Hardware Newbie with questions about purchasing an older iMac

[Harsky]

My parents have been dropping unsubtle hints about wanting an iMac but seeing the price of a brand new 2015 model kept putting them off. I keep seeing the 2011 models for sale now and again which on the second hand market is actually not too bad pricewise but I have some questions.

Since it's a 2011 model, is there any danger or any reports of hardware failure because of the age?

Would you consider the OSX operating system to be pretty much "parent proof"? They have been using Windows for over 15 years but is it a pretty much easy and simple to use without them ringing up everyday asking how do they do something?

Failing to grasp OSX, is installing Windows 7 via Bootcamp a pretty painless experience and it can deliver a familiar experience but housed in an iMac PC?

 

[DinohScene]

I've got a lappy from 2007 and it's still going nicely so an iMac from '11 should perform similar if not better then me lappy.

OS X is a really user friendly OS.
Installing applications is as easy as dragging them into the application folder.

As for the hardware failures, I honestly don't know.

 

[sarkwalvein]

I have a late 2011 iMac, pretty much the maxed out version of what they sold back then.
It works fine and very fast, but the Radeon HD6970M is kind of quite old anyways, and many games show its age, but well, iMac, not for gaming anyway.

I would list the real reasons I would go for a new one:

• 2011 models have old Bluetooth 2.1, that means also legacy mode AirDrop, and also slow bluetooth leading to horrible bitrate and audio quality when you use Bluetooth headphones.
• The old graphics hardware does not support Metal, so you are left there with OpenGL only (the Unreal Engine 4 environment is complaining of this lately)
• It only has USB2, no USB3 in there (meeeeeeeh)
• The displayport it uses is an old version, so when I connect it to my 4K TV I can only go up to 1080p (meeeeeh)
• Otherwise, it still works great.

Regarding OSX, it is the big pro of the system.
OSX is very user friendly, I like it a lot more than Windows.
Of course it takes some time to readapt when you come from Windows, but after that, one probably will prefer using it on a daily basis instead of Windows, it is just more comfortable.

 

[Harsky]

I have a late 2011 iMac, pretty much the maxed out version of what they sold back then.
It works fine and very fast, but the Radeon HD6970M is kind of quite old anyways, and many games show its age, but well, iMac, not for gaming anyway.

I would list the real reasons I would go for a new one:

• 2011 models have old Bluetooth 2.1, that means also legacy mode AirDrop, and also slow bluetooth leading to horrible bitrate and audio quality when you use Bluetooth headphones.
• The old graphics hardware does not support Metal, so you are left there with OpenGL only (the Unreal Engine 4 environment is complaining of this lately)
• It only has USB2, no USB3 in there (meeeeeeeh)
• The displayport it uses is an old version, so when I connect it to my 4K TV I can only go up to 1080p (meeeeeh)
• Otherwise, it still works great.

Thankfully my parents are the, "I only need it for email to print the receipts and also to check my bank" type. I actually was given a budget to build a custom PC for them back in 2012 but it seemed a shame that over time, I realised that I could've just put an SSD into their old PC and it would've worked out cheaper. Definately not gamers but I would like to hope that a 2011 iMac can last for another few years.

 

[RaMon90]

Thankfully my parents are the, "I only need it for email to print the receipts and also to check my bank" type. I actually was given a budget to build a custom PC for them back in 2012 but it seemed a shame that over time, I realised that I could've just put an SSD into their old PC and it would've worked out cheaper. Definately not gamers but I would like to hope that a 2011 iMac can last for another few years.

Is it worth buying old imac? What's your budget?

 

[Harsky]

Is it worth buying old imac? What's your budget?

I keep trying to say, "but your old SSD equipped PC can do that" but somehow they seem to have fallen in love with the look and the fact that everything is built into one unit compared to the black spaghetti that is the back of our computer desk. Also, for a soppy reason they helped support me while I was unemployed until I got a new job last year so I thought this was the least I could do. As for budget? £500-700 would be nice.

 

[sarkwalvein]

I keep trying to say, "but your old SSD equipped PC can do that" but somehow they seem to have fallen in love with the look and the fact that everything is built into one unit compared to the black spaghetti that is the back of our computer desk. Also, for a soppy reason they helped support me while I was unemployed until I got a new job last year so I thought this was the least I could do. As for budget? £500-700 would be nice.

Yeah, if that is what they wish for be a good son and give them the gift.
They will sure love it, and getting rid of the cable spaghetti is a great life hack.

For the tasks they want to do they will be more than fine with a 2011 iMac.

 

[RaMon90]

I keep trying to say, "but your old SSD equipped PC can do that" but somehow they seem to have fallen in love with the look and the fact that everything is built into one unit compared to the black spaghetti that is the back of our computer desk. Also, for a soppy reason they helped support me while I was unemployed until I got a new job last year so I thought this was the least I could do. As for budget? £500-700 would be nice.

Yeah the apple icon attracts many people, the design looks awesome. If they insist with imac then buy it, as for hardware you never know if there's gonna be a problem and you don't have warranty.
There are also other all-in-one desktop, maybe not with best gpu.

 

[nando]

i gave my parents a 2009 one that i swapped the hd for an ssd and they have no complaints.

we use imacs at work so i just get the decommissioned ones from the office and fix them up a bit. just upgraded my partner's mom's computer to an i7 27 inch imac for pretty much free.

be bold and contact design offices. we have a whole imac graveyard in the basement.