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

20 replies

Dec 7, 2009 6:35 AM in response to Karen Atkocius

I just ordered an i7 iMac myself, but I do not expect the machine to last 8+ years. You cannot expect +any consumer+ computer to last that long, they are not designed that way. You also cannot expect Apple to design a product to last that long because of the way technology advances.

I mean just look at the Core 2 Duo itself. I have a 15" Macbook Pro from ~3 years ago and I already look at it as "slow" and "sluggish" compared to these new machines. How slow and obsolete will it be in 8 years?

I would highly suggest not canceling your order, you have a beautiful machine on the way that you will enjoy for years to come! (well maybe not 8)

FRENZIED

Level 1

37 points

Dec 7, 2009 8:32 AM in response to Karen Atkocius

I'm still using an 800MHz, 17" G4 iMac I bought in 2003. It works great. I can no longer watch most videos online because it's so weak (processor wise).

My other iMac Sage G3 was running great until I fried it by unplugging the power-strip it was plugged into. I think all I need to do is replace the power supply.

I have a 400MHz-G4-tower that I had to replace the HD in it (the original HD failed in it for unknown reasons). That's been the only internal Mac hardware problem I've ever had.

I've owned 3 other macs and they all ran great except for the CRT monitors (which seem to die within 3-4 years).

I have one Wintel machine where just about EVERYTHING inside of it has been replace at least once because of various failures. It was piecemealed together to begin with though.

mstew201

Level 1

0 points

Dec 7, 2009 10:51 AM in response to FRENZIED

I'm using a Cube from 2000. Still runs perfect, but I am finally upgrading.

I had the "27 Core Duo but it had issues with the screen. Took it back and had the i7 ordered. In week 4 of waiting for my replacement. My delivery date was pushed back two weeks so it may take 5-6 weeks before I get it. I'm hopefully optamistic. In the mean time I will continue to use the Cube.

rsminton

Level 1

30 points

Dec 7, 2009 12:53 PM in response to mstew201

I've been buying iMacs since they started making them and, between my brother and I, we've owned (and then passed on to our parents) every major style. The "lime" iMac G3 is currently running strong in our basement. (My daughter uses it for iTunes and the occasional classic OS game.) Up until a couple of months ago, my father was using an iMac G4 (iLamp) which has now been moved aside for the grandkids' use and replaced by my old 20" iMac G5, which, after a fresh install of 10.5 is as snappy as it every was. My brother has a 24" Intel iMac and I just bought one of the new 21.5" iMacs.

Did I expect any of them to last this long? Not really. But they were all treated well, and allowed to sleep when not in use, which I'm sure helps quite a bit. And though the iLamp has a little trouble with Flash video, it still surfs the web capably.

Admittedly, I've had a few Powerbooks and MacBook Pros go south on me over the years, but they were all well-travelled work computers that, for the most part, lasted out their 2-year leases.

I do think that as Apple tries to cram more and more into the ever-thinning iMacs the components get more delicate and everything runs a little hotter - and that worries me a little. But Applecare gets you 3 years, which is pretty good, and if nothing goes wrong in those 3 years, or it does and is fixed, I think the chances are very good you'll go a few more beyond that.

Rick Lang

Level 4

1,237 points

Dec 12, 2009 10:52 AM in response to Karen Atkocius

"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"

Well said! Now several of us have recently received their new iMacs and are reporting they are at least functioning well during these last few days (mine) or weeks (others). That might reassure you. But I would strongly recommend people should include AppleCare in their purchase plans either at original purchase or in the first year just in case because some of these commodity components are very new (i5 and i7 processors) and they are desktop machines in an enclosure with similar thickness to some laptops.

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iMac Durability