I have white screen spots, so that requires a repair (BTO; besides, a repair is better than a new one, if they are coming off the line like this (which probably isn't happening at this point)). They send you a nice nondescript cardbord box (which all the packing inside), and ask you send the CPU and power cables back. Back up your HD and so on. In general, my HD doesn't get wiped on a repair unless it is the HD causing problems, though I know the techs routinely do the format/clean install/reset everything dance. In my case, they shouldn't need to touch the HD, but I have it backed up in three different places and ways just to be safe.
The box has a return label already on it, so you just have to call (shudder) Airborne to pick it up.
This is not the first 'book I've returned in this way (though it is the soonest I've had to do it!), and I've had very good luck with the process.
Thanks for the information...hopefully I won't need to send it back...
Regarding the white/bright spots problem, it looks like people with even 2 or 3 PowerBook replacements are seeing the same problem. What's even more scary is that many of these displays were perfect from the start, but started to show this defect a few days or weeks down the line.
I've never seen so many people have the same problem with one machine. How many returns will it take for Apple to realize that there is a pattern revealing a really big problem? Obviously they are still using the same LCD manufacturer and are still shipping 15" PowerBooks with defective displays.
Some BTO customers are actually getting turned down for replacement since it's a BTO. That's complete BS! A policy like that is designed only for the timid consumer who'll go for it. They most certainly replace your BTO if you make enough noise. No one should have to 'send in' an expensive and brand new computer to have some tech open it up and replace parts.
I am VERY curios to know who the OEM is for these defective displays and if this is a result of Apple cutting corners (maybe using a cheaper OEM not realizing their displays had such issues).
A friend of mine bought his 15" powerbook just 2 weeks ago and it was dissapointing. First the latch issue, which was annoying, and 2 days later, the screen went dim and dark. My friend returned the machine and got his money back, but now he doesnt know if he should buy another powerbook or just wait since it seems many machines are faulty.
From what I have heard, it is not the LCDs that are the problem, it is how they are attached to the lid frame. There are certain pressure points that can develop (you can infer this if you rub the back of the lid at the spots, the "lcd flex effect" is centered on these spots.
Anyway, if my repaired machine comes back, and develops spots, I will surely raise a stink with my EDU rep, and the people I know at Apple.
I guess the question is how careful do we have to be about us or things pushing on the back of our screen \
I don't think that is the issue -- in other words, some problem/mistake/something-something-that-shouldn't-be-there is back there, and pushing on the lid illustrates/exacerbates the problem, but does not cause it, any more than a brake defect on a car causes you to crash at a stop sign.
I was thinking about if this were a long-term issue, and decided I'd demand a 17". I really don't want a portable that large, but clearly they don't have the same issue with the LCD. I'm just hoping that it is an "on-the-fly" fix at production, and it won't show up in new machines (that is, newer than the first 10-14 days production). Only time will tell.
I'd be really pissed if this was a personal purchase. I've realized the main reason I'm so calm about the problem is that I didn't pay for the machine.
I'm forced to work on my B&W (linux) box, and a Solaris box at work now, and that isn't so bad. I can still get work done. Not having my AlBook means "playing" is harder. Well, and work is slower at home (400MHz G3 vs. 1.25GHz G4).
oh no!!!! there is one tiny white spot, bright but noticeable, that wasnt there yesterday!!! i will see what else develops before i complain to apple.
if anyone has gotten their PB repaired and returned already, how did it turn out? were they able to repair the spots?
edited to ask: how many dead/stuck pixels must there be before apple will do something about it? i have 3 dead pixels now and 2 of them are clusters of pixels, because they are much bigger than a pixel. one stuck pixel, and now one white spot.
