About the iMac Problems
Some people ordering new Apple iMacs (late 2009) have been experiencing issues such as cracked glass, flickering displays, yellow tinged screens, noisy screens, CD/DVD drives scratching discs, drive failures, etc. This site is an attempt to record and see how widespread these problems are and if there are any similarities (such as build date, shipping, etc.).
The data presented here is based on information submitted by people on this web site or taken from comments posted in Apple's Discussion boards (this is an "unscientific" survey and as such should not be considered representative of all iMacs sold). The vast majority of computers received by customers are problem free and this site is only meant to collect and present some common problems that users are experiencing.
If you recently purchased a new iMac please add your info (good experiences and bad). You can also browse the data collected so far.
Update Feb. 1
Apple has released a second firmware update for 27-inch iMac systems to address issues that may cause intermittent display flickering (the first update must be installed as well).
Update Jan. 21
The shipment times for the 27-inch iMacs have been now increased to 3 weeks.
Update Jan. 16
Added a new page detailing the issue of CD/DVD drives scratching discs, a page that shows the relative build quality for each week of production, and FAQ page. Also, several people have reported receiving e-mails or phone calls from Apple stating that their projected delivery times are being delayed by 2 weeks.
Update Jan. 12
I received a new iMac today (my third so far) and it has a very yellow screen. Some photos and notes can be viewed on the yellow tinge page.
Update Jan. 8
The shipment times for the 27-inch iMacs have been reduced to 1 week at most of the online Apple stores (although the USA store still lists the Quad i5 and Quad i7 models at 2 weeks).
Update Dec. 21
Apple has released a firmware update for ATI Radeon HD 4670 and 4850 graphics cards to address issues that may cause image corruption or the display to flicker. (Some people are reporting that their computers are still flickering after the update though.)
Update Dec. 12
Computerworld has now posted an article regarding how the issues with the new iMacs are causing Apple to delay shipments to customers. If you have any further information you'd like to share feel free to contact us or Computerworld.
Update Dec. 9
We have received several reports from Apple resellers that all shipments of 27" iMacs have been delayed by 2 weeks as Apple is in the process of replacing the graphics card. The shipment time on the Apple Store has also been changed to say "Ships 2 weeks". Some people also are reporting that they are being advised their projected ship dates are being pushed back.
It is uncertain whether this hardware issue affects all 27" iMacs and a recall will be necessary.
Recent Comments
Noisy Screen: I still love my iMac
Other issue: Screen will not turn on backlight after a Display Sleep
Yellow screen: Second replaement on i7 27" Refub
other,pixels: The retailer has been very helpful. Apple call centres are mostly unhelpful. Dust under the prespex screen
Yellow screen: Yellow screen on the back
yellow,noisy-hd: Seagate noisy crap
Other issue: The page on scratched DVDs says that "Apple considers this a user issue". However, in my case they first replaced the optical drive and then when the problem qwas not fixed, they replaced the entire machine. Sadly, the new machine has the same problem.... Read More
Yellow screen: Refusbished
Perfect (no issues): Graphics card is HD5750. 2.93GHz Quad Core i7 Assembled in the USA. All is perfect. LOVE this machine!
Yellow screen: Wont recommend to serious photographers
Other issue: People in the customer service told me "We won't repair it because this is a common issue among all iMACs". This answer is unacceptable in a product where most of its beauty is in the display. I am still fighting with Apple Customer Service to have this... Read More
Noisy fans: I have the new i5 2.8Ghz imac - once the fan starts into high speeds it never slows down. I have to reset the smc control to stop the fan from running so fast and it will usualy start back up withen a few hours. How do I fix this issue.
Noisy fans: I use the computer in a sound studio and it is a challenge to have to use it in that environment. Runs "very hot" within minutes. There is a constant audible hum. Heat from the screen...
Noisy fans: I use the computer in a sound studio and it is a challenge to have to use it in that environment. Runs "very hot" within minutes. There is a constant audible hum. Heat from the screen...
other,yellow,pixels: scratches disks