iMac Screen dust behind the LCD

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Hi everyone,

I am heavily considering purchasing two iMacs for home use. I spent some time on the Apple website and learned that purchasing a refurbished machine is just as good as buying new. I'm pretty sure I will be buying a 21.5" and a 27" however I have some concerns after reading about the "dusty" blemishes that typically occur after approximately 4-5 months of use. :( Is anyone familiar with this problem? What I read was after a few months dust from the internal fan causes a dusty coating on the inside of the screen between the LCD and the glass. I may have the direction of the "dust" in the wrong location, but either way I'd just like to know if anyone has experienced this problem. Also, several people have stated Apple replaced the screen more than once and others said the entire machine had been replaced.

What should I do? Is this an issue with older machines only or does this still happen?

Any information would be greatly appreciated. I am attempting to transition away from PC's altogether and I took my first step with the latest generation iPad a few months ago. I also got some advice from members on this site which was quite helpful. That's why I came back. ;)

Thanks in advance,

Erica
 

chscag

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Welcome to the Mac Forums.

We've seen a few posts where the dust or dirty blemish problem has been reported. An iMac has a vent at the very bottom beneath the screen that draws cool air into the machine which is then expelled from the top vent as warm air.

Apparently, some iMacs may not have their glass front sealed tight enough to the LCD panel and dust and dirt can get in between the two layers as the air is drawn upward. This is a rare occurrence, however. My iMac (2011 21.5" has been in use daily for the past 13 months and is still as it was when I took it home from the Apple store.
 
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I wouldn't orry about it too much Erica. I have been on this Forum for a few years now and can honestly say i havnt seen someone come in with that problem. Being the internet, you will always get the people on here complaining about the wrong doing or the bad experience they have had with Apple/Apple Products. Doijg a search, yes there are some people out there that have had this problem, but in the bigger scheme of things, it really is a low % compared to the number of iMacs sold, and the ones that this has happened too are older models than what is in the Refurb Store.
With the refurb store you get the same warranty you would with a new Mac so i say go ahead and get your 21" and 27" turn them on and enjoy them. :)

To make your mind more at ease, make sure that if you are in a dusty type environment that you keep the computer area cleaner than other places in the house ;)

Hope you enjoy your new machines and be sure to pop back in and let us know how it went.

Cheers

Edit : chscag has been here longer than I so he has seen it. My bad <_>
 
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Thank you chscag. I read that some people put aircon filter material over the vents...wouldn't that lead to the machine not taking in sufficient cool air? I'm just curious about that maneuver.

I bought a used G5 last summer and I am still familiarizing with the iMac environment. Is it better to shut them down at the end of the day or leave them running constantly? I am asking this question because I saw a post today where someone said he hasn't shut his machine down since he purchased it in 2009.

Also, what is your take on purchasing a refurbished iMac from Apple versus a new one? I was thinking with the savings I could add the additional 3 year extended warranty with Apple Care and still save a few pennies.

Thanks so much for replying,

Erica
 
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I bought a used G5 last summer and I am still familiarizing with the iMac environment. Is it better to shut them down at the end of the day or leave them running constantly? I am asking this question because I saw a post today where someone said he hasn't shut his machine down since he purchased it in 2009.

I havnt shut mine down since the last update. This is common around here and the Mac OS environment, but unless your anal about power bills and the Mac using such little of it in the sleep mode then shut it down. Boot times are quick enough to want to do this

Also, what is your take on purchasing a refurbished iMac from Apple versus a new one? I was thinking with the savings I could add the additional 3 year extended warranty with Apple Care and still save a few pennies.

Thanks so much for replying,

Erica

They are basically new machines and as i posted above you get the same warranty as you do with a new Mac
 
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Thanks Tattooedmac,

I try not to let the Bob and Wendy Whiners sway my decisions but I wanted to check here first before I got depressed and figured I'd have to stay with a PC. I also didn't want to invest over $3000 on something that would end up needing to be replaced in a short period of time either.

You must have been reading my mind about getting a refurbished iMac. I saw just last night how they come with the same warranty as the new iMac. That's incredible!

Thanks again for your help. I'm looking forward to crossing over. You'd better believe I'll be back because I'm sure I'm going to need some help with the new machines. :)
 

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An iMac is designed to run very cool. I would definitely not block or filter the bottom vent in any way as that may indeed restrict the proper air flow.

As far as keeping a computer on 24/7, there are proponents and opponents.... :) You can argue either way. I personally shut my machine down when I'm going to be away from it for awhile as we get thunderstorms here in Texas that sound like WW III. I also use an uninterrupted power supply that will automatically shut down the iMac in the event of a power glitch or failure.

A refurbished machine from Apple for all practical purposes is the same as a new one and carries the same warranty. If you can save money that way, by all means do so.
 
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Sorry for the oversight. We must have been responding to one another at the same time. I always shut my computers down at night because I figured there would be less wear and tear. That's interesting that you don't shut them down.
 
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Hi again,

I'm back with another question. Now that I am comfortable with buying a refurbished iMac, thanks to everyone's responses here, I'd like to know what you all think about buying a used/refub'd 24" iMac? I am currently using this sized monitor for my PC and I LOVE this size! Why did Apple stop producing the 24's?!?

So basically I will be using this machine for everyday typical net surfing, watching movies on Netflix (well, my kids will be watching movies on Netflix), playing games (mostly hidden object games, not the fancy, fast moving, high graphics games that people play now a days), social networking and simple word processing. I've seen quite a few for sale on ebay and mac of all trades dot com. They come with at least a 90 warranty, so they can't be THAT bad right? What are your thoughts? Oh, and if I should have posted this elsewhere, please let me know. I searched for used 24" iMac's but didn't find anything close to what I am looking for.

Thanks again,

Erica
 

chscag

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I'm back with another question. Now that I am comfortable with buying a refurbished iMac, thanks to everyone's responses here, I'd like to know what you all think about buying a used/refub'd 24" iMac? I am currently using this sized monitor for my PC and I LOVE this size! Why did Apple stop producing the 24's?!?

I would stay away from a refurbished or used 24" iMac. Even when they were new, some of them had display problems. Yellowing, and other distortions were being reported. I believe Apple replaced all those under warranty and Apple care but you never know. Also the last 24" iMac to be produced was in March 2009 and were first produced as early as 2007.

A refurbished 21.5" or 27" iMac would be a wiser choice in my opinion.
 
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I would stay away from a refurbished or used 24" iMac. Even when they were new, some of them had display problems. Yellowing, and other distortions were being reported. I believe Apple replaced all those under warranty and Apple care but you never know. Also the last 24" iMac to be produced was in March 2009 and were first produced as early as 2007.

A refurbished 21.5" or 27" iMac would be a wiser choice in my opinion.

Wow, I did not know that! Perhaps that is why they are no longer on the market. Hmmm, I suppose I could go with the Mac Mini with a 24" monitor. What are your thoughts on the mini's? I am checking out the Apple site right now as well. I am trying to make a well thought out decision because my PC is acting up and my husband is growing VERY impatient with it.
 
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Wow, I did not know that! Perhaps that is why they are no longer on the market. Hmmm, I suppose I could go with the Mac Mini with a 24" monitor. What are your thoughts on the mini's? I am checking out the Apple site right now as well. I am trying to make a well thought out decision because my PC is acting up and my husband is growing VERY impatient with it.


The Mac Mini's are a great alternative. A lot of people use them aroind this forum and the latest with ML will also do Airplay mirroring so you know the processors and graphics cards are up to doing everything a iMac can. They are small and unobtrusive as well.

Good choice IMO

Cheers
 

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