Well, I got 4 hours of ACTUAL usage on my 1.25 SD 15" Powerbook today. Sitting down by the lake and studying...taking notes. Airport off, Bluetooth off, screen at 40-50% brightness, no display sleeping, and reduced processor. I used Word to take notes. Powerbook ran for around 4 hours straight and still had a 10% charge when I closed it up. Can only imagine what Panther has to offer. And still no white spots...knock on wood.
hey well i finally got my powerbook in the mail and it is freakin sweet. serious design and engineering muscle went into making this thing. it gets warm on the bottom, but not hot like a Ti i've used and the fan has yet to come on. it is so silent. the latch works perfectly and the gap just doesn't seem like a big deal.
i can't say that it's flawless though. i haven't used a pixelchecker yet, but with my own tests, i don't see any dead/stuck pixels, but i do have 3 small white spots forming a triangle. each about the size of a pointed pencil tip. you gotta really search for them to see them, and only on a solid white background. i'm not gonna let them worry me right now though because they are so tiny and hard to see and everything else makes up for them. i'll keep an eye on them and hope that they don't grow...but now they probably will because i mentioned it . anyways good luck to all of you waiting for your shipment.
there's a thread at macnn about a rumor of a recall because of a problem with 512mb or larger ram modules working with these AL 15"ers and the screen problems. remember, it's a RUMOR, but interesting nonetheless.
I sure hope Apple didn't forget they sell in a market niche with DEMANDING customers. Cutting back on quality can't be a good thing, and the way things are going it also seems to turn into a costly affair.
Nine months should have been enough to get this 15" right, right? Man, I'am disappointed but what's even worse, I will probably still go out and buy this 15" knowing it has all this issues. What's wrong with me? I need help ...
For some reason I am unable to post a new poll. Can someone who knows how do this make a new poll? I am curious to see statistics from AI members about what percentage of the PB15's have problems and how many are okay.
Took mine to the dealer today to have the screen replaced due to white spots. Every Powerbook I've seen to date has white spots. Some have them in a very pronounced way, on some the spots are barely noticeable. But they all seem to be located around the same places on the screen. So now that I have a "trained" eye, they are easier to spot. Pun intended.
Well, bad news guys. After my 3rd day of use on my SECOND Powerbook in as many weeks, I have notced THREE white spots beginning to appear on my 15" screen. They aren't nearly as noticeable as my last one, but if the last one was any indication, they will only get worse...there is something afoot here, and it's not good.
3 more tiny white spots appeared today in addition to the small one i noticed 2 days ago. its getting worse and it's only day 4. they really need to recall these things.
out of curiosity filmmaker2002 and mac's girl, are you guys transporting your powerbooks and if so, what kinda bag is it in? does the bag put alot of pressure (as in squeezing) on the powerbook?
Well, bad news guys. After my 3rd day of use on my SECOND Powerbook in as many weeks, I have notced THREE white spots beginning to appear on my 15" screen. They aren't nearly as noticeable as my last one, but if the last one was any indication, they will only get worse...there is something afoot here, and it's not good.
I am just beginning to see them too. I only notice them on the pale grey start up screen. I have been really careful so I don't know what is up.
It has to be a defect. I am going to be really pissed if it gets worse. I already rely on it for work and I will be screwed without a quick replacement.
EDIT - I just noticed that I can really see them on the AI pages because they are grey as well!
My 15" has a white spot dead center horizontally and about 1/4 of the way down from the top vertically. It's quite annoying... but I can't go without my computer for a week or however long it would take. Not to mention that the nearest Apple Store is an hour away from my home and three hours from my school.
Has anyone had success at "massaging" out a white spot like dead pixels? I'd love to take care of this without having to service... it's perfect otherwise
Comments
Originally posted by machem
I have white screen spots, so that requires a repair (BTO; besides, a repair is better than a new one, if they are coming off the line like this (which probably isn't happening at this point)). They send you a nice nondescript cardbord box (which all the packing inside), and ask you send the CPU and power cables back. Back up your HD and so on. In general, my HD doesn't get wiped on a repair unless it is the HD causing problems, though I know the techs routinely do the format/clean install/reset everything dance. In my case, they shouldn't need to touch the HD, but I have it backed up in three different places and ways just to be safe.
The box has a return label already on it, so you just have to call (shudder) Airborne to pick it up.
This is not the first 'book I've returned in this way (though it is the soonest I've had to do it!), and I've had very good luck with the process.
Thanks for the information...hopefully I won't need to send it back...
