MacBook Pro Special Report: Built-in Display distortion
An issue we've noted in-house that has been corroborated by other readers is a faint flickering of the screen's backlight, usually when brightness is turned below a certain level.
One reader writes:
"I realized that the backlight on my screen flickers when my screen dimmed down below 4 bars. If I turn my iSight Camera on, the flickering stops for a while, but eventually returns. This is not apparent when the brightness is turned up."
Another reader reports an issue with more serious distortion for which we are seeking verification.
Mark Goble writes:
"I have had my MacBook Pro for 4 days and have had a screen problem twice. After being on for at least 3 hours the entire screen gets vertical pink/red lines across it. It appears that the 'red' in RGB has sifted on pixel right. The only way to fix the problem is to reboot and it goes away."
Screen artifacts A handful of readers are reporting the appearance of screen artifacts on their MacBook Pro screens.
One reader writes:
"Every once in a while, I get some kind of screen distortion/pixillation for just a second across the screen, about 1/3 of the way up from the bottom and maybe a quarter of an inch wide. It's not solid, just some strangeness in that area. It's just a flash, but I've noticed it twice. I just got it yesterday evening (2/23), so this may turn out to be a real issue if it happens that often."
Miscelannous screen distortion MacFixIt reader Chris reports some screen distortion issues we've yet to see elsewhere.
He writes:
"Since yesterday, I see some flickering pixels on my MacBook screen. They appear almost exclusively when I use Apple's default wallpaper 'Aqua Blue' or the other similar patterns like 'Panther Aqua Blue.'
"The flicker is located at the bottom , more or less in the middle and looks like a thin line upwards. It's length is about 10cm in total, though this depends of the applied wallpaper. For example the 'Jaguar Aqua Blue' produces the longest line, the others have shorter lines.
"Until now, I haven't been able to get rid of the screen distortion, but I'll try to re-apply Mac OS X 10.4.5. Changing the screen resolution did not help, the only thing that provided some improvements was to take another wallpaper."
Index:
- 30" Cinema Display distortion
- Airline, auto power adapter problems
- Audio distortion/poor sound quality
- Apple addressing issues with new revisions?
- Battery Exchange Program
- Battery problems: Shuts off when not connected to power, more
- Built-in Display distortion
- Clock speed of ATI X1600 card -- some units apparently underclocked
- Cooling solutions
- Dead-on-arrival units
- Display slightly bent, not latching properly -- solutions
- Downgraded SuperDrive relative to PowerBook G4
- ExpressCard issues
- FireWire 800 cards for ExpressCard/34 slot on the way
- High-pitched whining noises: Eliminating; Apple acknowledges
- iSight not functioning properly -- fix
- Kernel panics caused by AirPort drivers; Not sleeping properly, still "on" with lid closed
- Kernel panics upon waking up (Inability to wake from sleep)
- Lack of alternative power adapters
- LEAP Networks; cannot connect to
- Loss of speaker capabilities
- Missing components
- Not sleeping properly, still "on" with lid closed
- Notes from service manual
- Poor general network performance
- Printer issues: Not recognized, more
- Problems sharing the Internet connection
- Release notes
- Repeated system freezes or sudden restarts -- checking for bad RAM
- Replaced logic boards have no software serial numbers
- Slow networking performance with VLANs; VOIP phones
- Wireless connectivity issues
when I'm using a low-level of illumination. (I'll try running it a bit brighter to see
if the problem goes away.)
I have owned three Macs prior to the MBP. I have loved them dearly, but I am
not impressed with the MBP. Sure it?s faster, and larger than my 12 PB, but I
cannot believe that Apple would release a product with obvious problems.
My initial boot had significant screen distortions. It happened again the next
day as well. I call Apple (also sent them a picture) and after discussing the
issue with a product engineer, the decision was to return and replace the
laptop. To my benefit and convenience, Apple has offered to cover the cost
of data transfer (I have sold my 12 PB). I appreciate all of this, but my
question is: How could Apple release a product with these types issues?
I research the MBP for three weeks straight. Called four different authorized
dealers and contacted Apple directly to get the skinny on the screen issues. I
was told that the issues mentioned were only a select few. In other words ?we
only read about the bad?, ?the extreme cases?. So I ordered my MBP, I
believed that Apple must have figured out who was picking their nose on the
job! Nope. If the research and statements were true, that only a select few
had issues, what would be the odds of buying a lemon? Seriously, I am not a
mathematician, but it is my opinion that Apple has a worm in its? MBP, and it
is time that they do something about it. I am going to be without a computer
for a good two weeks, and that is not acceptable.
I sincerely appreciate the staff that at apple for their help, as it is not there
fault. They have done everything that they can to best accommodate my
situation, and it is Apple?s only saving grace at the moment. BUT, I cannot
believe, for 3K CAD the product I have received. For the first time every, with
an Apple product, I am concerned about receiving my replacement. The MBP
falls short on the standards I THOUGHT Apple had.
M