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Legdiian
Jul 14, 2004
I bought my iMac with 12 months interest free financing on the Barclay card, paid it off in 11 months and never paid any interest. Now I have a card with a $3,000 limit but at something like 25% APR. Does Apple do any interest free promos for people that already have a Barclay card or is it a one time deal?

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Legdiian
Jul 14, 2004

SERIOUS posted:

The manager then explains that the iMac screen is cleaned with an anti-static brush, the process could take two hours, and that no one qualified is available to do it right now. He then says he could just put the glass back on the iMac, but it'd require my approval, and therefore if I approve such a thing, if anything happened to my display as a result of static electricity or whatever, Applecare would not cover it, as I authorized a "tainted" glass display cover.

Not to derail, but I had my iMac's optical drive replaced under Apple care and I noticed that if I have an all white image on the screen there are areas of it that look dirty. Is it possible they didn't do the super special cleaning process? If I bring it back to Apple are they going to hold it hostage for a week cleaning it or will they tell me tough luck? Sorry for the derail, I noticed the problem months ago but your post made me think of it.

Legdiian
Jul 14, 2004

FlashBangBob posted:

Look at that tiny keyboard controlling everything... you should get a 30 inch keyboard too

Yeah I've always hated my tiny keyboard and I only have a single 27". Why doesn't Apple make a full size wireless anymore?

Legdiian
Jul 14, 2004

petewhitley posted:

We just ordered a new iMac to replace our aging Mac Mini. Currently, we watch videos streamed from our Mini via our Xbox 360 (using Connect360). I'm thinking about turning that Mac Mini into a dedicated media center, bypassing the 360 altogether. From a relatively quick Googling, it seems like that would be a more functional, and all-together nicer way to view content from our Macs. True/false? Worth the effort? If so, is there a definitive guide to doing so? I've found about 5,000 blogs about it, not sure if there's a better resource than that.

Install XBMC on it?

http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3011303

Legdiian
Jul 14, 2004

IUG posted:

I guess this counts as a Mac Hardware question. Basically, I work from home once a week, and I bring my office phone home with me to take calls. I could cut this out if I use a softphone over our VPN, which I can. I want to use a wireless headset, so I'm not tethered to my computer.

Is there either a bluetooth antenna that can extend to like 100 feet (to make sure I never drop a call if I go downstairs or away from the office), or a wifi headset that I would be able to pick from the audio input/output menu (option click on the sound menubar item)?

Something like this?

http://www.picoinstruments.com/products/btx-bluetooth-range-extender.html

Legdiian
Jul 14, 2004
My iMac (27" Late '09 i7) has been acting... weird lately. It seems to be really sluggish doing random things like opening up system prefs, loading webpages, generating previews in Lightroom etc. etc. I'm seeing the pinwheel a whole lot more than I ever have before. It also feels like the hard drive is being accessed *constantly* even when it's just sitting idle.

I was running Lion and decided to do a clean sweep and drop back down to Snow Leopard. I found that right off the bat something is still wrong. While it was playing the little Apple "Welcome" movie I noticed the video was stuttering (paused about 5 times during playback, audio was fine). Hard drive is still chugging away.

Are there any hardware tests I can run to figure out if it needs to go in for service?

Legdiian
Jul 14, 2004
Ran the AHT and it came up clean (ran both the 3 min and 45 min test).

Here is one of the most boring videos ever posted on youtube :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YV706KD8W8A

This is right after a boot. I let it sit for a few min until the drive accessing sound stopped. Just opening up the activity monitor made it start chugging away again. Crank up the sound you should be able to hear the drive.

So looks like my drive is on it's way out?

Legdiian
Jul 14, 2004

Well... I guess that's that then. Thank you for the link.

Legdiian
Jul 14, 2004

Binary Badger posted:

The 721 reallocated sectors means the data in those sectors was successfully moved to the spare sector area and should be fine..

If that count goes up on the next scan I'd be backing up that drive before doing anything else on that Mac..

I hit "Rescan Drives" and it went to 729.



