How do I tell what revision Apple hardware is?

May 12, 2006 10:11 AM

The conventional wisdom is to not buy "Rev A" Apple hardware. How can I tell what revision a specific piece of hardware is?

I'd like to buy an Intel iMac, but I guess I'd rather wait until it's been worked over a bit. I'm not looking for pro/con on whether Rev A hardware is actually a risk, just info on how to determine what hardware revision any given system actually is.

posted by shaneflyer to computers & internet (16 comments total)

The wikipedia page on the iMac has all the info. Look up the serial number for your Mac, see which model it is and what "revision" it is considered.

Given that, it's not a Rev B until they change the specs, and they haven't done that yet on the iMac. So they are all Rev A.
posted by smackfu at 10:26 AM on May 12, 2006

Another excellent website for tracking all of Apple's models is Apple History. This goes by Apple's incredibly fussy names for distinguishing trivial equipment changes (for example, my iMac is officially known as the "iMac G5 (Ambient Light Sensor)"—Oy), along with their introduction dates.
posted by adamrice at 10:38 AM on May 12, 2006

FWIW, I think of the conventional wisdom as something that applies to most tech products: "never buy version 1.0 of anything."

In the case of Apple, people usually define "version 1.0" to mean the first model after a major revision. In this case, the Intel iMac counts as a major revision, and we're still on the first version of it. So, you'll need to wait a few months if you want 1.1.
posted by alms at 11:11 AM on May 12, 2006

I think if you actually look into these things, I don't think the failure rates for Rev A stuff is actually higher. I seem to recall reading as much at Macintouch.

I think the Rev B iMac G5 was supposed to be quite problematic if I recall, so you never know with these things.
posted by chunking express at 11:33 AM on May 12, 2006

I have a friend who recently purchased a 15" MacBook Pro. The dealer told him it was already on the fourth revision, which I presume was based on relatively minor changes to the hardware. Do you suppose the vendor was talking out of his hat, or that the iMac has had these minor upgrades as well?
posted by shaneflyer at 11:35 AM on May 12, 2006

Apple has made small changes throughout the manufacturing process but I don't believe they have "revisions" per se. The dealer could be referring to laptops manufactured at the same time which could be considered a "batch," although this would be more assembly tweaks than it would actualy redesigns. I would assume he's talking about four different shipment phases.
posted by mikeh at 12:20 PM on May 12, 2006

As alms said, when people say "I'll wait until rev B comes out", they mean a change in the specs and a new model number. We're still on Rev A under this system.

The whole meme is bullshit. While it's true some revisions have a lot less issues than others, the correlation between the problematic models and "Rev A" models is incredibly vague.

In any case, there are no reports I've heard of issues with Intel iMacs, and they've been in use for four months now. Jump right in.
posted by cillit bang at 12:23 PM on May 12, 2006

I've had my MacBook Pro for about 4 weeks now, no problems. In terms of relative speed, I'm impressed. I'm working on multilayer files in Photoshop CS2 at 3000x2000 px (and larger) and it's not significantly slower than my Dual G5 (which has twice the RAM and lots more hard drive space).

I think the bigger issue for the new macintels was more software related than hardware. Early networking problems were driver related. There is the excessive heat build up issue in the early MacBooks (poorly applied thermal grease or something) but I'm not seeing it.

If you want to make sure your getting something newly produced (not old stock), buy it from Apple directly and order it with custom parts (faster or larger hard drive). Do not order the RAM upgrade from Apple, it's easy to DIY and you'll save a hundred bucks.
posted by doctor_negative at 12:40 PM on May 12, 2006

If my recollection is correct, the actual terminology of calling the versions "Rev. A", etc. came into being with the original Bondi Blue iMac.

That machine debuted in August of 1998, and had a serial number of M6709LL/A. In October, there were a few minor tweaks (such as increased VRAM) and Apple changed the serial number to M6709LL/B, and thus got people referring to it as the "Rev. B iMac". January 1999 brought about M6709LL/C, and that cemented it in our vocabulary. Apple continued to call all of those "iMac", so people fell back onto the change in serial number suffix to refer to them.

Apple no longer uses the /A designation anymore in their serial numbers, but they also make it a point to slightly change the "official" name of each model (for example, adamrice's "iMac G5 (Ambient Light Sensor)", or the "iMac Core Duo (Early Spring 2006)", which is the current model).

