[gkrykewy]

My brand new iBook just arrived (first Apple computer since an Apple IIC in like 1987). Overall, I'm extremely impressed with the build quality and setup process, as I expected to be. I do have just one minor question about the LCD screen however. First, I have no dead pixels (thank God - I hate those). However, I've noticed that certain areas along the bottom of the screen appear to be slightly darker than the rest of the screen. Particularly the bottom right corner. I'm really anal about stuff like this, so I know that it's mostly just me - even if there is a slight issue. It's slight to the point that if I look very closely at the corner, I don't see any discoloration at all. But I was just wondering if anyone else has noticed anything like this, whether it is normal, etc.

[gkrykewy]

I also noticed, when playing around with the screen saver, that I get sort of a sparkling effect. For example, pixels that should maybe be a dark orange flash a brighter oranger for a second. This is most noticable in the 'flurry' screen saver, when there are tons of little lit up pixels between the main 'strands.' But I also noticed it in the cosmos screen saver (much less noticable there). I haven't seen this anywhere but in the screen saver, but I don't think it happens on my fiance's G3 Pismo.

[gkrykewy]

Okay, the sparkling thing isn't the fault of the screen. It happens on an external monitor too, so it must be a software thing, a video card thing, or intentional. Sorry for sort-of diagnosing my computer in a public forum here! But maybe it will be of interest to someone else.

[gkrykewy]

Related to the screen saver question, I notice now that I see what occasionally appear to be dead pixels, but if I move a window over them or mouse over them, they disappear. I.e. they appear to be transient dead pixels, and they look like the flashing pixels I described for the screensaver. Should I be concerned about this?

[gkrykewy]

Ugh, and those show up on the external monitor too, so again, it's not the screen. Weird!

[Usual Suspects]

nice monologue you're having here ;-)

serious, i can't help you, but keep us updated about your findings as i'm about to buy an iBook... and i'm rather picky on display quality!

[f1000]

Originally posted by gkrykewy:
However, I've noticed that certain areas along the bottom of the screen appear to be slightly darker than the rest of the screen. Particularly the bottom right corner. I'm really anal about stuff like this, so I know that it's mostly just me - even if there is a slight issue. It's slight to the point that if I look very closely at the corner, I don't see any discoloration at all. But I was just wondering if anyone else has noticed anything like this, whether it is normal, etc.

Yes, the backlighting on my PowerBook is uneven at the edges, too.

[gkrykewy]

Well, thanks for answering that question, anyway! I'm really at a loss with the other issue. I guess I'll call Apple ASAP and see what they say. I'd think it has to be either an issue with the video card/processor or some sort of software/driver issue, as again, it happens on the external monitor too. But I don't think I'll have a chance to call Apple until Wednesday, so if anyone has any suggestions until then, please let me know.

[gkrykewy]

Oh, maybe I should note that I tried a DVD (I had a theory, based on the screen saver issue, that it was related to stuff moving on the screen), but the problem was not maniftested there. It seems as if it only happens using the regular OS (moving windows around, viewing the screen saver).

[gkrykewy]

Just by way of an update, I think the issue is in certain pixels refreshing too slowly (i.e. for a little while, they get stuck on the color they had just displayed). Again, this is not a pixel-by-pixel issue, but a more systemic issue.

[f1000]

Try running the following program,

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/11661

[gkrykewy]

Thanks -- I tried the software, and as I expected, there were no dead pixels. Like I said, this occurs on an external display too, so it's not the LCD. I almost think it's a corrupted display driver or something. Could I get other iBook owners to just check their computers using the Flurry screen saver and see if there are pixels outside the colored streaks that make the whole pattern appear as if it's 'glittering.' New iBook owners running 10.3.3 in particular would be very helpful to hear from.

[gkrykewy]

OKAY --

I think I may have a lead/idea here. I mentioned that certain of these 'stray pixels' appear on my normal desktop as well, but that they disappear/go back to normal when I mouse over them. However, this is NOT TRUE. They only disappear when I move a window over them (i.e. I can like 'wipe them off' by moving an open window over them and back). I think this has GOT to be an Open GL / Quartz issue. And like I said earlier, I suspect it's an OS / driver issue rather than a hardware issue. Am I right in thinking that the DVD would not be playing through Open GL, and that would be why it didn't experience the same issue?