The "Test" button does this :

Legdiian
Jul 14, 2004

movax posted:

OK, stop posting and start copying poo poo off that disk, important stuff first. Your porn can wait.

Moved everything off this morning. Sounds like that was a good idea! Looks like I'm off to the fruit stand. Glad I extended my AppleCare.

Legdiian
Jul 14, 2004

Digital_Jesus posted:

Then this changed from the last time I thought about returning something. The guys at the fruit stand specifically told me 14 Days Full Refund on non-opened laptops, opened product was exchange or a 10%-15% restock fee.

Maybe they don't do that anymore.

http://store.apple.com/us/help/returns_refund

Looks like a return within 14 days will get you a full refund.

Legdiian
Jul 14, 2004

hamza posted:

I also remember a restocking fee on opened items. From the returns page linked above,

"If you are not fully satisfied with your iPhone purchase, you can return your undamaged iPhone to the Apple Online Store (1-800-MY-APPLE), or to a U.S. Apple Store, within 30 calendar days from shipment for a full refund. If you return your iPhone within 30 calendar days from shipment, you will not be charged a restocking fee. Your iPhone must be returned in the original packaging, including any accessories, manuals, and documentation. For more details, refer to iPhone Help page."

It's the only place a restocking fee is mentioned but definitely alludes to the fact that one exists in some cases.

Yeah, if you return it without the original packaging, or after 30 days.

Legdiian
Jul 14, 2004

Qaz Kwaz posted:

It's not that--it's for a separate site entirely, zoosk.com, which I've never been to, let alone heard of. Considering this is the only purchase I've made with this card in the past 6 months AND I physically told the CC info to the CS rep, what other explanation could there be?

What phone number did you call? It would be funny if someone bought an 800 number that was 1 digit off, and they have just been waiting for someone to fat finger the Apple number.

But seriously, you think Apple is selling your credit card number? Or maybe your phone line is tapped... :tinfoil:

Legdiian
Jul 14, 2004

Bob Morales posted:

I replaced the busted rear end WD Green 2TB drive in that 27" iMac a few minutes ago. The girl who uses it says "This is the slowest computer I've ever had"

Hopefully the new 3GB 7200RPM drive helps a little.

Now she is going to be complaining about storage space.

Legdiian
Jul 14, 2004

binarysmurf posted:

Hi people,

I'm planning to pick up a new 27" iMac (assuming they do a 2012 refresh!), and I was wondering what the best spec would be. Usage will be general web surfing and iTunes etc, but I also plan to do some OS X and iPhone development via XCode. Running games like Diablo III and Baldurs Gate EE will be on my to-do list as well.

My initial thoughts for a spec were 3.1 Ghz i5/8GB/1TB HDD/2GB video, but given the fact that there's been a bit of a delay with the refresh I can afford the i7 and the SSD upgrade.

Would XCode/development use be better with the i7 and SSD? Would 16GB RAM be a better option?

Input appreciated. :)

- BS

I don't know the specs on the 2012 iMacs that have not been announced yet. Also, don't sign your posts.

Legdiian
Jul 14, 2004

Bimmi posted:

Question for iMac owners:

I have a 27" 2010 which, over the course of six months or so, developed a noticeable discoloration or stain on the display. Dark, squiggly thing, almost like water-damaged paper, came and went depending on the general temperature of the machine at first but eventually became permanent. Apple replaced the screen a couple of months ago, but as of last week the problem has resurfaced.

Has anyone else had this problem? I'm wondering if it's even fixable.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2300580?start=0&tstart=0

My Late 2009 27" has the same problem. I should probably get the screen replaced before my Apple Care runs out. I had the DVD drive replaced about 9 months after I bought it and as soon as I got it home and booted it up I noticed the dark spots on the screen.

As you can see by the 56 pages worth of posts on Apple's site, it is a very common problem.

Legdiian
Jul 14, 2004

Choadmaster posted:

3 unsuccessful hardware repairs and they give you a new computer. One would assume your weird nobody's-heard-of-it-before splotch probably won't rear it's head again on a completely different piece of hardware.

This is a common problem and if you are to believe the people complaining in that thread, it will happen again even after the LCD is replaced.