So the official answer? Wait for the serial number or "official name" to change :-)
posted by Dr. Sam at 1:29 PM on May 12, 2006

Actually, a self correction:

There was no M6709LL/C. After the "Rev. B" model, Apple came out with the five different colored models, each with it's own new serial number, and all ending in /A again. But this was the third version of the iMac, and people were used to calling the previous one "Rev. B", so these became coloquially known as "Rev. C" in the same tradition (though it was no longer led by the serial number).
posted by Dr. Sam at 1:34 PM on May 12, 2006

[Dr. Sam means model number, not serial number. Serial numbers are unique to each unit. With the wiki article info you can decipher the model number and mfg date]

One can assume that many issues in manufacturing have been corrected this many weeks into production of the Intel iMacs so you shouldn't have worries. And if there is a hardware issue, you'll be able to get if fixed with Apple Care.

The next rev of the iMac will be for adding/changing a component -- like a faster processor or different/better/cheaper logic board interconnect. When that rev change does happen, you'll still have an issue of buying the first ones off the line which may have quirks they will need to address.

My MacBook Pro was a week 12 model which seems to be immune from the whine, recalled batteries and heating issues that earlier production runs encountered.

I used to work for an PC OEM and there would be "surprises" that showed up that would happen during the first days/weeks of manufacturing of a new system or even a major rev. Many get caught before the box leaves the factory, and those that don't get fixed in the field. If there was a systemic problem, Apple would have stopped shipping until it was corrected. It is much cheaper to fix the box before it leaves the plant than to do so in the field.

I think it is pretty safe to get products Apple announced in January and started shipping in February.
posted by birdherder at 2:35 PM on May 12, 2006

It's useful to note the difference between a "design change" and an "engineering change"—this is not Apple terminology, it's a widely used concept in manufacturing. The former is more extensive and self-contained—it's sort of like a second edition of a book. The latter is just an amendment to the existing design, sort of the way typos might be fixed in the second printing of a book.

So the MacBook Pro may have been through a few rounds of engineering changes by now (it's easy to imagine a new page added to a manual somewhere detailing exactly how to apply thermal grease correctly), but hasn't been through a design change yet.
posted by adamrice at 4:11 PM on May 12, 2006

Why I don't buy Rev A/ Version 1/ New Model years.

It's the little things. Like, on the TiBook -- the amazing battery fallout problem, the WiFi antennas, the amazingly stupid UFO power supply, etc. The big thing on the original iMacs was the AMAZING STUPID hockeypuck mouse.

These things tend to get corrected in a few months, not immediatly, plus, you get to find out about longer term flaws. In notebooks, these tend to be weak hinge and bad heat management problems.

Finally, the reason I wouldn't buy, and strongly suggest nobody else does either, the current MacBook Pro is the heat problems. They run way too hot, and that leads to all sorts of problems down the road. (The stupidty with the gobs of heat sink goop is another factor.)

The CPU may be able to take the heat, but there's lots of components in those notebooks that aren't rated for that sort of heat load, and over time, they'll fail. Heat kills electronics, and until Apple can keep the CPU under 65C and the system board under 35C, they're not going to last.

This is a classic "Rev B" fix -- both the TiBooks and AlBooks got cooler as they went along, despite faster G4s in them.
posted by eriko at 4:38 PM on May 12, 2006

Eriko, I had a first gen TiBook. It didn't run hot. If I remember rightly, the Rev B models (550/667MHz) were the hurrendously hot ones. The Rev C 667/800MHz ones were fine. Like I said, no reliable correlation between "Rev A" and hardware faults.

The other thing is that it took them two years to get rid of the hockey puck mouse (summer 98 to summer 2000). This falls under the category of "Computers get better as time goes on" not "Rev A sucks". Ditto the UFO power supply.
posted by cillit bang at 6:54 PM on May 12, 2006

just to note: I bought a 15" 2ghz macbook pro on 7th April. no issues to date with anything and it beats the hell out of the craptastic pcs I've been struggling with for years. I barely boot to the PC sector anymore; only to use some photography legacy software.

your mileage may vary. good luck all. I did buy 3 years' worth of applecare tho...
posted by lonefrontranger at 10:34 PM on May 13, 2006

[Dr. Sam means model number, not serial number. Serial numbers are unique to each unit. With the wiki article info you can decipher the model number and mfg date]

Definitely. [smacks self in forehead]

thanks :-)
posted by Dr. Sam at 10:22 PM on May 25, 2006