[gkrykewy]

By way of yet another update, I ran the Apple Hardware Test (thorough version) on the OS DVD, and it found no hardware problems with my video RAM. Also, regarding the screen saver, when I have that preference panel open, the little 'preview box' for the flurry screen saver displays the pixel weirdness, but the surrounding window and rest of my desktop is fine. I wish I could just re-download the open GL driver from someplace or something.

[gkrykewy]

Allright! I'm very happy to report that Apple support somehow solved my problem. What they had me do was start in safe mode (holding shift on startup) to see if the problem was replicated there. It wasn't, so they had me restart in normal mode, but it was gone there too! Their only idea therefore was that it might have been related to something in the temporary files that safe mode cleared out. They really had no idea why it was fixed, and neither do I, but I'm very happy about it. The only negative is that in describing the problem to them, I noticed that 2 of my pixels have apparently died a quite untimely death, which is annoying (but within spec). However, as dead pixels go, these aren't so bad - one is fairly central, but they both show up only as gray on black, which I can live with (until/unless two more show up!).

As an aside, I wasn't expecting much from Apple support based on various horror stories in forums, but the guy I talked to was extremely helpful and seemed to know what he was talking about. Also, he did not have an indecipherable foreign accent, which is always good in tech support. Anyway, in case anyone has the same problem as me with their new iBook, the solution is simply to restart in safe mode once.

[BobVB]

Originally posted by gkrykewy:
Thanks -- I tried the software, and as I expected, there were no dead pixels. Like I said, this occurs on an external display too, so it's not the LCD. I almost think it's a corrupted display driver or something. Could I get other iBook owners to just check their computers using the Flurry screen saver and see if there are pixels outside the colored streaks that make the whole pattern appear as if it's 'glittering.' New iBook owners running 10.3.3 in particular would be very helpful to hear from.

Just ran the pixel check - not a single dead or sticky pixel! Ran the flurry screednsaver and can't see anything that gives me a 'glittering' impression - very smooth transition from the brightest center to the darkest edge.

Probably shouldn't look too close or it will be like the orginal 'humm' on the orginal iPod - once you heard it you could never NOT hear it.

[SupahCoolX]

God helps those who help themselves, so it appears gkrykewy is in good shape!
I had no idea how to fix the issue you were having, but I had a blast reading you talk your own way through it.

[gkrykewy]

Well, crap has prevailed, and the issue returned. Apple support seems fairly mystified, but they're pretty sure it's a software issue since it never happens on a safe mode boot. The screen saver is super slow on a safe mode boot, so I suspect that safe mode disables open GL drivers, which is really where I think my problems lie. As I type this (on my PC!), I'm currently reinstalling OSX fresh (after a format) based on Apple's recommendation. The guy told me that if this doesn't work, I'll have to send my computer to them because it might be something with the memory (???). However, I've already run the apple hardware test utility, and it found no problems with the memory. So hopefully this works. I've read of people having Open GL issues with previous OSX releases, and I sort-of suspect that this is one of those. At some point, I'll download a firmware update or OS update and it will be gone (and replaced no doubt by two other annoyances of equal magnitude).

Anyway, if I do end up having to send it to them, I'm sure as hell going to take it to a local service center, show it to them, and have them send it (I just know that with my luck, the service center would have a lucky, glitch-free boot, pronounce me cured, and send my unit back).

As an aside, I think it's really cool that the plastic on the interior of the iBook (around the screen and keyboard, etc) seems to be the same color as the casing of my old Apple IIC. This computer is fun, even if it is a pain in the a$$.

[gkrykewy]

Interestingly, this thread on another forum related to an ATI 9800 glitching on a PC is identical to the types of glitches I'm seeing.

http://www.pchardwareforum.com/showt...threadid=18720

Also, I found a very reliable and obvious way to show the glitching. If I play the included Tony Hawk game (a 3d game), the glitching is very obvious. On the boots when it occurs (which seem to be mostly after the computer has been idle for awhile), there is glitching on both a pixel-by-pixel basis, as shown in the image in the thread above, and also things like missing textures. Note that I say it occurs mostly on a fresh/cold boot [this is interesting in that the responses in the PC thread linked above seem to indicate that this sort of thing is a heat issue, which my experience is sort-of the opposite of]. This is definitely a 3d card issue, either in terms of drivers/OS or hardware. I'll be taking my iBook to a service center tomorrow.

[gkrykewy]

Below is a screenshot of the screensaver preview window displaying the glitching I'm talking about (finally) to prove that I'm not insane (should be useful to show to Apple as well).