Legdiian fucked around with this message at 01:19 on Aug 28, 2012

Legdiian
Jul 14, 2004

Butt Savage posted:

Does the dust in the screen issue occur with the external displays as well, or is it limited to the iMacs because the fans might be blowing poo poo where it isn't supposed to go?

From what I understand, the issues aren't really dust/dirt (although it looks like it). The problem seems to be heat related. That being said I don't think the external displays suffer the same issues because they don't have a computer cooking them.

Legdiian
Jul 14, 2004
I really wanted a new iMac.

Legdiian
Jul 14, 2004

Mu Zeta posted:

I don't understand why they don't just make all the ports USB3. Are they saving money?

I was under the impression that a yellow USB port indicates a "sleep and charge" port. Meaning that it still provides power when then computer is sleeping (or off if you change a setting in the BIOS). Is it possible that all 3 ports are USB and only one is sleep and charge?

Edit : No it looks like there is a mix of 2.0 and 3.0 on most of the Lenovo's...

Legdiian fucked around with this message at 14:02 on Sep 19, 2012

Legdiian
Jul 14, 2004

kuskus posted:

I think this is going to be one of those questions where I ask it, I find no solution, and then I abandon the hardware completely after exerting all kinds of energy trying to fix it.

Does anyone use 27" iMac 2011 graphics such as the Radeon 6970M 1GB and, at first, experience beautiful, full-resolution graphics at maximum res in games (Borderlands 2, TF2) and then after about 90 seconds, the frame rate gets cut in about half? I'm sure this is a "I'm warm, so I'm clocking down now" optimization, but I'm so peeved. The fans do not start up any more than normal (barely above silent), I just get half the performance after 2 minutes. Windows 7 under Bootcamp delivers the same results. I want to use this card with reckless abandon but it doesn't seem possible.

I guess I could just leave fan control on high and give it another shot, but that's only possible under OS X I'm guessing.

TL;DR- wah, I'm a lil' baby that can't play games on my iMac.

You can control the fans in Windows.

Legdiian
Jul 14, 2004

CombatMedic posted:

I'm about to make "the switch" from PCs to a rMBP this week.

I'm planning on doing some (light) gaming on it at some point. Minecraft, Guild Wars 2, TF2. Eventually probably doing a boot camp install.

I like the look of the Magic Mouse. Is it suitable for games, or should I buy a traditional bluetooth with separate buttons for games?

If so, what are some recommendations for Mice to use with a Mac?
You can't left and right click at the same time with the MM. If you play games that require that, you will need a new mouse.

Legdiian
Jul 14, 2004

Cameron posted:

Is this old news? My iPhone 4 shocks me when I plug it in. It's just a slight tingling sensation, and it's only on the bottom right and left corners or the phone. Weird!

Mine is always in a case so I have never been shocked, but yeah I guess it's a thing.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4013128?start=0&tstart=0

Legdiian
Jul 14, 2004

Housh posted:

gently caress! Anyone else just get the email that your iMac's seagate hdd is being recalled?

I wonder if I can get them to install a bigger hard drive or even a Fusion in my iMac and I pay the difference? Any geniuses with the skinny on this situation?

http://www.apple.com/ca/support/imac-harddrive/?cid=CDM-CAEN-DM-P0013590-192397&cp=em-P0013590-192434&sr=em

I got my email a day or so ago, but about 6 months too late. Already replaced under Apple Care (Late 2009 27").

Legdiian
Jul 14, 2004

kuskus posted:

Local AASP Onyx refuses to perform the drive recall swap since my iMac's "modified", but did offer a free helping of condescension. I had forgotten what non-Apple tech support was like.

Out of curiosity, what is modified? SSD in place of the Super Drive or something?

Legdiian
Jul 14, 2004

Stick100 posted:

Well Amazon told me to pound sand does anyone know what is wrong or how I go about fixing it? It's just slightly out of the one year and I didn't buy applecare. Sometimes a real image will display in the bottom 1/3 of the screen and when I plug in an external monitor it works fine so the video card is still working. Did amazon break the connection between the video card and the screen or is the screen now bad?

