for them. Otherwise, they are just pirated software that you can't reinstall if you ever need to.
    Message was edited by: eww

  • Buying an external DVD burner, what to look for?

    Hi, I am buying an external DVD burner in the morning, anything I should look for feature wise, any models which are recommended?
    Cheers, S.

    Patrica, we'll forgive you this once! For future reference at the top of each Discussions Forum section there's a blue "Post a New Topic" link - that's where you start. Anyway as to your problem as to what to do now. You can ignore the "Easy Media Creator" disc - this is an application for Windows machines.
    All you need now is a blank DVD to record onto. Usually LaCie include a complimentary DVD-R disc - didn't you get one?
    It's useful because it will give you a good idea as to which brand of disc works best with your burner. My LaCie likes Maxell and Verbatim but not TDK even though it's on LaCies's approved list (which you can find on their website). Buy a small pack until you are sure they work OK. Whether you get DVD-R or DVD+R is up to you, but the minus format tends to work better with domestic DVD players.
    I don't know what you want to burn onto DVD - is it files or movies? If it's the former you have all the software you need in Disk Utility. As far as I know iDVD on the other hand doesn't work with an external burner (someone please correct me if I'm wrong!) you need to buy something like Toast for that. I notice also that you're in the PowerBook forum although you have an iMac! Does this not have an internal DVD writer? I thought all versions of the G5 had a SuperDrive? My final bit of advice to you would be to get yourself whichever of these http://www.missingmanuals.com/ you feel you might need. Certainly the 10.3 book will help you enormously. Good luck.

  • What to look for when buying a second hand 8220 flip

    Hi,
    I'm temted to buy a secondhand (2-3 month old) 8220 flip phone and although the seller seems OK in her emails, You never know. What must I look for in order to be reasonably sure of my purchase?
    Also, this phone is locked to Rogers, can it be unlocked ? Where, How?
    thanks for your help
    John

    watches wrote:
    There are hundreds of these used or like new flips for sale every day on the internet. My advise is to stay away from a 8220 used or brand new in the box. They are junk and you will not get any support. My month old warranty replacement is not working and many many other people will say the same.
    Watches...
    This is a  "Community" Support Forum. Where are you offereing support other than to rant and complain.
    Do
    you need assistance with your Blackberry 8220? Could you at least state
    clearly your issue so that someone might attempt to help you?
    1. If any post helps you please click the below the post(s) that helped you.
    2. Please resolve your thread by marking the post "Solution?" which solved it for you!
    3. Install free BlackBerry Protect today for backups of contacts and data.
    4. Guide to Unlocking your BlackBerry & Unlock Codes
    Join our BBM Channels (Beta)
    BlackBerry Support Forums Channel
    PIN: C0001B7B4   Display/Scan Bar Code
    Knowledge Base Updates
    PIN: C0005A9AA   Display/Scan Bar Code

Maybe you are looking for