Refurb 20" iMac

First post and I hope it's not my last. I've ordered a refurb AL iMac 20" for my home PC replacement. However, after reading about all the issues with the 20" I'm about to RMA it as fast as it arrives. Can someone please help me understand what's the deal with all the screen complaints and unintended restarts? I've read the supplied 20" LCD (regardless of Apples stated specifications) is not what's advertised.
Thanks in advance!
RF

Every refurb product I bought from the Apple Store refurb page has been "like New." It comes with the same one-year warranty. The only difference is that the box is plain brown and says "Certified Reconditioned Product" on the side. Also look at the description for included software. It comes with the original discs, so you may not get the latest version of things like iLife. For the white iMacs, you also get Tiger with an upgrade disc for Leopard. I find that to be an advantage, because you have an choice of running Tiger or Leopard.
2.16 GHz was the fastest (and only) processor speed for either the 20 or 24 inch Core 2 Duo white iMac. Here's the specs page.
http://support.apple.com/kb/SP28
Any reason you prefer the 20" over the 24" white?
I bought the 17" 2.0 GHz model (as a refurb), because it was the smallest. I use my own external display as the main display, with the iMac's display as the secondary display. It's been perfect so far.

Similar Messages

Which is the better low-cost 24" Alum refurb'd iMac and why?

OK, I admit I don't pay enough attention. I have a couple year old 24" White iMac with 2.4GHz processor and 500Gb drive, and I'm thinking of "upgrading" to an Alum iMac for no particular reason. So I've been looking at the refurbs in the Apple store. Right now I've got a choice between
1) 2.66GHz, 4G, 640G HD, Nvidia GEForce 9400 w/256 for $1299, and
2) 2.93GHz, 4G, 640G HD, NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 with 256MB memory for 1549, and
3) 3.06GHz, 2G, 500G HD, NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS with 512MB memory for 1599,
all more or less in budget. Are there significant differences and are they mostly to do with the vid card?
Any opinions? Buy the most expensive one you can afford? There used to be an older 2.8GHz model that many said was better than the 2.66GHz model here, so are there sig differences? Sould I just keep the white one for the present and wait?
Mired in Doubt

Pier Rodelon wrote:
One poster remarked that the 2.8 GHz model unlikely to be noticeably faster than my present 2.4GHz with 3G ram. If that also holds true for the 2.93 and 3.06 I might just sit still and wait a bit, since my machine has operated flawlessly since I bought it on eBay 2 years ago.
As a side-question, what is the projected schedule of new iMac releases, and where can I find a history of all releases?
Again, many thanks for the help.
All the choices you refer to, including the 2.8 GHz that I mentioned, won't have significant speed differences. You already have an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, and the difference between 2.4, 2.6, 2.8, 2.9, and 3.06 is only an issue of seconds, not minutes. If you were moving up from PowerPC to Intel, then yes, a new Mac would provide a huge increase in speed.
If you want to know the history of all Macs, download the free Mactracker program.
http://mactracker.dreamhosters.com/
It provides details of every Mac model made, including the introduction and discontinue dates. Macs lasted a lot longer in the old days: Mac IIci introduced September 1989 and discontinued February 1993. The shortest lived Mac would be the original Power Mac G4 from August 1999 to October 1999. The iMacs have typically run the course of a year before a new model is released. Complete design changes have been around a two to four year period, or sometimes longer.

Refurb 20" iMac for $1199 (retail $1699)

I want to get a computer for my technology-challenged parents.
Trying to decide whether to go with a Mac Mini ($599 + 19" LCD monitor for $200, already have keyboard & mouse iSight camera), OR a refurb iMac ($1299, retail $1499):
Refurbished iMac 20-inch 2.16GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SuperDrive
1GB (2x512MB) 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300)
250GB Serial ATA hard drive
Slot-load 8x double-layer SuperDrive
ATI Radeon X1600 with 128MB GDDR3 memory
Built-in AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth 2.0
Built-in iSight Camera and Apple Remote
Pay a little more, get more: bigger HD, more memory, nice feature of iSight built in. The convenience of everything computer/monitor in one package is nice thing about iMac.
Need comments about reliability of Mac mini & iMac..especially the refurb ones.