Was there insurance on the shipment?

Legdiian
Jul 14, 2004

Daric posted:

Does anyone here use a Mac Mini for a media center? I have a giant desktop I built a few years ago. It was my only computer until i got a Macbook Pro in June. Now I just use to as a media center for the house. I'm thinking about switching it out with the Mac Mini because it'll take up way less room and be compatible with my Pro.

Anyone else doing this? It seems like a good idea on paper.

I have a Mac Mini which I use as a media center for the last couple years and I love it. It's running SABnzbd+/Sick Beard behind the scenes and XBMC as the front end. Setup properly, it's just as easy to use as an Apple TV and much more powerful.

Legdiian
Jul 14, 2004
So I currently have a Late 2009 iMac. I have an opportunity to pick up a 2008 Mac Pro and 30 Cinema HD display for what I think is a steal.

Overall, I've been happy with my iMac, but it is starting to struggle with editing the latest video files I have been throwing at it from my new GoPro - 1080p60 . Is this Mac Pro an obvious upgrade or more of a sidegrade? Is upgrading the Mac Pro feasible?

Edit - I forgot to mention the Mac Pro is the 3GHz and has two of the 7300GT video cards. I assume that is only to drive extra displays and has no performance benefit?

VVVVV Well that was strange timing!

Legdiian fucked around with this message at 00:17 on Dec 12, 2012

Legdiian
Jul 14, 2004

decypher posted:

On the surface, they're probably pretty comparable. The memory in the iMac is slightly faster, I think, for one plus to it.

Take a look at these Geekbench scores:

http://browser.primatelabs.com/geekbench2/218416 - Notice he's running an old 32-bit of Geekbench, so the score might be a little higher with the 64-bit client.

http://browser.primatelabs.com/geekbench2/1393741 - But still the iMac scores pretty similarly.

Hmmm I think the Mac Pro in that test is an 8 core system and I think the one I'm looking at is a 4 core. If that's the case maybe I shouldn't even bother.

Legdiian
Jul 14, 2004

Electric Bugaloo posted:

Probably not. Given that your iMac is from 2009, I imagine that it's probably got a Core 2 Duo in it. Why don't you save the money you were gonna spend on the old Mac Pro, sell the old iMac, and put all of the money toward one of the new models? Heck, even the quad-core 2011s scream compared to the '09. Either one should have no trouble making mincemeat of your editing jobs.

Is there anything I can do to squeeze some life out of that 2008? I could get it for $500 INCLUDING the display. I dunno that just seems super cheap to me. Even if I had to put in an SSD or something.

Legdiian
Jul 14, 2004

Binary Badger posted:

Well, the 8-core Mac Pro has 4 drive bays with SATA II for you to RAID up, or you could get a nice RAID card and an array and beef up your throughput that way.


If it's the 3 GHz and appears as MacPro2,1 in its About This Mac > More Info screen, it's got to be the 8-core model, which should give you more CPU power than your iMac, depending on what apps you're using and whether they are written to take advantage of multiple cores. Eight Xeon cores running at 3 GHz beats a Core 2 Duo running at 3 GHz, I think?

The 7300GT cards are bottom of the barrel, they barely qualify as graphics accelerators, they are like PCI card versions of the Intel GMA 950s, only not quite as bad but close. You'd be better off with Apple's Radeon HD 5770s, which WILL work in this model ($250 and still sold by Apple in their online store) and are compatible with Final Cut X and most other apps that use Core Graphics.

Only real caveat to the 8-core MacPro is that it won't run anything past regular Lion, OS X 10.7.5. But your 2009 iMac can run Mountain Lion if you need it.


Sure was, wasn't it?

So It's definitely a 4 core system. Shows up as a MacPro1,1. Looks like it was upgraded to 6 GB of ram. Here is a dumb question about upgrading the video card. If I'm only going to have one display, is there a benefit to purchasing the two cards? I'm guessing maybe one of them can do graphics calculations while the other one displays them? I only ask because it looks like you can buy single cards on eBay.

