Quality control issues with new PowerBooks...particularly the 15"?

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  • Reply 401 of 588
    neutrino23neutrino23 Posts: 1,561member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by neutrino23

    Well, I've joined the club. My 15" 1.25GHz PB is about five weeks old and just today three white spots appeared.



    More seriously, the keyboard illumination stopped working. I have seen a few references to this on Apple's discussion boards. I tried resetting the power manager and zapping PRAM to no effect. Sometimes a restart will fix it but it goes off after the first time it sleeps.



    When I press F10 to increase illumination I get the usual on-screen display but at the bottom is a circle with a diagonal slash indicating it somehow isnt't functioning.



    I also have the creaking sound coming from the region of the CD slot but it is pretty mild. I can't force it to happen but once in a while I hear it while typing.



    I'll call Apple tomorrow.






    I called Apple



    They had no comment about the noise from the region of the optical drive.



    We found out that the room was not dark enough so the keyboard backlight was not coming on. [red-faced emoticon] I'll keep checking it.



    They will repair my screen. I said I wanted to delay a while as I had heard they did not know how to fix this and I need to go on a short business trip. He assured me that this problem had been solved. Take that for what it is worth. I'll send mine in for repair when I return.
  • Reply 402 of 588
    Quote:

    Originally posted by neutrino23

    More seriously, the keyboard illumination stopped working...

    When I press F10 to increase illumination I get the usual on-screen display but at the bottom is a circle with a diagonal slash indicating it somehow isnt't functioning...




    You are trying it in the dark right? Cos that circle with the slash through it comes up on my screen too. When it is too light, the light sensors under the speaker grills tell the computer not to let the keyboard illumumination work. Cover the speaker grills, then try keyboard illumination.

    Actually... U probably know and have tried this... but sometimes stating the obvious...



    Edit: Oh. OK. Like I said.
  • Reply 403 of 588
    NO SHIT!



    NO F king SHIT!



    Iv'e got the spots!

    Two. Left and Right Centre...



    Man! Thats 14 days after purchase...







    I was getting a replacement anyway cos of screen problems (stuck pixels) but this... this is bad...
  • Reply 404 of 588
    I have three spots on my monitor. I called Apple and they are having me send the computer to them for repair or replacement.
  • Reply 405 of 588
    slb6rslb6r Posts: 15member
    I ordered my 15" G4 AlPB on October 21 with a delivery about 7 - 10 business days. Today I receive an e-mail notifying me of a delivery on or before November 28. Seems Apple is backlogged with returns and/or has fixed the problems reported here. If I had to guess, I would think that the customization of the orders, that is opening, installing additional parts, and closing the PB was not carefully done. I am wondering, if too much pressure applied to the screens while being turned off could lead to white spots. This would explain the latch and the screen problem. Anyway, expect some delays when ordering your PB.
  • Reply 406 of 588
    Just got off the phone with apple - they have finaly got hold of the new screen here in the UK. this is the third and hopefuly the last LCD they fit to my machine!

    Its been sitting in apple repaire center now for almost 3 weeks awaiting this new screen - My guess (fingers crossed) is that this is the new and fixed batch of screens as they kept telling me they are waiting for new screens from Taiwan and that currently there is a severe LCD shortage - I wonder why...



    i'll update here as soon as i get it back...
  • Reply 407 of 588
    I've had my pbook back for a week now and so far no white spots. How much time should pass before I stop worrying? Otherwise this is an amazing machine.



    Also, a friend of mine is interested in getting a 15", does anyone think it's safe to buy now? When will Apple stop selling lemons?
  • Reply 408 of 588
    I don't have any white spots yet, but I do have a dark area. Just to the right of centre there is a patch that extends about 1/3 to 1/2 the way up the screen - This patch is darker than the left side of the screen.



    The big dilema is that its not consistent. Some days its really annoying, and others it hardly seems to be there. I am going to try and get a photo of it so that my PB does not have to go away for a long amount of time.



    Anyone else got an uneven level of brightness? (except for whitespots).
  • Reply 409 of 588
    Quote:

    Originally posted by gammera3D

    I've had my pbook back for a week now and so far no white spots. How much time should pass before I stop worrying? Otherwise this is an amazing machine.



    Also, a friend of mine is interested in getting a 15", does anyone think it's safe to buy now? When will Apple stop selling lemons?




