New IMac in dusty/dirty work environment? Longevity?

Just purchased a new 27" Retina IMac for my home office. Love it so much I am thinking of adding a second unit in my farm office. This office connects to my shop and due to the work we do the office is pretty dusty and dirty. I am curious as to how well the machine will hold up in this environment? Will this cause a potential issue with longevity of the machine? Any input would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks, Craig

iMac with Retina 5K display, iOS 9.2.1

Posted on Jan 20, 2016 5:59 PM

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6 replies

Jan 20, 2016 7:04 PM in response to JDeereCJL

Sensitive electronics, especially computers, don't like excessive dust, lint and dirt and will shorten their life if not brought in for regular servicing to clean out all the interior dust, lint and dirt.

Doing a thorough cleaning inside of an iMac is NOT something a user can do, unfortunately.

Is there anything you can do to make the environmemt where the iMac would be more dirt and dust free?


Instead of putting a very expensive iMac out into a dust filled environment where its longevity WILL be affected, have you considered purchasing a cheaper model iMac or even a Mac Mini ( you can purchase a cheaper monitor and will have to add a keyboard and mouse/trackpad) that are, also, less expensive and maybe more expendable if those models succumb to early failure being out in a farm environment.

I would never think of buying an expensive Mac and put it out into a dust and dirt filled environment, even a base model iMac.

I probably be all right with putting a Mac Mini out there with a cheap monitor to take a beating in that environment.

A mid range Mac Mini will only with cheap monitor will, probably, set you back less than $1000.

Much cheaper computer to sacrifice in that type of environment than a 27 inch screen retina iMac.

Jan 20, 2016 7:18 PM in response to JDeereCJL

If you really want to have that second really nice 27 inch iMac out in your farm area, I would make sure you keep it turned off, NOT in sleep mode, when not in use and get something to cover it when not in use to keep the dust and dirt from caking up on this iMac.

Also, absolutely have the inside of it cleaned, at least, twice a year or if you notice that the iMac is running hotter than normal.


Good Luck on whatever you decide!

😉

Jan 20, 2016 7:37 PM in response to JDeereCJL

The problem with cleaning is that the new iMacs are literally glued together and I would not count on any authorized service provider or Apple for that matter would accept it, unglue/disassemble, and put it back together. Instead, how about a Macbook/Pro - a portable solution which you can have out there only when you actually need it and bring it back into the house. Or, and I never thought I would ever suggest this, but a cheap Windows machine might be a better idea.

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New IMac in dusty/dirty work environment? Longevity?

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