Apple Hit With Class-Action Lawsuit Over Failing 27" iMac Displays

An Idaho man is suing Apple under California's consumer protection laws because the display on his 27-inch iMac failed 18 months after he bought it -- notably outside the twelve-month standard warranty period, reports GigaOm.

The suit, which refers to a 321-page thread on the Apple Support Community as well as a post on TechCrunch from 2009, asks for more than $5 million in class-action damages and seeks to represent every Apple customer that purchased a 27-inch iMac with an LG display before December 2012...

Read the full story here... Source: Mac Rumours

Tim Cook: We should have waited until 2013 to release new iMacs

During Apple's earnings conference call on Tuesday, CEO Tim Cook fielded an analyst's question regarding Apple's product releases during the Fall 2012 quarter and delivered a surprisingly candid answer.

Addressing the shipping delays that plagued Apple's new iMacs, Cook articulated that Apple should had waited to release its new iMac models until this year.

"I don't spend a lot of time looking back except to learn from it," Cook explained. "If we could run it over, frankly, I would have announced the iMac after the turn of the year. We felt customers had to wait too long for that specific product."

Cook explained that despite supply constraints for the iPad mini, he would not have changed its release date, because they were still able to get the device out to millions of customers.

While supply problems for new Apple products are not uncommon -- the company tends to push its contract manufacturers and component suppliers to their limits in pursuit of "insanely great" devices -- the shipment delays associated with Apple's recent iMac refresh were atypically long. Since its release in November, Apple struggled to keep up with demand.

For quite some time, shipping delays for the all-in-one desktop computerstretched for as long as three to five weeks. It wasn't until early March that Apple seemed to get a grasp on production issues, resulting in a much more reasonable shipping time of just one to three business days.

Apple is always keen on pushing the envelope in terms of manufacturing processes, and it's suspected that Apple's iMac supply issues were rooted in a new lamination process used to keep the new iMac screen as thin as possible.

[Source: TUAW]

27-inch iMacs hit Apple's refurb store

Apple introduced its new thin iMac models last year and now those beauties have landed in the company's certified refurbished outlet. As reported by Engadget and MacRumors, the refurbished 27-inch iMac is available for up to $270 off the regular retail price. The refurbished base Core i5 model sells for $1,529 and includes a 2.9 GHz Core i5 processor, 8 GB of RAM, a 1 TB HDD and a gorgeous 2,560 x 1,440 display. A 3.2 GHz Core i5 model is available for $1,699, and the Core i7 models are available starting at $1,869. Each refurbished model comes with a one-year warranty from Apple.

[Source: CNET]

THX sues Apple over speaker design on iMac, iPad, and iPhone

Audio specialist THX -- whose sound engineering is used in cinemas -- is suing Apple. It's accused the Cupertino company of infringing its patented speaker tech, claiming that the iMac, iPad and iPhone are all guilty, Apple Insider reports.

The patent in question was granted to THX back in 2008. THX also claims Apple's alleged violation has caused it "monetary damage and irreparable harm", and is looking to stop the infringement and receive compensation in royalties or damages.

So what about the tech? The patent concerns "narrow profile speaker configurations and systems" -- in other words, ways of getting decent sound out of speakers that fit in slim consumer electronics goods, like desktop all-in-ones and flatscreen TVs. Specifically, the output aperture (aka speaker duct) is more narrow than the speaker face. THX claims theiPhone 4, 4S and 5 infringe the patent, as well as various models of the iMac and iPad.

Apple owns a number of speaker patents, the most recent of which was granted just last month. Though whether they share any claims of those belonging to THX, we'll have to wait and see. The last day the two companies can confer is 14 May, with the initial case set to start on 14 June.

Patent lawsuits are ten a penny in the tech world, with the biggest one by far being Apple versus Samsung. Apple won that, taking Samsung to the bank to the tune of $1bn, though the judge has since decreed that payout be slashed by 40 per cent. Apple and Samsung are heading back to court, so it's another one to watch.

[Source: CNET]

Apple Now Shipping Slimmer iMac Models in Just 1-3 Days

Apple’s newest iMac models, which were redesigned late last year, are now shipping in just 1-3 days, according to the company’s own online store. The slimmer all-in-one previously shipped in 2-3 weeks for the 21.5-inch model, and up to a month for configurations of the larger 27-inch iMac. As 9to5Mac notes, Apple has endured a drought of iMac supplies since launch, which Time Cook admitted affected overall Q1 sales.

On the upside, any constraints seem to be behind Apple, so we’ll see how sales pan out over the next few months. If you’re looking to hop into OS X, the 21.5-inch, 2.7GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 model starts at $1,299.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]

Fusion Drive Now Available as Option for Low End 21.5" iMac

As noted by MacGeneration and in our MacRumors Forums, Apple is now allowing the entry level 21.5" iMac to be configured with a 1TB Fusion Drive. 
The Fusion Drive is a built-to-order option for the iMac and Mac mini that combines SSD and traditional hard drives into a single logical volume.

With Fusion Drive in your iMac, disk-intensive tasks — from booting up to launching apps to importing photos — are faster and more efficient. That’s because frequently used items are kept at the ready on speedy flash storage, while infrequently accessed items go to the hard drive. The file transfers take place in the background, so you won’t even notice.

The 1TB Fusion Drive add-on is a $250 option and was previously only offered on the high end 21.5" iMac, high end Mac mini and 27" iMacs.

