People Are Pissed About Their PowerBook LCD Displays
As of right now, almost 1700 people have signed a petition asking Apple to own up to manufacuring defects in LCD screens used on G4 laptops (specifically Al 15” versions?). Message boards are full of complaints about “white spots” on the screens, and Cory Doctorow chimes in about his own problem unit:
I bought mine last fall, and had to return it twice (first one was DOA, the second had the white-spots so bad that strangers on airplanes would come up to me and say, “Jesus Christ, what the hell is wrong with your screen?”). Now I’m on my third unit, and it’s got the same problem: screen at about 50 percent brightness, big white splotch in the middle of the it.
(via BoingBoing)
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Dan Siercks said 4:16PM on 6-16-2005
I had this with my 867 12" right out of the box. Was to the point where I couldn't watch DVD's or run a terminal under that spot on the screen.
About 2 months of desperation, knowing that it was the one problem that was holding me back from truly loving this machine, I read a comment on /. in a thread about lcd panels. All you have to is apply a little bit of preasure and run it over the area of the hot led. The best way to do it is with your fingernail laid at a very small angle against the screen, and with a constant pressure just run it over the pixel.
I've since had the powerbook 9 months and it has never re-occured. And I've been able to watch dvds ever since.
Reply
Dan Siercks said 4:16PM on 6-16-2005
My comment refered to the white spots, not un-even illumination that is also brought up in his post. The white spot will look somewhere around 9x as big as a regular dead pixel, and is best noticed with a dark background. I believe they are sometimes refered to as hot pixels.
Reply
Mike said 4:16PM on 6-16-2005
Ive had two 15 inch power books and three screens. My current machine is about to go in again for another new screen. My first had dead pixels so I got a new machine on the 14 day return policy of the apple store. The second developed such bad uneven illumination it gave you a headake to look at it and the replacement screen, that was fitted at the apple centre in Melbourne, has a grand total of 18 dead pixels of varrying intensity!
The technician in Melbourne reassembled my machine in such a way that the case no longer stays closed and various keys on the top row of the keyboard stick down when pressed.
The final straw now has been that, after about 7 months of relatively light usage, the battery now lasts no more than one hour after a full charge, even with maximum battery life selected in the preferences.
My parents and sister both own considerably cheaper machines withought a single dead pixel or any other problem for that matter (other than the microsoft software they run on)
When will apple sort these problems out so that people can have a viable alternative to windows machines. Ive lost shed loads more time getting my flawed machine repaired than any windows user I know has lost in getting viruses sorted out!
Now as the months left on my warranty decrease I worry about what happens when it runs out. I have been "worried" into purchasing apple care sinply to protect the sizeable investment that is represented in my power book in the first place!
one less than satisfied fan apple thanks a bunch.......!
Reply