iMac Durability

Question

iMac Durability

Is a 27" iMac hardware likely to last at least 8 years?

I have been a mac user since the Mac Plus, but I have never bought an iMac... I have a 27" i7 on order, and even outside of the issues reported here I wonder if I made the right choice.

In the more recent past I bought the low end of the PowerMac line (which would now be Mac Pro) which kept getting more and more expensive... My last purchase was the PowerMac G5 2.3GHz Dual Core.

I always went with the high end line because the usage pattern I have (which I how I justify the cost) is that I use the machine for 4 years and then pass it on to another family member at home who uses it for 4 years until I get a new one, then repeat. So a Machine gets used regularly for 8 years in this house.

Because it is going to being used so long I buy a fairly powerful processor which meant a PowerMac. This has worked well and the hardware has never been an issue... In fact I have machines older than 8 years that work just fine. Though my last G5 PowerMac had gotten uncomfortably expensive...

With the 27" iMac i7, the iMac finally had enough of a high end processor to future proof it enough to consider it. While I really dislike all-in ones on principle, it is also about time to get a new display and pass this one on with the Power Mac as that other person in the family really could use a better monitor than the very old small CRT they have... And the when i saw the display in the Apple Store I was impressed.

With my finances going south , and the Mac Pro SOOO expensive, I ordered a 27" i7... But I am wondering if maybe I've made mistake even outside of the current issues.

You usually get what you pay for... and I am wondering if the iMac hardware is built well enough to last at least 8 years.

My G5 PowerMac (and I assume the same for Mac Pro) is built like a tank to last... So what about iMac's? Are they up for a marathon and not just a sprint?

Thanks,
- Karen

PowerMac G5 2.3GHz Dual Core, Mac OS X (10.4.11)

Posted on Dec 6, 2009 8:54 AM

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Answer 1

AxL

Level 6

11,441 points

Dec 6, 2009 10:07 AM in response to Karen Atkocius

Hi Karen,

I'm afraid nobody will really be able to answer to this question. All I can tell you is my September 2003 model iMac (G4 USB 2.0), purchased in January 2004, which is already officially classified as "vintage",
is working fine since now 6 years.
I don't mention older QuickSilvers and such, because they still were made in the US which was probably a better quality.

If I were you, I'd go for an AppleCare Protection Plan from the beginning, and start using my new iMac in a very complete and thorough way, import into iTunes your entire physical CDs library you have home one by one, use demanding applications that trigger internal fans, etc, all that at during the first months you own it.

That way, if any hardware defect should affect your iMac, it would break at once, and not after two or four years when it's too late.
Then you would have your expensive and inaccessible spare parts duly replaced by Apple, all under warranty so you can be sure of the quality of replacement parts.

Saying this because that's what happened to both my iMacs:
After only a few weeks, my iLamp had its motherboard and another very expensive part (the one that drives light to screen) replaced under warranty, so it has been working good ever since,
and my C2D, the very last white iMacs, after a few months had its superdrive replaced, under warranty of course, after I imported my entire CD library.

You know,
the iMac is probably enough for your use, if you can keep a computer that's up to eight years old,
but one thing is certain: with a Mac Pro, when it gets old and needs some repairs after the three years warranty, it is much more easy and natural to take it apart etc,
than an all-in-one computer?

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Answer 2

Dec 6, 2009 10:22 AM in response to Karen Atkocius

No, it will not.
The display is just not designed to last that long.

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Answer 3

Dec 6, 2009 10:41 AM in response to Community User

I thought an LED LCD should last about 10 years because it dose not have florescent tube... That's another reason why I ordered the iMac...

Am I wrong on that? If so I DEFINITELY should cancel my order!!!

