[PaulB]

This was going to be more of a lament than a request for advice, but there's one specific thing I'd like opinions on.

My beloved 27" iMac (not retina cos it's old (2012)) had died. (For the techies, the memory checks as does the disk, but the diagnostics hangs and it won't boot or install a new OS. This (from reading t'Internet) suggests the logic board which prob means repair would be £££££)

I've also got an old (2013) Macbook Pro (Retina) that has just recovered from an SSD failure (but works - I'm using it now.)

I've almost decided to get a new laptop (and possibly - maybe later) a large screen as the best of both worlds. (I don't do video editing but may want to use GarageBand etc later)

The spanner in the works was that the iMac fed my iTunes collection to the Sonos speakers and a laptop wouldn't be able to do that.

Any advice on squaring that circle would be appreciated.

TIA.

[Colonel Panic]

Maybe get a Network Attached Storage (NAS) box and put the music files on that?

[PaulB]

Maybe get a Network Attached Storage (NAS) box and put the music files on that?

Something like that was on my list of possibilities....

[Leodisflyer]

I’ve got a 2011 iMac with a failed graphics card that has been retired, not worth the cost of repair, could see if it is similar to yours for spares/merging.

Is an Apple TV worth considering? If you don’t mind paying Apple an annual fee then iTunes Match would feed your Apple TV with your existing music from the cloud and no need for local storage.

Mac mini also makes a good household PC/server.

For replacement - love my MacBook Pro to bits. Found that the 13” dipslays pretty much the same as the 15” and the retina display combined with reading/VDU glasses magnifies anyway so no point in a larger screen for mobile use. I plug it into a 4K monitor when I want a big screen.

[PaulB]

I assume that graphics and logic boards are all soldered together.... I’ve no idea what mine is any more other than it’s a 27” (pre-retina)[1] and has a 3tb drive.

Other than the RAM I can’t see a wa inside, although haven’t really looked. I may look later.

Mac Mini is a good idea, but not sure what the life of the MacMini range is.... the range hasn’t been “refreshed” for quite some time.

Paul

[1] I’d have been gutted to lose a 27” Retina display. As it is I’m not nest pleased at losing a 3Tb fusion drive!

[PaulB]

..... I’ve just looked to see what sort of screws hold this iMac together to find that the screen is GLUED to the chassis.

Apparently a hairdryer and business/credit cards are required to prise everything apart!

[stevelup]

What you really want is one of these:-

https://www.ifixit.com/Store/Tools/iMac ... F145-219-4

It's like a little pizza cutter - it just slices through the adhesive, and the hub is exactly the right size to stop you slicing through anything else. There are all sorts of antenna cables and other things near the edge that you need to be careful off. Taking one of these machines apart is not for the faint hearted.

First thing I'd do though is change the RAM - I know you've already tested it, but it's trivial to do. If your machine already has two sticks installed, try removing them each in turn and see if it makes any difference.

[PaulB]

First thing I'd do though is change the RAM - I know you've already tested it, but it's trivial to do. If your machine already has two sticks installed, try removing them each in turn and see if it makes any difference.

I haven’t changed it, but I have tried each bank in turn and reseated them all. Symptoms always same..... diagnostics fails on second stage. (after memory)

Even tried putting them in slots 3 & 4.... same result.

I’m now resigned to it being dead and am curious more than anything.... and have a bit of time on my hands!

[stevelup]

Best way in is with a very thin blade (such as a razor blade), but make sure you don't go deeper than about 8mm.

[Colonel Panic]

I’m now resigned to it being dead and am curious more than anything.... and have a bit of time on my hands!

Here's one I did earlier. Much easier to get into than the new ones (this one had a DVD drive).

Generously helped the first time by a VERY generous & knowledgeable Forumite

[GrahamB]

At some point in the near future, CP, I'll be doing that to mine in order extend its useful life by replacing the hard disk with an SSD.

I haven't really fully researched it yet, but the job seems doable if a little fiddly, although I understand there is a need to source a temperature sensor to fool the machine into thinking it still has a hard disk.

Anyone else gone through this?

[Colonel Panic]

As with much of life, the second time you open one up is way easier than the first!

AIUI, with the iMac's with a DVD drive the screen is held in place by a series of magnets; using a couple of suction cups (like https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pack-Puller-Su ... dpSrc=srch) it lifts out easily. Then just follow the relevant iFixit instructions.

I replaced an HDD with an SSD, c/w the required mounting bracket. I don't recall doing anything re: a temp sensor.

One Top Tip; when putting everything back together make darned sure the rear ports and the DVD drive go in dead straight; I didn't and it caused no end of grief until I took it all apart again !

[PaulB]

I’m now resigned to it being dead and am curious more than anything.... and have a bit of time on my hands!

Here's one I did earlier. Much easier to get into than the new ones (this one had a DVD drive).

Mine doesn’t have a DVD. I was toying with taking it in to the Apple store, but on past experience, they’ll say “the logic board is dead. A replacement will cost £x” (where x approximates to the cost of a new machine.

I guess it’s worth a try, though.

My main issue is using a NAS to store my iTunes library, and whether a SONOS will be able to,read from the library directly and not via a PC/Mac? Googling gives conflicting advice....

Alternatively, cut my losses and sub to one of the music services? (Can you download music from them, or are they “stream” only?)

[stevelup]

You can save stuff for offline listening with most of the streaming platforms.

Personally, I'd ditch the library and move to Spotify or similar...

[Colonel Panic]

+1.

I used to keep a copy of my iTunes stuff on a NAS and that worked fine for Sonos; following a rationalisation of my network stuff I took out the NAS and now just use Amazon Prime Music (I'm too tight to want to afford Spotify).