Hello,
Many people have had good experiences with refurbs. But, mine wasn't so great. It was an iMac G5 20-inch 2.0 GHz.
It arrived with a beat-up mouse (lots of marks and blemishes).
The front of the computer had a chip in it (about a quarter-inch in size).
The computer's screen had several marks in it that required some effort to remove.
The cords were dirty.
The center ring on the foot (for the power cable to go through) was very dirty (required heavy scrubbing to remove the grime).
The mouse button stuck and wouldn't work frequently.
The Ethernet port didn't work when I turned it on for the first time. So, within the hour it was in the shop and a new logic-board was on order.
They got it back to me the following week with a replacement logic-board / main-board installed.
They then ordered the replacement front bezel. About a month later that was installed for me.
Then, I got the mouse replaced about two weeks after that.
Then, the LCD screen started developing dark spots and had lines going across it.
I got rid of it shortly after that.
In the end, I'd probably still buy a refurb again.
Why? Well... It saved me about $600 from the new machine at the time, and sadly that experience was better than my experience with a brand-new iMac G5 that I had purchased previously.
If the refurb saves you a reasonable amount of money, then I'd say go for it.
I hope this helps.

Mac Mini or iMac good for graphic apps?

I currently have an older G4, dual processor, 450 MHz, 768mb RAM running Tiger. I'm a graphic designer working mainly with Quark, Freehand, Photoshop. I'm not a heavy Photoshop user. I'm trying to decide if I should upgrade to a G5 tower, or if the new iMacs or Mac Mini would work for me. I've heard that the Mac Mini could be a step backwards for my type of use. Any informed opinions would greatly help. Obviously speed is not my number one concern, but I wouldn't want to be slower! I do have an external CD/DVD burner and I need to keep my external ZIP drive.
Thanks,
Kristi

The Mac Mini may not be good for your use (Intel Macs in gerneral) do not have a native version of Photoshop (PPC only app so it would run under PPC emulation), so unless you have 1+GB RAM it would run slow, not as slow as on your current machine though so you might not notice the way some others might. The Mac Mini (even the core solo 1.5Ghz) will be much faster than your current machine, any modern Mac would be.I would go for an iMac since it, IMO, is going to be a better buy, since it doesn't cost that much more, and is a top of the line consumer machine. If you don't do much Photoshoping the G5 Power Mac is overkill, IMO. You may even want to look at refurb G5 iMacs if you want to save a little money.

IPod Touch to new iMac

Hi all,
Well i am sitting here at work with my brand "new" refurb 24" imac sitting in a box next to me and i cannot get anything done.
I have been using a PC for so long and my Touch is obviously synced to that. i have two questions. (from what i understand the ipod touch cannot be put into disk mode)
1) To move my music over from the laptop to the imac can I do this through my router by getting the IP addy of the PC? (will it import all of my ratings and album art as well?)
2) Will i have to restore my ipod in order for it to work on the mac?
3) (ok i lied three questions) I purchased the Apps for my touch. i really do not want to lose them as they cost me $20. If i do have to restore will the apps still be there?
Thank you guys for the help.
TJ

