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ducatisteve · Aug 28, 2006, 06:02 PM

I've read about this happening to the iBooks quite a bit here, but don't recall seeing a problem with the Macbooks.

I have a week 23 1.8Ghz, and a couple weeks ago I noticed that no matter what setting I have the screen at, the brightness will flicker.

Is this a known problem for the Macbooks like it is the iBooks? Is it time for me to call Apple?

ducatisteve · Sep 5, 2006, 04:19 PM

Well, I've boiled this down to one of two things....

Either

1.) I am the only person with a Macbook doing this instead of an iBook.

or

B.) I am really bad at the search function and everyone just looked at this and shook their heads in disgust, hoping either myself or a mod would delete it.

seanc · Sep 5, 2006, 05:15 PM

Taken it to an Apple store?
Could be a bad screen inverter.

RayK · Sep 5, 2006, 10:48 PM

happens to me as well, but I havn't the time to send it in. You are not alone!

joraff · Sep 22, 2006, 12:17 PM

I am seeing this also. I have a Macbook from the first few weeks it was being sold, but I also havent taken it in. I actually havent seen this problem until recently. Have you brought yours in yet? What did they say?

Dillon-K · Sep 22, 2006, 10:21 PM

Hmm... haven't had my BlackBook's screen flicker..... I'll keep an eye out for that though!

eggman · Sep 23, 2006, 02:08 AM

I'm seeing it... and I don't know if it's hardware or software because after clearing out the PRAM it seems to go away for a bit. (Although the last time I did this, it also triggered the weird vertical lines on bootup the next time I started my computer).

When it's bad, it's really really bad. When it's not, it is solid as a rock. This is on a MacBook manufactured in week 33.

confusion · Sep 25, 2006, 06:29 PM

I just had my MacBook repaired on Friday for screen flickering. The Apple Centre had allowed me to keep it until they got the parts (new logic board), so I was without a laptop for only one day. Oh, and it was the inverter for the backlight.
Now I'm waiting for the keyboard/trackpad assembly to arrive - while I was waiting for the repair parts, the button of the trackpad started to turn yellow...

akodi · Oct 2, 2006, 03:59 AM

I sent mine in today at the Applestore at Irvine Spectrum. The "genius" says it's a inverter problem, he was reluctant to admit that it was common. If your macbook upon waking up flickers or when you gradually increase the brightness of your screen it is bright then dims you may have the same problem as me. They sent it for repair, it's sad that a 2 month old computer can have problems like this.

hannelore · Oct 2, 2006, 10:19 PM

I got my new MacBook last Tuesday and noticed the screen flickering the first time I started it up. It's currently being sent back to Apple.

Bobby · Oct 4, 2006, 07:59 PM

My macbook did this. I just got it back today after sending it in for an RSS problem (random shutdown). So far I havn't seen this issue, so hopefully it is somehow related? But for all I know it may flicker like there's no tomorrow tomorrow...

But you deffinatly aren't the only one with the issue...

macmuffin man · Oct 17, 2006, 04:36 PM

I have the same problem with the 1.8Ghz macbook, purchased early September, 2006. I just discovered that by reducing the brightness to zero and then raising it 1 notch, the blink is often really bad, though I can't consistently depend on this to induce the flickering that seems random, but frequent. I hope it will act up when I take it to Apple for repair, replacement, or whatever. It is really annoying.

Originally Posted by ducatisteve

I've read about this happening to the iBooks quite a bit here, but don't recall seeing a problem with the Macbooks.

I have a week 23 1.8Ghz, and a couple weeks ago I noticed that no matter what setting I have the screen at, the brightness will flicker.

Is this a known problem for the Macbooks like it is the iBooks? Is it time for me to call Apple?

Tuoder · Oct 17, 2006, 08:15 PM

My screen has been flickering a bit, starting today. Googling found videos of the same problem with other macbooks on Youtube. Lowering the brightness all the way, then increasing to one notch seems to reproduce the problem, as previously stated.

Tuoder · Oct 19, 2006, 05:46 AM

Oddly enough, it has stopped flickering. I think that it is more likely to flicker when the battery is low, at least on mine. If it starts again, I will take it in, but as of now it has stopped.

macmuffin man · Oct 20, 2006, 01:27 AM

The screen flicker is independent of battery charge. It happens to mine when battery is fully charged, and also when AC power is connected. Under these "full power" conditions, the flicker is still a random occurence and the severity of the flicker is also variable. Nevertheless, it occurs at some time every day. I'll be checking in with the Apple folks soon.

Tuoder · Oct 20, 2006, 06:06 AM

Mine is flickering at 46% battery, and it has been since it was at 9%. I will see when it is full.

Malevoiy · Oct 24, 2006, 01:56 PM

My Black Macbook screen has started to flicker randomly over the past 2 weeks. I just got it back from Apple a few weeks ago, after sending it to them to repair the random shutdown problem. What's going on with Apple's component suppliers?

Bobby · Oct 24, 2006, 06:30 PM

Mine still flickers, so it's seemingly not related to the random shutdown issue...

All be it I've had my system randomly shutdown twice since I got it back from the RSS repair...

iMacYouMac · Oct 24, 2006, 09:12 PM

I had the same issues. Originally I had the orange plastic issue. I sent that in and got it fixed. Then it started flickering. I sent it in and they replaced some LCD stuff. I got it back and it worked great for a week. Then it started again. Sent it in and they said they couldn't replicate it. I got it back and it still did it. Then they made me bring it to a computer repair place locally to have a mac guy verify the issue. He called and then I was able to get a replacement. Needless to say I got the iMac instead. I've always been a PC guy but recently I started using Macs to record my music. Apple hardware is beautiful but I think sometimes they sacrifice functionality for form. A thin laptop like that with that great processor and there is one fan and one vent in the back. I know they don't like fan holes and stuff like that but it is a computer, it produces heat, so design it to run how it should. I don't care if I see fans on the bottom of my laptop..... my eyes are never really focused there. So far I'm happy with the iMac but internet work is not as fast as on a PC at all.

frankthetank966 · Oct 25, 2006, 08:35 AM

I thought I was going insane or looking at the screen for too long. Mine does it from time to time. When I have some time off of school I will take it to the Apple Store and see if they can repair it. Maybe I'll be able to get that deal where I get to keep my Macbook until the parts arrive.

frankthetank966 · Oct 25, 2006, 08:36 AM

Originally Posted by iMacYouMac

I had the same issues. Originally I had the orange plastic issue. I sent that in and got it fixed. Then it started flickering. I sent it in and they replaced some LCD stuff. I got it back and it worked great for a week. Then it started again. Sent it in and they said they couldn't replicate it. I got it back and it still did it. Then they made me bring it to a computer repair place locally to have a mac guy verify the issue. He called and then I was able to get a replacement. Needless to say I got the iMac instead. I've always been a PC guy but recently I started using Macs to record my music. Apple hardware is beautiful but I think sometimes they sacrifice functionality for form. A thin laptop like that with that great processor and there is one fan and one vent in the back. I know they don't like fan holes and stuff like that but it is a computer, it produces heat, so design it to run how it should. I don't care if I see fans on the bottom of my laptop..... my eyes are never really focused there. So far I'm happy with the iMac but internet work is not as fast as on a PC at all.

at first I thought Airport was better but now I have noticed wireless internet on a PC (MIMO) is faster thanthe Airport.

seanc · Oct 25, 2006, 02:10 PM

Well if the PC is using 802.11n (which uses MIMO technology) then of course it wil be faster.