Customer Reviews on Amazon.com

1. By Ben on Amazon.com 8 April, 2013

   Don't bother

   The Order seemed fishy at first for the price but i called amazon and the assured me if it was not correct they would make it right. So I ordered this item thinking I could save some money. I contacted Jared Parker and he assured me the item was in almost new condition and the price was because of the lack of the original apple keyboard. When the box came in the mail is when all the trouble started , it was in an over sized box I opened the package and the computer was facing screen down with no padding underneath with a an un-sufficient amount of news paper as packing filler. The mouse and keyboard were fine but the machine was not the 21.5 I5 Apple I-mac I thought i was getting. I paid for a computer that was a dirty beat up 20 inch with a 2.4 dual core. The Item didn't look new it looked very used , and the worst thing was I saw the machine i got in the box on e-bay for 450 bucks and I over paid almost double what it was worth.
2. By MediaParade on Amazon.com 20 February, 2013

   This is very DI$TURBING!!!!!

   After 6 months I Am experiencing very disturbing issues with this computer. The fan is Extremely. Loud and wheezing!!!!! I can't exchange it because I'm passed the 30 days. So I'm just stuck with a noisy computer and an $1200 Bill!!!!!!!!! That bites. I've always had Apple laps & desktops (used) and NEVER any serious problems. It is not until I spring for a new one (and in this economy) I got a raw deal! I am ill with disgust.
3. 1 of 2 people found this review helpful

   By Asteroid74 on Amazon.com 28 September, 2012

   Terrible mistake.

   At first I was happy with this Apple computer. Switching over from Windows to Apple was not easy for me as I am certainly not tech-savvy. I also bought the protection care program so that i was able to ask for assistance when I needed it. Well some assistance I got! The main reason why I bought this was because I love to upload videos on Y/T and I was told to get an Apple for that. I was slowly learning my IMovie when I discovered that a function that allows me to put a picture on picture for video effect is not working. When I called for Apple protection care assistance I was told by ANTHONY number 877-388-0879 # 38434 that the problem I have is a software issue and they can not fix it. I just have to put up with it! Can you believe that? I paid all this money and my Apple IMac movie is not working properly and I just have to put up with it. ANTHONY said: "Yeah, some of our IMac's don't have this problem some of them do. You could upgrade to Mountain Lion (bad idea btw Moutain Lion has horrific reviews and only upgrades my IMessaging which I never do) or I should look into Final Cut Pro that is $300??????? ARE THEY KIDDING ME? This purchase was a horrible mistake and I can not wait to save money and buy Windows again. This will take a long time as buying a computer is no joke. But then again what does ANTHONY/APPLE care about? They already have my hard earned money. Do yourself a favor and go buy a Windows 8 computer. Not this crap.
4. 0 of 1 people found this review helpful

   By Alan Dale Daniel on Amazon.com 2 December, 2012

   Machine is Ok, Support , keyboard, and Programs Poor

   I have previously reviewed and 5 stared my Apple laptop, a review I will be updating to reflect my opinions in this review.
   
   My most significant complaint is the exceptionally poor customer service. Even a slight problem can result in infuriating hassles trying to reach Apple or otherwise solve the glitches on line. APPLE GOES TO GREAT LENGTHS TO PREVENT YOU FROM REACHING A HUMAN. Worse, the on line "solutions" are ridiculous, failing to solve even the most common problems. My closest Apple store is in Reno, Nevada about 50 miles away; however, you cannot reach a person at the store by phone. You only get a recording giving directions to the store. This is a specialized Apple Store, not a secondary retailer like Best Buy. Another complete block to human contact.
   
   The machine itself runs decently, has few virus problems, and the display is very good. However, it DOES suffer from slowdowns over time. When I first bought my Apple laptop it came on and ran instantly - and I mean instantly. Now it takes up to a minute or more to start up. I am having a similar experience with this desktop machine, although the start up was never close to instant.
   