Hi mraplmer420,
mraplmer420 wrote:
1) To move my music over from the laptop to the imac can I do this through my router by getting the IP addy of the PC? (will it import all of my ratings and album art as well?)
You can transfer your music using your local network. To do so, I would recommend you to read [this article|http://www.apple.com/getamac/movetomac/network.html] from Apple. However you can't simply move library from a PC to Mac and keep all your metadata stored. [This article|http://lifehacker.com/software/itunes/geek-to-live--how-to-move-an-itun es-library-from-a-pc-to-mac-and-back-242468.php] is also an excellent guide, which will help you doing that.
mraplmer420 wrote:
2) Will i have to restore my ipod in order for it to work on the mac?
No, just connect your iPod to your iMac and it's done!
mraplmer420 wrote:
3) (ok i lied three questions) I purchased the Apps for my touch. i really do not want to lose them as they cost me $20. If i do have to restore will the apps still be there?
Yes, it will. However you'll need to move the "+iPod touch App Pack 4A93.ipa+" file located on a Windows here...
*Windows XP*
C:\Documents and Settings[user name]\Application Data\Apple Computer\iTunes\Mobile Applications\
*Windows Vista*
C:\Users[user name]\AppData\Roaming
Apple Computer\iTunes\Mobile Applications\
Note: These locations are hidden by default in Windows.
... and paste it on your Mac here:
Mac OS X:
~/Library/iTunes/Mobile Applications
Then you'll only need to authorize your iMac with your iTunes Store account and it's done. Every time you restore your iPod, probably on the second synchronization, the Upgrade will be re-installed on the iPod Touch.
Hope this helps!
!http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54486/122/A57996D55BE7ABB4A67DE686D381A27 4.png!

Flickering mouse cursor/black bar on iMac 27"

I recently bought a refurb 27" iMac (mid-2010) and did a DIY upgrade to add a SSD in addition to the regular hard drive. I tested the system before cracking it open and everything seemed fine. After the install, I started noticing that the mouse cursor would flicker and sort of ghost itself and also that a small rectangular black bar would appear underneath the cursor. I can use it fine and it doesn't show up when I play games but it's driving me nuts. I know there was some kind of problem if you used an extra monitor but I'm not using one. I took a picture of the problem and can provide it on request. Any input would be appreciated.

Wow. that is odd looking.
In your take-apart and rebuild work, did you have to move anything that has to do with the display, it's associated connecting cables, etc?
Just a guess, but maybe something's been left loose? Something video related?
Given you indicate no issues pre-upgrades, I would believe something might have been goofed physically.
Sorry I'm no help here. Was kinda hoping for a shot of something I'd seen before, but that shot is unique to me.

24" iMac Brightness Query

First of all, I must say that I am ecstatic with the arrival of my refurbed 24" iMac. It arrived in perfect condition and is working flawlessly. Whoever owned this previously must have taken very good care of it or not used it at all. Or it may have been a demo.
My question is this: Is there some app that will dim the monitor down further than is possible with the built-in monitor dimmer?
I have the monitor dimmed down as far as I can, but it is still too bright for my eyes. White backgrounds just seem to glare from the brightness. My old 17" PB seemed way too dim to me, but this new iMac is extremely bright for my eyes.
Thanks,
Phillip Anthony

Yes, Photoshop is very important to me, meaning that a correct monitor color profile is very important for all the obvious reasons.
When I selected Color I was surprised to see an 'Adobe RGB' auto setting. I chose this and the monitor got lighter yet. Not what need, but I left it as such.
We uprights, it seems, are never happy with what we have.
Just ran across this bit of info:
"The reason apple limits the brightness is because the lighting on a flat display such as that of an iMac or laptop is that if too little power is supplied to the light it will become damaged ... "
And this may be of some help as well and it's free to boot:
http://freeverse.com/mac/product/?id=7013
Thanks again.

Which iMac?

I'm buying a new iMac for home. I want it to last as long as possible so my inclination is to spend a bit more on upgraded specs. I do some video conversion for Apple TV and some low-level photoshop and InDesign.
RAM: I currently have a 2010 macbook pro with 8gb of RAM. It struggles with the video conversion so I was going to go for 16gb of RAM. Does that sound reasonable? I upgraded the RAM in the MBP myself, would it better to get the iMac with 8gb and add another 8 myself? Is that easy on the new iMacs?
Processor: Here I'm not sure, how much difference will there be between the 2.7, 2.9 and 3.2 ghz i5 processors? Is the 3.1ghz i7 better again?
HDD: I'm very keen on a Fusion drive, probably go for 3TB. Or I could do 1TB and an external T'bolt HDD?
Anything else I should consider?
Currently tossing up between:
1. Refurb 2012 iMac with 3.4ghz i7 processor $2600
2. Current iMac with 3.2ghz haswell i5
Both around $2600 with 16gb ram and 3TB Fusion drive.