I've never seen so many people have the same problem with one machine. How many returns will it take for Apple to realize that there is a pattern revealing a really big problem? Obviously they are still using the same LCD manufacturer and are still shipping 15" PowerBooks with defective displays.
Some BTO customers are actually getting turned down for replacement since it's a BTO. That's complete BS! A policy like that is designed only for the timid consumer who'll go for it. They most certainly replace your BTO if you make enough noise. No one should have to 'send in' an expensive and brand new computer to have some tech open it up and replace parts.
I am VERY curios to know who the OEM is for these defective displays and if this is a result of Apple cutting corners (maybe using a cheaper OEM not realizing their displays had such issues).
http://forums.macnn.com/showthread.p...hreadid=180531
Anyway, if my repaired machine comes back, and develops spots, I will surely raise a stink with my EDU rep, and the people I know at Apple.
Originally posted by ast3r3x
I guess the question is how careful do we have to be about us or things pushing on the back of our screen
I don't think that is the issue -- in other words, some problem/mistake/something-something-that-shouldn't-be-there is back there, and pushing on the lid illustrates/exacerbates the problem, but does not cause it, any more than a brake defect on a car causes you to crash at a stop sign.
I was thinking about if this were a long-term issue, and decided I'd demand a 17". I really don't want a portable that large, but clearly they don't have the same issue with the LCD. I'm just hoping that it is an "on-the-fly" fix at production, and it won't show up in new machines (that is, newer than the first 10-14 days production). Only time will tell.
I'd be really pissed if this was a personal purchase. I've realized the main reason I'm so calm about the problem is that I didn't pay for the machine.
I'm forced to work on my B&W (linux) box, and a Solaris box at work now, and that isn't so bad. I can still get work done. Not having my AlBook means "playing" is harder. Well, and work is slower at home (400MHz G3 vs. 1.25GHz G4).
if anyone has gotten their PB repaired and returned already, how did it turn out? were they able to repair the spots?
edited to ask: how many dead/stuck pixels must there be before apple will do something about it? i have 3 dead pixels now and 2 of them are clusters of pixels, because they are much bigger than a pixel. one stuck pixel, and now one white spot.
i can't say that it's flawless though. i haven't used a pixelchecker yet, but with my own tests, i don't see any dead/stuck pixels, but i do have 3 small white spots forming a triangle. each about the size of a pointed pencil tip. you gotta really search for them to see them, and only on a solid white background. i'm not gonna let them worry me right now though because they are so tiny and hard to see and everything else makes up for them. i'll keep an eye on them and hope that they don't grow...but now they probably will because i mentioned it
it arrived at the shop on friday...well...went there happy...and tested
7 white spots ...each the size of 2x2pixels bunched together in the lowerleft center of the screen
no dead pixels
they sent it back...and now iam highly concerned about it...probably everyone with these 15"albook has this problem
if not now...sooner than later
reading hundreds of these reports....iam waiting for the replacement now...and i pretty much know it will have these spots too
the machine is soo nice...so advanced...great machine....and this screen sooo bad....awwwwww
may there be a chance for an official statement from apple?
recalling all machines? getting an entirely new engineered screen?
so sad
White Spots, Ram Issues, Defectiveness, recall
Nine months should have been enough to get this 15" right, right? Man, I'am disappointed but what's even worse, I will probably still go out and buy this 15" knowing it has all this issues. What's wrong with me? I need help ...
Originally posted by filmmaker2002
Well, bad news guys. After my 3rd day of use on my SECOND Powerbook in as many weeks, I have notced THREE white spots beginning to appear on my 15" screen. They aren't nearly as noticeable as my last one, but if the last one was any indication, they will only get worse...there is something afoot here, and it's not good.
I am just beginning to see them too. I only notice them on the pale grey start up screen. I have been really careful so I don't know what is up.
I have been keeping it in this - http://shinza.com/product_info.php?products_id=46
It has to be a defect. I am going to be really pissed if it gets worse. I already rely on it for work and I will be screwed without a quick replacement.
EDIT - I just noticed that I can really see them on the AI pages because they are grey as well!
Has anyone had success at "massaging" out a white spot like dead pixels? I'd love to take care of this without having to service... it's perfect otherwise