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You "can" swap out parts and repair iMacs, it is just not something one does casually. You need tools, instructions, skills and will-power. The thing is most p

You "can" swap out parts and repair iMacs, it is just not something one does casually. You need tools, instructions, skills and will-power. The thing is most people, even pros, don't bother with that stuff even when they have Dell boxes. Apple knows that and, I think, trades off ease-of-repair for sleekness and mostly wins out (until recently). AFAIK, there is no "screen mode" that enables one to use these things as monitors.

gambiting 9y ago
The iMac is actually stupidly easy to open, I had to replace a fan on one recently - got the fan on ebay for very cheap, then used a plastic guitar pick to get the glass off the screen(it's held by magnets so you need to wedge something between the glass and the case to separate them) - then used a normal screwdriver to release the 8 or so screws holding the display itself and voila, the whole thing was open and easy to work with. It looks scary but actually it was super easy to repair.
- mceachen 9y ago
  It used to be sensibly designed and just need a screwdriver, but look at the latest iFixit teardown. You have to pizza-slice through screen adhesive to crack it open now, and have a replacement custom cut seal to pack it back together. https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/iMac+Intel+21.5-Inch+Retina+4K+Display+2017+Teardown/92170 https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/iMac+Intel+21.5-Inch+Retina+...
flamtap 9y ago
Yeah, as much as I like tinkering on my own machine, if someone has a machine go down at work, or gets approved for an upgrade, etc., tech support gets a call and they come drop a new box on our desk. Not enough time in the day for us to make it more complicated than that.
gnicholas 9y ago
> * AFAIK, there is no "screen mode" that enables one to use these things as monitors.* You actually can! It's called Target Display mode: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204592 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204592
- akvadrako 9y ago
  Not for the iMac Pro.
  - gnicholas 9y ago
    Very interesting – is this documented by Apple? Can’t imagine why they’d disallow this, though of course an iMac pro would be a very expensive external monitor....
    - dharma1 9y ago
      "iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014) and later iMac models can't be used as Target Display Mode displays." From the page you linked. It hasn't been possible with new iMac models since 2014. I'd expect the Pro to be the same. Personally I would love it if tablets and new iMacs had video input to enable use as external monitors but unfortunately not
      - gnicholas 9y ago
        Wow, totally blew it on that one. Sorry! Like you, I wish this were still available on newer iMacs. I wonder why this useful feature was so short-lived.

gambiting 9y ago

The iMac is actually stupidly easy to open, I had to replace a fan on one recently - got the fan on ebay for very cheap, then used a plastic guitar pick to get the glass off the screen(it's held by magnets so you need to wedge something between the glass and the case to separate them) - then used a normal screwdriver to release the 8 or so screws holding the display itself and voila, the whole thing was open and easy to work with. It looks scary but actually it was super easy to repair.

mceachen 9y ago
It used to be sensibly designed and just need a screwdriver, but look at the latest iFixit teardown. You have to pizza-slice through screen adhesive to crack it open now, and have a replacement custom cut seal to pack it back together. https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/iMac+Intel+21.5-Inch+Retina+4K+Display+2017+Teardown/92170 https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/iMac+Intel+21.5-Inch+Retina+...

flamtap 9y ago

Yeah, as much as I like tinkering on my own machine, if someone has a machine go down at work, or gets approved for an upgrade, etc., tech support gets a call and they come drop a new box on our desk. Not enough time in the day for us to make it more complicated than that.

gnicholas 9y ago

> * AFAIK, there is no "screen mode" that enables one to use these things as monitors.* You actually can! It's called Target Display mode: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204592 https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204592

akvadrako 9y ago
Not for the iMac Pro.
- gnicholas 9y ago
  Very interesting – is this documented by Apple? Can’t imagine why they’d disallow this, though of course an iMac pro would be a very expensive external monitor....
  - dharma1 9y ago
    "iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014) and later iMac models can't be used as Target Display Mode displays." From the page you linked. It hasn't been possible with new iMac models since 2014. I'd expect the Pro to be the same. Personally I would love it if tablets and new iMacs had video input to enable use as external monitors but unfortunately not
    - gnicholas 9y ago
      Wow, totally blew it on that one. Sorry! Like you, I wish this were still available on newer iMacs. I wonder why this useful feature was so short-lived.