Is that easy on the new iMacs?
Only on the 27" variety. It's not an option on the 21.5" models. Since you are doing video work you'll probably want the bigger one anyway. 16 GB is a good idea. Specify the iMac with the minimum amount and purchase RAM from OWC / MacSales or Crucial. That will be about half as expensive as what Apple will charge.
I prefer the i7 CPU. You won't be able to tell the difference unless you were to compare the two side-by-side, but once you do that, you will want the i7.
The refurbished iMacs are a good deal. It will be indistinguishable from new.
The internal storage choice is probably going to be less expensive than purchasing an external Thunderbolt drive, but you'll want a backup. Thunderbolt isn't necessary for Time Machine backups. USB is adequate. Backup devices should be cheap enough so that you can purchase more than one.

Migrating from old G4 15-inch Flat Panel to new iMac 24-inch 2.16GHz

Just purchased a refurbed 24" iMac with 2.16GHz core duo from Apple. Currently work on 15-inch flat panel 800MHz PowerPC G4 iMac using 10.2.8. Main applications are Photoshop v.7.0.1, Final Draft 6, and Office v.10.1.8. All important data is archived on three external OWC Mercury firewire drives. What is the most efficient, least problematic way to migrate? Or am I better off avoiding migration, installing latest Intel-friendly Photoshop, Office, and Final Draft software, and dragging select image files, and documents from external drives to new desktop? Also, how can I easily transfer my old iTunes/iPhoto/iMovie libraries over to new iMac from external drives without doing a migration? Thanks!
iMac G4 Flat Panel 15" Mac OS X (10.2.x)

May I recommend familiarizing yourself with Kappy's migrating advice;
A Basic Guide for Migrating to Intel-Macs
PS - the 24" iMac Intel is a Core 2 Duo.

Should I uninstall Office 2004 for Mac after installing Office 2011 on new iMac ?

Replacing an aging G5 with a refurb 2011 iMac. The G5 has Office 2004 on it. When I migrate to the new iMac, do I need to move the Office 2004 to the new machine to not lose any documents ? And then unistall it on the new machine once I have Office 2011 on board ? Do I bother uninstalling it ?
Haven't had to migrate to a new computer in a while, so any suggestions are appreciated. I also have TM and a clone of the G5.
Thanks.

This is exactly what I did. After downloading Office 2011 and opening some of my old Office 2004 files to make sure they were ok, I trashed the Office 2004. Everytime I opened an old file it asked if I wanted to save it the the new Office. I did. It's been three years now and all my old files work perfectly.
Good luck with yours,
virg

The iMac / Mac Mini Equation

I would be very interested in your thoughts on my situation.
I have a 2007 2.33Ghz iMac and have never gotten over the novelty of using OSX Tiger (yes!) since I switched after my Windows PC died. However I think it is now time for an upgrade.
I am a guitar tutor and currently use my iMac for recording Audio with Garage Band. I would like to start using Logic Pro and am also interested in creating some guitar tuition videos so I would like to able to run Final Cut ProX too.
My computer hardware budget is around £1500 (I'm from UK).
I am very tempted by the 2.6 i7 Mac mini with the SSD (£1,115) I would also add 16GB of Crucial RAM. (£60). I have my eye on a nice £360 27" inch monitor (DGM IPS 2701 WPH) which I understand has the same panel as the Apple Thunderbolt display. Here is review of the monitor: http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/dgm_ips-2701wph.htm
My other option is a 2.9Ghz i5 21.5 inch iMac with Fusion Drive and Apple supplied 16GB of Ram. This is about £100 more expensive than the mini option but I could just about stretch to it.
So here is the equation - For my needs does the i7 of the mini trump the faster (in Ghz terms) i5 of the iMac? If it does would the discrete graphics card redress the balance?
I need the machine to be quiet and as both machines have only one fan I would guess they would be evenly matched here? I also have to consider the pros and cons of the displays (and then there's the mini's screen flickering issue which is causing me some concern).
So is it iMac > Mac mini or Mac mini > iMac?
Thanks for your thoughts.