- Karen

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Answer 4

Dec 6, 2009 11:37 AM in response to Karen Atkocius

Of the 19 or so Apple products I have bought since 1999, only one failed. My 17" iMac G4/700 (2002) was the only casualty with a bad motherboard and graphics card. My wife still uses daily her G3/600 iBook from 2002. Our original iMac G3/333 from 1999 still works although we do not use it much. My original 10GB scroll wheel iPod (2002) I use daily. I only have replaced the battery once. We have two 17" MacBook Pros which are very good. My first gen iPhone was sold with no issues during ownership. None of the Apple products required warranty issues. I ordered my new i7 iMac built for the next eight years. I hope this gives you some encouragement.

zoz

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Answer 5

Dec 6, 2009 6:49 PM in response to Karen Atkocius

Your expectations are UNrealistic.

*No company builds computers for a 8-year life span.*

Technology moves at the rate of doubling every 2 years. That means a 32-fold improvement in 8 years. Think about that. In 8 years, your cellphone will have more horsepower than the iMac you buy today.

Your optimal purchase strategy is to buy $300 computers every 2-3 years. See http://www.dell.com/us/en/home/desktops/desktop-inspiron-546/pd.aspx?refid=deskt op-inspiron-546&s=dhs&cs=19&ref=dthp for an example.

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Answer 6

Dec 6, 2009 7:26 PM in response to Community User

I ALREADY have 3 PowerMacs in the house that are 8 or more years old that all work like new and still are used (though not often anymore - it's too expensive to replace my old software that i only use once in awhile) so It looks like your are mistaken about that as an absolute.

I have faith in Apple's high end (or at least i did for (PowerMacs - have not owned a MacPro)... It's the iMac I wonder about.

- Karen

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Answer 7

Rick Lang

Level 4

1,237 points

Dec 6, 2009 9:08 PM in response to Karen Atkocius

Karen, you must recognize your question cannot be answered because no Intel-based iMacs are 8 years old yet. And even if you have machines that last ten years, someone else may have the same machine and it needed repairs after two years. I imagine you are asking if people have an expectation of the iMacs they purchase now lasting 8 years. Most people would think, "It would be nice if it did but I'm not basing a purchase decision on it."

My own Power Mac 2 GHZ Dual was great until it died rather suddenly after 5.3 years. Other older Power Macs are still going but I've heard many die around five years. I'm hoping to get five or six years out of my new i7 but would be happy with more of course. Not sure how old your family members are that you have been handing things down to in the past, but maybe in another four years, they'll be buying their own. You have a kind approach thinking about the family using your computer in four years but it's so hard to predict what we'll all be using then at the rate technology advances and our 'needs' and desires change. Best of luck with your final decision but I hope you hang in there with your new i7.

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Answer 8

den.thed

Level 10

90,952 points

Dec 6, 2009 9:28 PM in response to Karen Atkocius

Hi Karen

I can't speak for the 2009 models, but my (W8602xxxxx) Intel Early Core Duo will be 4 years old on January 21, 2010 and knock on wood it has never had a single problem.

Dennis

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Answer 9

Dec 7, 2009 12:08 AM in response to Karen Atkocius

My Power Mac G5 is from 2005 and it is still going strong (dual core PCIe 2.0 GHz model). So that's half of 8 years. It's not my primary Mac now, but it is being used as a server so it is on all the time.

I have a Pismo PowerBook from 2000. It's had a few new batteries, and the display is noticeably dimmer, but it is still working fine. It even had a G4 upgrade a few years ago, which actually makes it run hotter. It still acts as my portable Mac, and it is now about 9 years old.

My current main Mac is a +Late 2006+ white Core 2 Duo iMac 2.0 GHz. I bought it as an Apple-certified refurb only about two years ago, and it has been the most trouble-free Mac I've ever owned. I think it will definitely last 4 years (from when I bought it) with no problems, and I can see it getting to 8 years if I actually own it that long. The display will fade a bit, but since I don't use the setting at full brightness now, that may be OK.

However, long before 8 years comes up, I will be on a newer Mac. I'll probably buy another +trailing edge+ system as a refurb to save money. 8 years is a long time for computer tech. My Pismo is still useful as a portable Mac, but I can't see using it as my primary Mac at this point (and it had a CPU transplant). It's still a beautiful piece of tech, but it is also quite antiquated. The current iMac, eight years from now, will be almost as old as my Pismo is today.