   Why it is running slower and slower is hard to say. Virus scans and multiple runs of Apple Disk Doctor and disk verifications here at home turn up nothing. I have also erased data on and highly restricted access to Flash programs, among other things. I have updated the operating system with each new release. The hard drives on my machines are less than 10 percent full - 42 gigs used out of 500 - and I have 4 gigs of RAM on the desktop. I can only report that the performance of these machines deteriorates significantly over time.
   
   The mere fact that Apple blocks access to human beings is enough to downgrade my rating significantly. The real problem is the people running Apple, they simply have no customer awareness. In addition, the free support for their machine is short and I have found the owners of the local Apple stores an unforgiving lot.
   
   The next problem is the availability of programs, and the functioning of programs that are offered. The number of excellent programs available for PC platforms is amazing. They dwarf the number of programs existing for Apple. This especially true in games. The number of first-rate games obtainable for the PC platform is at least double the availability for Apple. In addition, many of the programs that are available for Apple from outside vendors run poorly. One example of this is the Dragon program, which runs very poorly on Apple but very well on PC platforms. There are literally dozens of other examples. Read the software reviews here on Amazon.
   
   Another complaint is the worthless Apple keyboard. I have arthritis and using the supplied keyboard is difficult to use. Aftermarket keyboards are better; however, Apple has several specialized keys not duplicated on aftermarket keyboards. These same keyboards, although excellent in design, exhibit odd anomalies commonly associated with all aftermarket non-Apple products.
   
   In short, after years of experience with an Apple laptop and desktop, I cannot recommend Apple. The actual computer itself, and the display, are above standard, and at the price charged they should be; however, everything else is below acceptable standards. For all the virus problems with PC machines, and the necessity to "clear out" the junk accumulating within the programs over time, the PCs run just as fast, cost much less money to buy, have far far more programs available for them, run after market add-ons like keyboards, game controllers, et al, without a glitch, and new programs, products, and games coming out are all written for the PC Platform, not the Apple.
   
   And yes I have read all the glowing reviews. I wrote one of them myself after owning the laptop for about six months and I was dumb enough to buy a desktop about a year later; however, time has changed my mind. I am buying my wife a new computer for Christmas, and it will be a PC based platform. She has used PCs for years, and even after my glowing reviews of Apple and my second purchase she would not abandon her old old PC. Guess what? She was right. For all its "problems" the PC platform, and the companies selling the PC platform, have a strong customer orientation that Apple does not have. If you want a company to put YOU first and a machine that runs everything out there, buy a PC based computer platform. Many are available here on Amazon.
   
   AD2
5. 18 of 47 people found this review helpful

   By Ron Mansfield on Amazon.com 19 June, 2012

   Windows Users. Read this. I REALLY wanted to like it but ...

   Okay,
   
   Back it goes.
   
   First, I am not a novice. I LOVE computers and and have written 30+ computer books, including one of the first-ever about a Mac application.
   
   Work has required that I be a Windows user for several decades.
   
   Finally out from under that requirement, I wanted to get back to simple, reliable, consistant, stylish computing. BOY was I disappointed.
   Here are just a few of many, many "for instances."
   
   Out of the box it won't use your external Windows NTFS hard drives. Yes, there third party patches being SOLD for this. Be careful which one you BUY. Many of the "popular" ones are no longer being supported. Or you can take Apple's advice and reformat your drives... Oh. You wanted to USE the stuff on those drives? Bummer.
   
   It takes forever to boot. (And won't boot at all if it doesn't like one of your USB devices.)
   
   Want to change the speed at which you mouse scoots across the screen? Sorry charlie. No Control Panel setting for that. You can BUY third party software or:
   
   In Terminal, type:
   
   defaults write -globalDomain com.apple.mouse.scaling -float 12.0
   
   ...then logout/restart. You can replace 12.0 with the value of your liking; higher number = higher speed. The slider in System Preferences maxes at 3.0, I believe.
   