Honestly... I wouln't consider the new iMacs at all, nice & fast, but basically disposable models now, & the Minis have many reported problems if you plan on using the HDMI port. :(
I think myself, I'd look for a Refurb 2011 iMac of good speed.

After installing an update (on an iMac), can the installer (.dmg) be moved to the trash?

After installing an update (on an iMac of any sort), can the installer (.dmg) be moved to the trash?

If the update is an OS installer, you might want to consider moving it to a folder of an external backup drive for safe keeping. Why? Because Apple removes earlier OS versions when a new one is introduced; there are several threads here about not being able to download Mavericks.
Just a thought. I keep copies of all OS installers. That will come in handy shortly as I just purchased a refurb 2012 iMac because it can run/boot with Mountain Lion which I need for a couple of (important to me) software applications. I have a copy of an ML installer tucked away and ready to go.

Need advice on iMac purchase

Hello all,
Here I am, still sitting on my Late 2006 iMac that has ran flawlessly since I got it. I'm updated to 10.7, but as you all know that's as far as I'm going with the OS on this machine. I was going to pick up a new Mac earlier this year, but decided that I had better wait until the new ones were announced in October. Since the October release announcement and going back and forth, I've decided that the removal of the optical drive from the new units, at least for now, has steered me away from them. I'd also like to see how the super-thin design pans out in the long run. I'm not entirely confident in knowing that much hardware is seated so closely to the screen - seems like a bad idea. But, I'm not an engineer and the folks at Apple usually tend to be a little smarter than me at these things, so time will tell I suppose.
I've considered purchasing the Mid-2011 27" model from the refurbished end, but I've been reading some concerns about them. Yellowing screens, screens mysteriously going blank and some sort of dust collecting anomaly. Am I missing anything commonly complained about on these?? I think this computer is a better fit for me, but I'm curious to hear about others' experiences with refurbished products from Apple. They offer the same warranty as a new machine, but I'm guessing that many of these refurbished units are going to be returns from the before-mentioned issues. I'm wondering if they may have them panned out. I suppose there isn't much that can be done about dust collecting behind the screen, but the yellowing and screen going blank should be fixable issues without re-engineering (it would seem).
As you can likely tell from my 2006 iMac still being in use, I don't have a huge demand for resources, but I like to be up to date. Some light video compiling (family stuff), somewhat more intensive photography (Photoshop) and regular e-mail and web are basically the extent of my uses. Some gaming might occur on occassion, but I usually stick to my consoles for that.
Considering my concerns and uses, would the refurb May 2011 27" be a good move for me? Or shall I perhaps consider a Mac Mini with an external display instead? Mac Pro would be nice, but I'm not dropping that kind of cash for a computer at this time. I like the small footprint of the iMac. I can make do with a Mini. Hadn't considered it before now. Thanks in advance for any suggestions. I just like to run these types of questions by the community before I make a purchase. Points are usually raised that I hadn't previously considered.

The iMac is a very good all-purpose machine, and I purchase just about all of my Macs refurbushed. The reliability is at least as good as a new machine, with the same warranty.
About "yellowing screen." This is a relatively rare situation, and should be immediately detectable. Your only option would be to return the unit as defective; the replacement would, hopefully, remedy the problem. Reject any unit that doesn't look outstanding.
I also believe that it's best to wait a year until the super-thin iMacs roll out the kinks, but I'm not as bullish about using a Mini with an external monitor. A regular iMac will likely have a more balanced mix of features, which will be ideal with your modest needs. A refurb 2011 iMac is a good machine that's easy to like.
Honestly, I'm not familiar with the dust issue.

Which iMacs to Avoid Purchasing?