    I'd say give it two weeks (thats what i would when i get mine back) - re your friend - tell him to wait another month if he can - i'm sure that should be enough...
  • Reply 410 of 588
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Gargoyle

    I don't have any white spots yet, but I do have a dark area. Just to the right of centre there is a patch that extends about 1/3 to 1/2 the way up the screen - This patch is darker than the left side of the screen.



    The big dilema is that its not consistent. Some days its really annoying, and others it hardly seems to be there. I am going to try and get a photo of it so that my PB does not have to go away for a long amount of time.



    Anyone else got an uneven level of brightness? (except for whitespots).




    I'm not sure, but i think mine has this as well. I thought the screen was just being affected by light coming from a window etc, but at times it seems a bit too much of a difference to blame it on differences in ambient lighting. My PowerBook is in Europe with my wife right now, so I'll have another look later. If its a real issue, then I agree that its not consistent. Its also not a BIG deal. No white spots on my PowerBook. I had to reset the power manager to fix a sleep problem, but otherwise all is well and good.
  • Reply 411 of 588
    got picture, and its deffo not the light source from window (its dark outside) or from the light. I tried it at a few angles.









    Click for bigger image.
  • Reply 412 of 588
    Quote:

    Originally posted by gammera3D

    I've had my pbook back for a week now and so far no white spots. How much time should pass before I stop worrying?



    At *least* 2 weeks. I noticed my spots on day 14...
  • Reply 413 of 588
    Got a new 15 AlumPB, just started to see one small white spot on the screen... not a big deal, but where do I report this to Applecare?
  • Reply 414 of 588
    eds66eds66 Posts: 119member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Gargoyle

    got picture, and its deffo not the light source from window (its dark outside) or from the light. I tried it at a few angles.









    Click for bigger image.




    This is just heinous for $2500!!!
  • Reply 415 of 588
    eds66eds66 Posts: 119member
    I finally returned my 15-incher after two bad screens (white spots) and total loss of confidence in the product.



    Got a 12-inch PowerBook. The screen, albeit more washed out, does not have any blotches, dead pixels or other anomalies. It is perfect for the kind of work I do, which is system administration.



    The revision B 12-incher does not get as hot as its 800 MHz predecessor.
  • Reply 416 of 588
    So anyone know when APPLE will finally solve this problem?



    I'm FRUSTERATED with them I got a SCREWED UP LAPTOP!

    1) 7 White Spots!

    2) Defective Latch

    3) Half the Monitor is Dim (like the back light doesn't work)



    All for a nice price of $2884!!!



    Thanks a lot APPLE !!!
  • Reply 417 of 588
    Quote:

    The revision B 12-incher does not get as hot as its 800 MHz predecessor. [/B]



    This is actually something they are advertising in Japan, I'm seeing. They are promoting the portability of the 12" on the road (or at either work or at home), with the added bonus that you can use an external monitor and wireless keyboard/mouse (where you do your most work) with the PB closed and standing up in stand. With the cooler running, the PB doesn't get hot with the lid closed, so the CPU doesn't clock down, nor the computer shut off.



    Looks pretty good, the PB in a stand (on its side), and the keyboard and mouse wire-less. You just unclip the monitor cable and take it with you.



    --Bozza--
  • Reply 418 of 588
    bka77bka77 Posts: 331member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by bozza

    Looks pretty good, the PB in a stand (on its side), and the keyboard and mouse wire-less.



    --Bozza--




    Do you have a link to a picture?
  • Reply 419 of 588
    bozzabozza Posts: 11member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by bka77

    Do you have a link to a picture?



    No I don't. It was displayed that way at the shop I went to on the weekend. However, one of the brochures (Apple Japan) DOES have a picture of such a set up, so there may be something similar on the Apple Japan website. I haven't looked, however.



    I was wondering, with the spanning hack available and working, whether something similar couldn't be done with iBook. 3rd party monitor of course.



    --Bozza--
  • Reply 420 of 588
    bigbluebigblue Posts: 341member
    Does anyone know WHY these white spots show up ? Apple didn't give any (official) explanation till now.

    A bit more info would be welcome. Is it a bad lot from a certain manufactering plant ? Was it the way they stored it, shipped it ? Is it triggered by something we (the end users) do ?



    They should know it by now IMO, and they should let us know they are doing something about it. So people who want to buy one feel a bit more comfortable.
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