Any iMac made prior to 2012 did not have USB-3. The 2016 model year introduced the Thunderbolt 3, which allows for connection speeds of up to 40 gigabits per seconds (gbps).Īs far as connection speeds go, that is pretty darned fast. It isn’t that older iMac models are bad, but they do lack some of the finesse Apple has applied to more recent releases. What model year is particularly the best when it comes to gently used iMacs?Īre older models worth buying? Read on to learn which used iMac is the crème de la crème. Any Apple model five years old or older is considered “vintage” by Apple and doesn’t qualify for service repairs from the company.Īfter that, it’s just a matter of finding a model that has the features you’re looking for within your budget. When shopping for a used iMac, it’s important to buy one that is not more than 5 years old, and newer is typically better. Let’s take a look at whether a used iMac is worth buying and, if so, what is the best second-hand iMac to buy. What about now? Are gently-used iMacs worth purchasing? Selling new for about $1,299, these machines don’t come cheap.Įven a used model can run you hundreds of bucks. IMacs were great machines for students and people who just wanted to connect to the Internet in an efficient way. The OG iMac came with a 4 Mbps IrDA port and an internal 56Kpbs modem.Īlso, it used two 12 Mbps Universal Serial Ports (USB), which were the machine’s only source of external expansion.Ī freshly designed mouse and keyboard were included in this original setup. The iMac has continually targeted the lower end of the consumer market, and the translucent plastic-colored body options made the iMac attractive to the younger crowd. It came out at a time when Steve Jobs was pressing for consumer satisfaction.Īccording to Jobs, the iMac was designed for people to be able to get onto the Internet, “simple and fast.” And it ran amazingly well… until it got taken out by a random lightning strike two years later.Īnyway, my point here is that iMacs have a long history. I was amazed by how cool that machine looked, but setting it up was a total hassle. Knowing nothing about computers, my friend called me over to help her set it up. My friend’s mother bought her a brand-new, vivid orange model. I remember when the iMac made its debut in 1998.

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