Good Morning - Reading Rod Hagen's post, with attachments, describing failed logic boards due to bad capacitors makes me wonder which iMacs, new or used, are safer to buy. I've had iBooks, eMacs, and now a PowerBook G4 for years, all wonderful machines, and am now looking to buy a used iMac G5. My question is then, based on the long and wide distribution of these bad capacitors, are there specific early iMac models to avoid, or is buying any machine using capacitors a typical gamble? Thanks much.

I would suggest avoiding the first two models, the Rev A and the Ambient Light. The iSight model should be fine it seems to have many fewer problems than the first two, but might I suggest buying an intel machine? Even a refurb intel iMac has a history of fewer problems than the G5s and it will come with a warranty, you can also buy Apple Care to extend that warranty.

Got My Refurbished iMac ALS G5!

Hi, all!
Just an update, my refurb ALS iMac G5 arrived Monday, and I've been driving it around the block a few times!
Overall, I love it! Everything in the box was in great shape, except for the power cord which is pretty dirty. But since that's behind the computer and I can't see it anyway, that's OK! The keyboard's in perfect shape, the 17" monitor is fine, just a few sticky spots on the lower part where I think someone had a sticker or something on it. But the picture is fantastic, no dead pixels at all! Quite a change from my li'l 15" blueberry screen.
Took a while to set up and get everything straightened out, but everything's working fine! So far I feel I got my $849's worth.
The serial number is at the very tail end of the ones listed in the 'problem machines' in the Apple Extension program (it's, like, 15 or so machines from the end), but they seemed to indicate that it's only Rev A machines that have problems. Should I be concerned about this and keep an eye out for processing problems, plumes of smoke, etc.?
There is a slight buzzing sound coming from the monitors, and every once in a while I get a small high-pitched whine. Is this the buzzing sound I've heard about? It's not very loud, and I've found that if I ramp down the processor speed to Reduced it goes away. I'm not sure if this is something I should be concerned about or if it's just normal noise-I can't really hear it unless I listen for it.
So, thumbs up so far! Further bulletins as events warrant...
Sue

Hello Sue,
Just an update, my refurb ALS iMac G5 arrived Monday,
and I've been driving it around the block a few
times!
Glad to hear it arrived, and that you are happy with it.
Overall, I love it! Everything in the box was in
great shape, except for the power cord which is
pretty dirty. But since that's behind the computer
The cables can be easily cleaned with a paper towel and some 409 cleaner (409 is a brand of household cleaner). Don't use 409 on anything but the cables.
and I can't see it anyway, that's OK! The keyboard's
in perfect shape, the 17" monitor is fine, just a few
sticky spots on the lower part where I think someone
had a sticker or something on it. But the picture is
fantastic, no dead pixels at all! Quite a change from
my li'l 15" blueberry screen.
That's great
so far I feel I got my $849's worth.
Definitely happy to hear that
The serial number is at the very tail end of the ones
listed in the 'problem machines' in the Apple
Extension program (it's, like, 15 or so machines from
That is very odd. I wonder if they just had an over-lap of the machine's serial numbers.
the end), but they seemed to indicate that it's only
Rev A machines that have problems. Should I be
concerned about this and keep an eye out for
processing problems, plumes of smoke, etc.?
I wouldn't worry about it unless you have trouble. But, you still have a full warranty, so either way you should be covered.
Most likely, even if your machine was one of the affected models, it would probably have had those components changed during the refurbishing process.
away. I'm not sure if this is something I should be
concerned about or if it's just normal noise-I can't
really hear it unless I listen for it.
This sounds like the normal behavior. I wouldn't worry about it unless you just absolutely can't stand it.
If you have to listen for it, then it's not really worth worrying about.
So, thumbs up so far! Further bulletins as events
warrant...
Hope everything keeps going great for you. I am very pleased with my rev. B system.
As a side note, the replacement bezel for mine just arrived today. So, the Apple Tech will be coming out Monday to replace my chipped bezel. I'm the one who previously mentioned my refurb having arrived with a chipped front bezel.
So, now I'll be looking new
Now I just got to get the mouse replaced. They can only exchange one part at a time. So, I've been waiting for my bezel to arrive first.

Refurb 20" iMac

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