So, what's the bottom line about these new iMac displays?

Question

My MBP needs repair again, and while waiting for it to be picked up by Apple, fixed and returned I've revived my even older PBG4, running really slowly off an external USB 1 HD.
Since my work depends on using my Mac daily, I was thinking of buying a new computer and using my MBP for a backup.
The prices on the 21.5" and 27" iMacs are good. And they look beautiful when I saw them at Yodobashi Camera in Akihabara. A new 15" or 17" (like I have now) MBP is really too expensive for me right now.
I have had very bad luck with Mac purchases. Almost every one I've ever bought has needed repair - usually as soon as I brought it home. And now I'm reading all these messages about the display problems. Also, the 27" versions seem to have a 2 week delay on orders (though the 21.5" ones are available now.)
If my purpose is to quickly get an affordable Mac this week so I don't have to labor through using this old PBG4 while my MBP is out, are the iMacs ok? Or are the display problems almost universal?
It's sometimes hard to tell since these forums are, after all, a place where people come to discuss problems!
Any opinions?
Thanks,
doug

Answer 1

Thanks for all your replies, people. And hello to you, kguy!
I never even read about broken pixels on the iSight camera. Something else to worry about!
There are some things that bother me greatly about my display and I will argue to the ends of the earth to get an exchange if they happen. The main thing for me is broken pixels. On my MacBook Pro (late 2006) I had 1 bad pixel and it was driving me to distraction and I argued until they exchanged it.
On the other hand, at the same time, LOTS of people were posting about "uneven illumination" problems with their MBP screens and posting lots of photos and there were a lot of threads about it. I suppose if I looked hard enough, after seeing what they were talking about, I could probably see something similar in my MBP screen, but it honestly never bothered me.
But broken pixels truly drive me to distraction.
I haven't seen this "yellowing" thing at any of the floor models at Yodobashi Camera. But it could be because of the comment in this thread about having to look at the display at a severe angle to see.
I've also experienced what kguy has experienced about support in Japan. There is a general reluctance to admit that there is a problem and they will insist that things are "within acceptable range" (to whom?), but then they find some other excuse to actually go ahead and do the repair. It's like they don't want to set a precedent for other people, but they want to resolve the issue and not leave an unhappy customer. If all else fails with Apple Japan you can nicely say, "OK. Thanks. I guess my next step is to talk with the consumer affairs agency." At that point they inevitably say, "Please hold a moment" and come back with a resolution to your problem.
I've had problems, usually out of the box, with every single Mac I have ever purchased except one - my iMac G5 (long since sold at an auction site). Not a broken pixel, not a single problem. I loved that machine, except was upset that it was basically obsoleted 3 weeks after I bought it when they came out with the Intel versions!
Anyway, I might go over to the store and see if I can see this "yellowing" problem people are talking about. Like I said, I didn't notice it before.
doug