   (Sounds like one of those Apple commercials making fun of Windows machines, huh?)
   
   I installed MS Office, and several other apps. Next time I booted the iMac it wanted to update the OS, which it did.
   Dead. Hung. Useless. Four restarts later it worked. Well, kinda. All the software I installed disappeared. Guess it reverted to a factory image or sumthin'.
   
   Oft times when I awaken my sleeping mac or restart it the screen is filled with windows I'v never opened -- blank Excel worksheets, etc. Ten or twenty clicks on the (left) corners of all those windows, and I can do what I came for.
   
   iMovie is the most convoluted, inconvenient video editing application I have ever see, and I have used A LOT of video editing software. Oh. Almost forgot. Want to use any Windows video footage? Android phone footage? (all together now) -- you can BUY some third party carp for that and add an extra, painfully slow 'nuther step before you can get to doing what you want to do.
   
   No worries, tho. You can always buy Final Cut for $600 - $1k -- a little less if you go for one of the earlier versions. But be careful, most won't work with the new OS.
   
   So, back it goes to Amazon. Oh wait. Think I'll uninstall MS Office first.
   
   Huh? No uninstall button? [Web search ensues]
   
   Ahh. Here's how:
   
   IMPORTANT The location of certain files are different if you have Service Pack 2 (SP2) installed. To check if it is installed, open Word, and then click About Word from the Word menu. If the version number is 14.2.0 or above, you have Service Pack 2 and you should follow the Service Pack 2 steps when provided in this article.
   
   Back to the top
   
   Step 1: Quit all applications
   To quit active applications, follow these steps:
   On the Apple menu, click Force Quit.
   Select an application in the "Force Quit Applications" window.
   Note You cannot quit Finder.
   Click Force Quit.
   
   Repeat the previous steps until you quit all active applications.
   Warning When an application is force quit, any unsaved changes to open documents are not saved.
   Back to the top
   
   Step 2: Remove the Microsoft Office 2011 folder
   On the Go menu, click Applications.
   Drag the Microsoft Office 2011 folder to the Trash.
   Back to the top
   
   Step 3: Remove Office preferences
   Warning Removing preferences will delete any customizations that were made. These customizations include changes to toolbars, custom dictionaries, and keyboard shortcuts that were created.
   
   To remove "com.microsoft" files, follow these steps:
   On the Go menu, click Home.
   Open Library.
   Note The Library folder is hidden in Mac OS X Lion. To display this folder, hold down the OPTION key while you click the Go menu.
   
   Open Preferences.
   Arrange files and folders in alphabetical order.
   Drag all files that begin with "com.microsoft" to the Trash.
   To remove the Office 2011 folder, follow these steps:
   On the Go menu, click Home.
   Open Library.
   Note The Library folder is hidden in Mac OS X Lion. To display this folder, hold down the OPTION key while you click the Go menu.
   
   Open Preferences, and then open Microsoft.
   Note If you have Service Pack 2 installed, open Application Support instead of Preferences.
   
   Drag the Office 2011 folder to the Trash.
   
   To remove com.microsoft.office.licensing.helper.plist, follow these steps:
   On the Go menu, click Computer.
   Double-click your hard disk icon. The default name will be Macintosh HD.
   Open Library, and then open LaunchDaemons.
   Drag com.microsoft.office.licensing.helper.plist to the Trash.
   To remove com.microsoft.office.licensing.helper, follow these steps:
   On the Go menu, click Computer.
   Double-click your hard disk icon. The default name will be Macintosh HD.
   Open Library, and then open PrivilegedHelperTools.
   Drag com.microsoft.office.licensing.helper to the Trash.
   Back to the top
   
   Step 4: Remove the license file
   On the Go menu, click Computer.
   Double-click your hard disk icon. The default name will be Macintosh HD.
   Open Library, and then open Preferences.
   Drag com.microsoft.office.licensing.plist to the Trash.
   Back to the top
   