[Source: MacRumors]

iFixit's teardown of the 21.5-inch iMac

It's December 1, 2012. The newest iteration of the 21.5-inch iMac has been out for a full day, and the staff at iFixit has already carefully disassembled one of the new all-in-one Macs to determine how repairable it is -- or isn't -- and what makes the latest iMac tick.

The first thing the iFixit team was unhappy with was the use of adhesives to attach the display assembly to the body of the computer. Rather than strong magnets, used in the previous series of iMacs, the display is basically glued on and requires a heat gun and guitar picks to remove.

The display itself sports the same model number (LG LM215WF3) as the previous 21.5-inch iMac, but strangely enough it's 5mm thinner than the older display. iFixit surmises that "Apple took all the same pieces of the LCD and crammed them into a smaller housing."

[Source: TUAW - Click here to read the full story]

Some new iMacs "Assembled in USA"?

Lost in yesterday's writeup of the iFixit 21.5-inch iMac was this small line in the description: "Interestingly, this iMac claims to have been assembled in the USA."

Sure enough, a look at the iFixit image of the back of the iMac shows the fascinating line "Designed in California. Assembled in USA". Why is that fascinating? Apple has closed all of its US production facilities, which were in places like Elk Grove and Fremont, California and Fountain, Colorado.

9to5Mac reports that some earlier generation iMacs have come in boxes printed with "Assembled in USA" on the side. In order for a product to be marked as "Made in the USA," the US Federal Trade Commission states that "A product that includes foreign components may be called 'Assembled in USA' without qualification when its principal assembly takes place in the U.S. and the assembly is substantial. For the 'assembly' claim to be valid, the product's last 'substantial transformation' also should have occurred in the U.S. That's why a 'screwdriver' assembly in the U.S. of foreign components into a final product at the end of the manufacturing process doesn't usually qualify for the 'Assembled in USA' claim."

9to5Mac's Seth Weintraub speculates that perhaps Apple is making an early manufacturing run of the new iMacs in the USA to "get the manufacturing kinks" worked out before handing the proverbial factory keys over to Foxconn.

[Source: TUAW - Click here to read the full story]

New 21.5-inch iMac gets an early teardown in Japan

We're currently putting Apple's latest "skinny" iMac through its paces here in New York, but an eager Japanese customer has already popped open the 21.5-inch desktop's case, revealing a serviceable hard drive, removable logic board and even a bit of room to spare in the tapered silver housing. There's not much in the way of details over at Kodawarisan, a scant Japanese-language site, but there are plenty of interior pics to gawk at, tiding us over until the experts at iFixit manage to dissect an iMac of their own. Head on over to the source link below for a dozen or so undressed snaps of Cupertino's latest creation.

[Source: Engadget]

New 21.5-inch iMac now available through Apple’s online store, 27-inch models ship in 2-3 weeks

The eighth-generation iMac was announced at the company’s late-October media event, where Apple Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing Phil Schiller called it, “the most beautiful iMac we have ever made.” Right on track, the 21.5-inch iMac is now available on the company’s online store and is also available across a slew of third party retail stores this afternoon. The 27-inch model will ship starting in 2-3 weeks in the US and Canada while overseas (Australia/EUare 15-19 days) you are looking at up to 20 days, making a Christmas deliveries tight.

Apple makes the 21.5-inch iMac available in two versions. The 2.7GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 model (Turbo Boost up to 3.2GHz) is available for $1,299, featuring 8GB of 1600MHz DDR3 memory, 1 TB (5400-rpm) hard drive, and a NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M graphics processor with 512MB of GDDR5 memory. The 2.9GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 model (Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz) is available for $1,499, featuring similar specs, except a 1TB (5400-rpm) hard drive that can be configured into a Fusion Drive. All models feature a 5mm edge, edge-to-edge glass, LED-backlit display with IPS technology, a FaceTime HD camera, dual mics, four USB 3 ports, two Thunderbolt ports, OS X Mountain Lion, Bluetooth 4.0, and more.

[Source: 9to5Mac]

Lavi S21i manages to KIRF the new iMac before the real one arrives

There's a growing trend of Apple KIRFs arriving well head of the devices they've been designed to imitate. While Sir Jonathan's latest desktops meander towards stores, the Windows 7 or 8-running Lavi S21i can be yours right now. The 21.5-inch machine has a 1,920 x 1,080 display, 4GB RAM and a choice of a 3.3GHz Sandy Bridge Intel Core i3 or a 2.9GHz Core i5, and your pick of a 500GB HDD or a 128GB SSD. The only real differences between this and its Californian counterpart is that the ports are tucked on the base of the display and its 4mm thicker, but it will only set you back 3,350 yuan ($540) or 3,850 yuan ($621). The only thing this KIRF is missing is the ability to fry your eggs for you in the morning, unless, you know, the manufacturers were scrimping on the safety features that day.

[Source: Engadget]

iMacs delayed until 2013?

French language website MacBidouille claims to have some bad news from its retail sources. While they were expecting to see iMacs arrive Nov. 27 (we also heard a similar time frame—with availability beginning around Black Friday) for the 21.5-inchers and later in December for the 27-inchers, both may now miss the all-important holiday shopping season.

The source blames a welding process for the delays, which would push the iMacs into 2013. The new iMacs also have a redesigned display that features a new thinner lamination process.

We first noted the delays in new iMac production in October and questioned whether the devices would be announced at the iPad mini event. Interestingly, we also heard that Apple might introduce an updated Thunderbolt Display in the not-so distant future that may be tied to the launch of the 27-inch iMac. Stay tuned for more information on that soon.

[Source: 9to5Mac]