[funkmonkey]

My iMac G5 (ALS) 2.0gHz just quit on me,  It froze-up and won't come back on after I forced it to shut down.  It has been problematic for a couple of months now, and taken one trip into the shop to get diagnosed.  The result of that trip was inconclusive, and cost me a couple of hundred for basically nothing except a week and a half with no computer.

From what I have been able to find out on my own it is one of two problems, both are very common with this model.  Either the logic board is shot or it has a faulty power supply, or both.  Both problems are due to bad capacitors that went into those parts and have caused problems with about half of the iMacs produced with them on board.  Seeing as I have just put in a new HD, and some fresh RAM, part of me wants to try to save the machine.  To replace both the power supply and get the caps replaced on the logic board will run me around $400 (through apple it would be at least twice that).  Apple had a replacement program for the power supply on my machine that ended last December, so they are no longer taking responsibility for their decision to buy cheap parts on my machine.  Of course it's my luck that mine breaks down right after they close the doors to the support that they did offer (at least they took care of many folks), but I am SOL for a free replacement.  Also, any new power supply for this machine is most likely going to have the same internal parts and will breakdown eventually (my friend is on his third right now), same goes with replacing the logic board with a new one.  There is the possibility to rebuild the logic board by replacing the faulty caps (though none of mine have leaked and do not smell bad) with some upgraded ones.  This option makes it even better that it was before and running smoothly.  So basicly $400 for a machine that may or may not have powersupply issues in the near or far future.  Definitely the least expensive option, but perhaps the riskiest, and certainly the least conveniant.

I want to scrap it and get a new one, and a mac-Mini to use as a HTPC/music server, but that is way more money than I have to spend.  I can sell off the RAM to a buddy that has the same machine that I do.  And perhaps get a few bucks for the old non-working iMac so that I would break even with what I have invested in the repairs already.  I can't get both the mini and a new iMac, so it's got to be one or the other. 

The new mini has the upgraded graphics that I have been waiting for but not quite the software support for the video side (this may only be months away with the release of Snow Leapord).  The iMac would be perfectly capable of serving music to my transporter as the old one did, but I'm not a fan of the glossy screen or the increased size...  If I go with a new iMac, perhaps I can get a Snow Leapord mini in a year or so...

Other option is to have the repairs done, and get a mini in a few months, being without a computer for another couple of weeks.  I've got a blank spot in my rack that is aching for a mini, but it is by no means a nessessary addition (yet).

What do you guys think?

Fix it, and get a mini in a few months?
Or ditch it, and get a new iMac, and a mini next year?

[Tubo]

Ditch it and get a new iMac. I think you have stated the options and risks correctly. I have owned Macs since the original in 1984. That one lasted 15 years, but I have upgraded recent ones long before they expired, while keeping the old machines as backups. Good luck!

[ZLS]

    Funkymonkey, if you read over your post you will see that you already have come to a decision. 

    The key word I focus on is {AGAIN}.  You can invest more money in your existing iMac with absolutely no guarantee that it will solve the existing problem.  Perhaps your situation can best be summed up by the expression, "When the horse is dead it is time to stop beating it and just dismount" 

[jaywills]

I ran into the same type problems with my G5 desk top (dual 2.0).  Every adventure to the repair shop came in at ~$500, with no reasonable assurance that it would keep working.  Parted it out & got an Intel iMac & haven't looked back.  Check the "Clearance" section of the Apple Store (or the refurb section), some pretty good deals to be had.  Good luck.  Cordially,

[raddar]

I had the same problems with my iMac G4. Logic boards, power supplies and drives all being replaced under warranty and then again after the warranty expired. I spent way too much money repairing that iMac  and even though I have been a die hard Apple user since the first Mac- after my recent experience with unreliability, I actually bought a PC. I never thought that day would come.....

[Wind Chaser]

I also left the Mac cult a long time ago and never looked back.  My PC experience has been trouble free and very liberating at a far more sensible cost.

[funkmonkey]

Thanks for the replys.  You guys are right, as I was typing that out yesterday it became much more clear to me that I should just get a new machine.  Though not quite a fanboy, I have been on a Mac since the Apple IIe was new so thats something like 1983 or so?  I would venture a guess that that machine would still work.  I actually just saw one listed on craigslist that was still working.    My last two iMacs (first was an original blue-green iMac, then the G5) lasted only 4-5 years.  It pains me that Apple no longer builds the quality hardware that they used to, especially considering the price.  Granted, the first G5(white) iMacs were plagued more than subsequent releases, but my feeling is that a machine should run long enough for it to become completely obsolete.

My wife has a HP laptop that we got the same year as the iMac and that thing has been running trouble free ever since.  I don't have the intuative grasp of things in windows like I do on a Mac so I find it unlikely that I will switch just yet.  If this one dies a premature death though all bets are off.

Okay off to the Mac store/ or out of state reseller (w/ no salestax).

Thanks for the help guys,
Greg

[zacster]

I bought an Intel iMac when they were still new and haven't had a single problem.  This thing is pounded on all day long by my kids and after 3 years still feels like it is up to ALL tasks.  The Dell I had before it was about a year old when it became apparent it couldn't handle the software I wanted to use.  And then the viruses and adware started to render it completely useless.

[funkmonkey]

Did a little more research and seems like the 24" base model iMac gives the best bang for the buck.  Now, I wait for it to arrive.  Maybe add some RAM in the future, but I've been running on 2GB, this one come with 4GB stock.  Should keep me going for another few years, I hope. 

[cujobob]

I have the exact same IMac and you may have just let me know whats been wrong with it...been having weird performance issues for some time (its barely used now because of that)...exact same model you have.  Worked great at first...but slow as a MoFo for a while...and has plenty of RAM.


I had the first edition Macbook (after switching from being called IBooks) and it had a variety of issues...so I'd say that the QC from Apple is not what it was in the past.

The new IMacs are still relatively well priced for what you get...and the form factor is great.  Best thing about the IMac perhaps.

[jaywills]

I got a 24" iMac a couple of months back.  You're gonna love it.

[funkmonkey]

cujobob-

mine started behaving wierd, random crashes, iTunes not being able to find my music library/corrupted...  random glitched lines of pixels on display, white noise bursts when streaming music...  Safari failing to open, eventually failed start-up.  I re-installed OS at that point and it was fine for a week, then it started again.  Durring that week I scoured the net for info and it seems that these were all common problems with the last run of the PowerPC iMacs, when the cases went white just before the switch to intel.  17" ALS (ambient light sensor) being the model that I got.  I think the version that came out with the iSight used different caps, and had far less problems.

It's easy to check if it is the caps on the logic board.  Open it up and visually look for seeping caps.  If you don't see any then do the sniff test.  Shouldn't have any smell if its okay.  I learned a lot about that machine during the week before I took it in.  Just makes me angry that I was able to do a better job troubleshooting it than the guy that I paid to fix it!

jaywills- thanks for the vote of confidence