   Step 5: Remove /Library/Application Support/Microsoft/
   On the Go menu, click Computer.
   Double-click your hard disk icon. The default name will be Macintosh HD.
   Open Library, and then open Application Support.
   Drag the Microsoft folder to the Trash.
   Warning If the Microsoft Silverlight plug-in is installed on the computer, you may have to reinstall it after removing this folder. Click here to reinstall Microsoft Silverlight.
   Back to the top
   
   Step 6: Remove receipts
   On the Go menu, click Computer.
   Double-click your hard disk icon. The default name will be Macintosh HD.
   Open Library, and then open Receipts.
   Drag all files that begin with "Office2011_" to the Trash.
   Note These files are not always found on the computer.
   
   If you have MAC OS X Snow Leopard (10.6) or Lion (10.7), continue with these steps:
   On the Go menu, click Go to Folder.
   Type this text in the Go to folder box, and then click Go:
   /private/var/db/receipts
   
   Arrange files and folders in alphabetical order.
   Drag all files that begin with "com.microsoft.office" to the Trash.
   Back to the top
   
   Step 7: Remove /Users/username/Library/Application Support/Microsoft/Office/
   Warning This will delete any custom template files that you may have created.
   On the Go menu, click Home.
   Open Library.
   Note The Library folder is hidden in MAC OS X Lion. To display this folder, hold down the OPTION key while you click the Go menu.
   
   Open Application Support.
   Open Microsoft, and then drag the Office folder to the Trash.
   Back to the top
   Step 8: Remove the Microsoft fonts
   
   To remove the Microsoft fonts that were installed with Office for Mac 2011, follow these steps:
   On the Go menu, click Computer.
   Double-click you hard disk icon. The default name will be Macintosh HD.
   Open Library, and then open Fonts.
   Drag the Microsoft folder to the Trash.
   Back to the top
   
   Step 9: Empty the Trash
   
   Warning Make sure all files and folders in the Trash can be deleted.
   On the Finder menu, click Empty Trash.
   On the Apple menu, click Restart.
   Back to the top
   
   Step 10: Move the Microsoft User Data folder to the desktop
   
   Warning The Outlook for Mac 2011 identity information is located in /Users/username/Documents/Microsoft User Data/. If you delete this folder, you will lose all Outlook information and Citation Source Manager data. Do not remove the Microsoft User Data folder if you want to keep this data. We recommend you move the folder instead.
   
   Important If a Microsoft User Data folder is located on the desktop, rename it before you follow these steps.
   
   To move the Microsoft User Data folder, follow these steps:
   On the Go menu, click Documents.
   Drag the Microsoft User Data folder to the desktop.
   On the Apple menu, click Restart.
   Back to the top
   
   Step 11: Remove Office application icons in the dock
   To remove the Office application icons in the Dock, follow these steps:
   Hold down the CONTROL key and then click an Office application icon in the Dock such as Microsoft Word.
   Click Options, and then click Remove from Dock.
   
   Repeat the previous two steps to remove all Office application icons in the Dock.
   
   [Press the "That was Easy" button.]
   
   Thanks, but no thanks. Can't wait to right-click again.
   Nice LOOKING machine tho. ;-/
6. 13 of 37 people found this review helpful

   By Ari Kahn on Amazon.com 20 October, 2011

   Awful Lion Upgrade Experience

   I am a big Apple and Amazon fan, but I would not recommend buying this computer through Amazon.
   
   Put simply, getting the upgrade to Lion has been awful. Over the last 8 days I have submitted half a dozen emails to Apple and spent an hour on the phone with them. Amazon suggests using the automated website, which doesn't work. I submitted the receipt through what is basically an email form. Apple missed the iMac on the receipt and rejected it. Then the representative acknowledged that the machine should be eligible and suggested I re-try the automated system. When I made clear that the database doesn't have our info, the representative couldn't give me a redemption code to download it through iTunes. The person on the phone at Apple immediately recognized the problem and that the machine is eligible. Despite being very nice and spending 40 minutes on the phone with me, he too couldn't get me the upgrade. Instead I had to resubmit the paperwork through the email system and hope it's caught this time. Getting the free upgrade is not an automated process. In fact it's the farthest thing from it.
   