Legdiian
Jul 14, 2004

Binary Badger posted:

I'd have to agree, especially if you get the new 27-inch iMac with the top graphic option, the 680MX Kepler-class chip; it'll have 2 GB of VRAM so you could hook up a 30-inch display in addition to the built-in one.

Also, the new iMac will have a quad-core CPU at 3.4 GHz, 4 USB 3.0 ports, two Thunderbolt ports (both of which can be used as monitor ports), and internally you can have two drives hooked up to SATA 6.0 Gbps ports, one of which can be preconfigured as a SSD drive for fast boot and a standard 3.5 mechanical hard drive for the mass storage part.

I would love that iMac, but with the CPU/Graphics upgrade I'm looking at $2400 with a 7200rpm drive. Maybe I'm not using the configure page correctly, but I can't figure out how to specify a second hard drive. It seems like you have 3 choices. A 7200 rpm drive, the Fusion drive or a giant 768GB flash drive for a whopping $1300 dollars! Am I missing something?

Thanks for the input guys I appreciate it.

Legdiian
Jul 14, 2004
If I did a $300 CPU upgrade to my $500 Mac Pro, wouldn't I be looking at something like this?

http://browser.primatelabs.com/geekbench2/1394471

That seems like tremendous bang for the buck.

This video makes it seem fairly painless. I'm just trying to find a way to keep my iMac for my girlfriend and not have to shell out ~$2000 on another system. I'm having a hard time finding another Mac (even refurbished/used) that can get me those numbers for that cost ($800). Should I not be so focused on these benchmark numbers?

Legdiian
Jul 14, 2004
Sorry I was mistakenly calling it a 2008 because it was sold until 2008 (January 7th I guess :( ) So yeah I'm just asking for a headache.

I purchased my 2009 iMac with 0% financing with the Bar Clay Card. After I paid it off, I never used it so I received a notice about a year later that they were closing the account. Has anyone had any experience with the Bar Clay card in regards to multiple 0% purchases? I'm guessing I can just reapply and get approved again?

Am I correct in my understanding that the new iMacs only allow a single drive? I'm guessing the fusion drive is the way to go? There is no way I can pay $1300 for a pure flash drive.

Legdiian
Jul 14, 2004

japtor posted:

The current $799 Mac mini benches faster than that. Granted you'd be stuck with the integrated GPU but considering how old/crappy those 7300s are it might not be a big deal, main thing* with Mac minis is to stick in a SSD and bump the RAM 8-16GB.

*ok well, that's basically the only thing you can do to them, besides adding a second drive.

Hmm that is an interesting suggestion. Can I use my late 2009 iMac as a display? I assume upgrading the memory and SSD after purchase is the way to go?

Legdiian
Jul 14, 2004
Is it true the memory in the 21" iMac is not user replaceable and the 27" is?

Legdiian
Jul 14, 2004

Bob Morales posted:

The 21" memory is replaceable, you just have to get the case off.



http://arstechnica.com/apple/2012/12/autopsy-shows-27-imac-is-positively-austere-on-the-inside/

OWC is including foam sticky tape with their RAM upgrade to put it back together.

http://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/1600DDR3I16P/

Thanks, I know not many people have received their 27" yet, but it's sounding like it has a way to upgrade the ram without removing the screen?

Legdiian
Jul 14, 2004

ShadeofBlue posted:

That picture is from the 2009 iMac teardown...

I can't find a teardown of the new one, usually the teardowns don't show up until the computers are actually shipping.
They shipped this week and people have been receiving them. I would expect a tear down in the next few days.

Legdiian
Jul 14, 2004

keevo posted:

Nah, just a lot of money and too many laptops.

Does she have so much money that she doesn't care that you're flipping it for profit? Not that I'm the morality police or anything but that's a lovely thing to do. I gave a co-worker a smokin' deal on a 50" plasma a few years back and he flipped it on me. It's not nice.

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Legdiian
Jul 14, 2004
Any success stories on getting a new 27 iMac? I just pulled the trigger on one and this is going to be the longest 3 to 4 weeks of my life :(

I assume the timeframe on the website is pretty accurate?

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