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General discussion

iMAC Woes

Jan 1, 2008 5:17AM PST

After many years of being a devoted PC user I finally relented and purchased a 24" iMAC in hopes it would help improve my photography workflow. Nothing works as advertised and I am ready to return it. I was told that the system was preloaded with Leopard only to find that is was loaded with Tiger. When I ran the upgrade disk the system locked me out. Hours later I finally scrubbed and reloaded with Leopard. iLife was preloaded but now is gone completely, and there is no disk for a reload. Then I found that my HP Laser Jet 1000 was not supported. My Epson R1800 photo printer is supported but many of the functionalities are gone.

What are my options for using my HP laser Jet 1000?

Can anything be done to get the Epson printer utilities to work?

If things don't improve soon I am going to take this hunk of junk back.

All feed back is welcomed.

Discussion is locked

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Why not take it back?
Jan 1, 2008 6:02AM PST

It wasn't delivered in the condition you expected. Time to let them set things right. This is not a PC...

Bob

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That's what I would do
Jan 2, 2008 10:41PM PST

The Apple web site clearly states that all new iMacs come with Leopard installed. I'll be ordering mine in the next couple of weeks and if it comes with Tiger installed and a Leopard CD, it's going back.

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Leopard on a new Mac
Jan 1, 2008 7:00AM PST

As you said, Leopard was expected to be installed and running when you received the machine.
This is just a guess, but did you get it from somewhere like MacMall or CDW?
I got one from MacMall and it had Tiger loaded but came with an upgrade disk for Leopard. This despite being advertised as having Leopard installed.

Printer: There is an Intel driver available for OS X 10.5. You will find it at the Epson website. Download and follow the instructions and you will have most, if not all, of the functionality back. Currently you are using the GIMP print drivers which usually only allow for basic printing.

HP does not offer support for the LaserJet 1000. That's something you will need to take up with HP.

As for the iLife suite, insert Disk 1, that came with your computer, and you will see there is a package marked "Install Bundled Software only". Double click it and it should install iLife and all the other stuff that came with the machine.

The Admin lock out problem has happened a few times. A call to Apple support, your machine is under warranty, would have sorted that out quite quickly without the loss of your OS.

So, now that two out of three "problems" have been resolved, maybe you could take another look at the machine.

Let us know

P

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Thanks for the asistance
Jan 1, 2008 9:47AM PST

I actually bought the machine from the Apple store in Reno, NV. Apple support closes at 8:00 P.M. central so I have spent many hours on my own. Thanks again for the help. Hope you had a great New Year!!!!!

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PRINTING
Jan 1, 2008 10:41AM PST

I have down loaded and installed the print drivers from the Epson web site. Now I can not change the print drivers in set up any longer as they are grayed out. Where does one set up printer options? I can select size of the paper but I can not find anywhere to select print quality or paper quality. I don't understand how anyone can actually use this machine with Photoshop to produce professional prints. I am very frustrated.

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Wait for it..
Jan 1, 2008 11:05AM PST

I wonder if the phrase Repair Permissions will be written soon.

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Printers
Jan 1, 2008 8:56PM PST

If you have the Epson drivers loaded, NOT the Gimp ones, and you choose Print from the Menu Bar, you should see a drop down arrow to the right of the printer name.

Clicking this arrow "should" expand the window and present you with all the Epson options for that printer.

However, if it is the Gimp drivers that are loaded, you will only see the basic page size options.

You should be able to see what driver you are using by choosing "Add a printer" and selecting the one you want to check.

P

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Do we have a result yet?
Jan 2, 2008 8:49PM PST

Did you get your iLife back?

Did you get the Epson driver loaded?

Did you speak with either Epson or Apple? (Or both?)

There must be somewhere/someone Apple authorized in a town the size of LV.


P

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iLife is back
Jan 2, 2008 9:07PM PST

Yes. I did get my iLife back. I have not spoke with Epson but have talked with the store manager is Reno who has said that I can bring my machine in and their technicians will load everything and check it out for me. Not sure when I will be able to do that as it is a 150 mile round trip by car. I am starting to feel better about the MAC but I am very disappointed in Apple for treating it's customers so poorly.

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Good to hear,
Jan 2, 2008 10:33PM PST

at least you have an Apple Store in your State, many of us do not.

A 150 mile round trip is very short compared to some of the distances to the nearest Apple store. Mine is over 200 miles away, one way, in the next State!

Hopefully they will get you sorted out.

P

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FINALLY APPLE SUPPORT COMES THROUGH
Jan 3, 2008 12:36PM PST

Tonight I finally got through to an Apple technician and was able to resolve the problem with my Epson printer. Thanks to al of you for your responses, and for letting me vent.

Thank you.

NevVic

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(NT) and the fix was?
Jan 3, 2008 8:44PM PST
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THE FIX
Jan 4, 2008 1:21PM PST

Apple tech help guide through locating and installing the drivers and other software to get my printer to work as it should.

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I'll take it for you if you don't want it LOL.
Jan 1, 2008 8:06AM PST

Just use the restore disks. If you just put Tiger back on and load up all the original software, it'll be fine. Then you can choose to load Leopard if you want. Or you can just install the Bundled Software, your call.

Printers are a separate issue. Verify that you have all the correct drivers for them. For the HP, you may need additional software. Mine is a somewhat old Photosmart and it has a whole lot of software for its use, but it's USB and does not require them. You know, I downloaded a driver or something right from the Apple Software Update for it, so have a look at those updates.

-BMF

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(NT) Sorry Bob, not this time :-)
Jan 1, 2008 10:53PM PST
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Sort of like "Doh!"
Jan 1, 2008 11:12PM PST

You start to expect it.

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Indeed,
Jan 2, 2008 1:42AM PST

It did not seem to have the same "magic" effect in the later versions of 10.4 and seems to have no effect on 10.5

Maybe it will just fade away, for a while.

HNY

P

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Interesting.. So the review was correct
Jan 5, 2008 12:07PM PST

I think that's one of the cons for iMac on CNet review. I thought that wasn't really the case but I guess I was wrong. Well I think you should just talk to one of the apple guys and I bet they will help you out. I would be so pissed if that happened to me.