   The iMac is great, but if you want Lion, buy it from a reseller who can have it installed from the get go. My in-laws are new to Mac and this has not left a good impression. If you are getting a machine for new users I recommend buying elsewhere.
7. 6 of 23 people found this review helpful

   By Karl Schubert on Amazon.com 19 June, 2012

   Scratched up screen comes standard

   My iMac arrived yesterday in pristine packaging.
   
   Sadly, I can't say the same for the screen that must have been damaged by low-paid workers in China as it was being made and/or packed.
   
   The upper right area of the glossy screen has numerous deep & immediately obvious scratches. Even my 83-year-old mother with poor vision could see them without need for her glasses. That really says something when she can normally be expected to miss almost anything. The scratches are roughly six inches long.
   
   If I wanted to know who scratched it, I should have taken finger prints from the screen, as there were plenty upon it, under that protective plastic wrap that is stuck over the screen for protection in shipment. I'm not sure what the point of putting protection over the screen AFTER damnaging it is. Seems it would be more useful before such that damage would be avoided.
   
   This is totally unacceptable and I'm only giving it one star as Amazon fails to provide an option for the negative stars it so richly deserves.
   
   I have yet to hook it up to power to see what else this horrid creation might also have wrong with it. You may wish to request a non-scratched version when you buy yours.
   
   I will be sure to update you on how Amazon wishes to handle this matter. I'm not in the mood the play the ridiculous game of repacking it and sitting around for UPS guy to come & take it back while Amazon ships out a 2nd (which could potentially have the same problem). If one has a scratched up screen, I have no reason to believe that the same didn't happen to others. Though I suspect the concept of providing a price adjustment is beyond Amazon's comprehension, with them preferring to waste even more money for shipping a 2nd machine (which, if defective, will be going back as well).
   
   I'd understand this on a used computer, but we're talking about a new machine at full price.'
   
   Some I'm sure will think I'm far too picky. So be it. I expect new & costly items to be in excellent condition. Those who disagree are free to give 5 stars to garbage.
8. 6 of 25 people found this review helpful

   By James S. Kelley on Amazon.com 3 January, 2012

   Rotten apple

   A quick complaint before returning this iMac. Would not connect to the internet either ethernet or wireless. Usual on/off and unplug moves. Message "timeout". Seems to be common on the help section of the internet. For the premium price I am not going to troubleshoot. My neighbor's new windows systems connects with no trouble. So much for trouble free apple computing. There are some fixes discussed but I am too disgusted to bother. It should work out of the box. Writing this on nice reliable OS X wirelessly through the same modem.
   
   Another (later) caution with I Mac--Our vacation home has a functional imac which will not connect to I cloud. Needs software update. Currently is Leopard, Needs Lion, but cannot go directly to lion, have to update to snow leopard(charge) then Lion ( charge) and still not be at the currently new level of mountain lion. Some on disc, some on email code, none at the store. I plan to check other cloud alternatives, the computer is only 4 years old and already apple incompatible. Consider google and windows 8,they try harder.
9. 2 of 16 people found this review helpful

   By crawdaddct on Amazon.com 23 June, 2012

   Okay, but not great

   Bought an iMac. It was great for video editing and photos. However, was not compatible with my online college coursework. Gave it away and bought a PC. Everybody says you can do windows stuff on it, but I found that to be a pain.
10. 2 of 16 people found this review helpful

    By sunrae on Amazon.com 24 May, 2012

    Product does not work

    I got the computer ok, but now it does not work. It wont turn on. The apple phone support that comes with the product has expired and I have to pay for extended warranty. Not pleased.