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Answer 10

Dec 7, 2009 12:28 AM in response to Kenichi Watanabe

I have a G4 700mhz eMac still running strong, which I think my Dad purchased for me when I was 14 in 2001. Still gunning it along.

Apple builds quality, so the machine should last you a while.

Good luck with your decision.

JD

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Answer 11

Dec 7, 2009 1:00 AM in response to Karen Atkocius

Dear Karen, no-one knows. I have a 2000 G3 iMac still going strong, its slow but boots up every time. My impression is that Mac do last longer than PC's, but that is subjective only. I would think that by 5-6 years in you will be wanting a new Mac anyway, what with the speed of progress.
bw
Andrew

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Answer 12

Dec 7, 2009 1:24 AM in response to Karen Atkocius

I think 8 years from an iMac (or any computer, for that matter) is unrealistic. While many people have Macs from 8+ years ago that still work, unless all you do is write and use the Internet, asking a computer to last that long from a practical and functional standpoint is a huge demand. Given how rapidly technology now advances, it makes more sense to buy a less expensive computer and upgrade more often using the money you save on the initial purchase. Your total cost of ownership for each computer will be lower.

However, if you are still insisting that you keep your computers for 8+ years, why not just get a Mac Pro? You're already approaching that price range with a Core i7 iMac ($2199). A base Mac Pro is $2499, and will allow you much more expandability.

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Answer 13

cats01

Level 1

85 points

Dec 7, 2009 1:54 AM in response to Karen Atkocius

Last month I upgraded from my 6 year old PowerBook G4 to this iMAC. The only problem I had with the PowerBook was the battery and that's because I didn't use it properly. Otherwise, the machine still functioned. I tend to keep my computers longer than I probably should.

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Answer 14

mpat

Level 1

15 points

Dec 7, 2009 5:04 AM in response to Karen Atkocius

What's most likely to die is the power supply. It runs hot and it has to deliver quite a bit of power throughout the lifetime of the computer. The CPU is warrantied for 8 years if kept inside design parameters temperature-wise (which it is, in my testing - 5C below throttle temp even at full blast for a long time) and the LED backlight in the display means that it is likely to last for a very long time. The GPU might die, but we have no real info one way or another.

FWIW, my old iMac G3 lived for 9 years, with heavy use during the first 5, and the iMac G5 is 5 years old and ticking along nicely.

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Answer 15

Dec 7, 2009 6:32 AM in response to mpat

Thanks All,

I am by far the heaviest user in the family both in time and what I do with it.

Once I pass a machine on that person (who will not change) tends to use it only an hour or two a day at most for Email, Net browsing, watching some videos, using Word, print etc...

Even those things tend to require more horsepower with time, but not likely so much that an i7 would not be able to handle it within the next 8 years.

I WOULD like to and feel more comfortably getting Mac Pro with how we use computers. Not only are the Pros built better, I know they are much easier to fix... And I had been buying the high end Macs for awhile because of both the quality of build and staying power. The iMacs going back to the first translucent color ones seemed underpowered to me.

Right now the Mac Pros are overdue for a refresh so are not a good value right now, and more importantly as i said my financial circumstantial are not what the were.

I'm already stretching to get the iMac, and we really could use the a new monitor. The person who will get my PowerMac G5 Dual is using a small CRT that is over 10 years old. If I get the iMac I will also be passing on my DELL 2005FPW (a VERY good monitor!) that is about over 4.5 years old with it... So the i7 with the Black Friday sale was very attractive since it's BTO.

The point about no one having long term experience with intel iMacs is well taken. The components are now commodity items not any different from other PC's. I guess I was looking for reassurance about iMac quality more than about specific experience.

And no one can give that to me... All the problems with these machines being reported here got me worried about quality because I am extending us financially and REALLY don't want to switch to PCs ... Sorry for the noise.

- Karen

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