[HotPotato]

Hi,

I've been reading around and am really keen on getting a Powerbook (my first mac :-D). However I find this dead pixel talk a bit disconcerting.

My question is this: Do the new Powerbooks (12" 1.33 and 15"-17" 1.5) have problems with the dead pixels? If so which ones are worst known for this problem (i.e. which should I avoid?

Thanks,
HotPotato

[Person Man]

Originally posted by HotPotato:
My question is this: Do the new Powerbooks (12" 1.33 and 15"-17" 1.5) have problems with the dead pixels? If so which ones are worst known for this problem (i.e. which should I avoid?)

I don't think it's a question of which PowerBook you should avoid. AFAIK, there is no one computer that has more dead pixel problems than another, unless the computer manufacturer specifies that the LCDs they use have no dead pixels (which would DRAMATICALLY raise the cost of the screen).

Most manufacturers say that a certain percentage (which is extremely small, in practice) of screens with dead pixels is an acceptable trade off in terms of price of the screen. When you consider that a screen with 1280 x 960 resolution has well over 3.6 million individual red, green, and blue pixels, and each pixel has its own transistor controlling it, it's pretty amazing to think that most screens don't have problems to begin with.

As far as policy for replacing the screen goes, each computer company has different rules. Not all of them disclose their policies, however. Apple does not. But it seems that they will not replace the screen unless there are more than 4-5 dead pixels clustered together in a given spot, or more than that scattered. Obviously a whole line of dead pixels would be a candidate for replacement.

My advice is this: just get whatever PowerBook you want. If it has a dead pixel (or two), try massaging it out. If that doesn't work, while it may bother you for a while, eventually you learn to ignore it. Now, if you're willing to go to the trouble, you could find a place that will let you inspect the machine before you buy it, or even let you take it back no questions asked. (Apple does neither at their stores-- well, they may let you examine the machine before you buy it, but that's the exception, not the rule). Keep in mind, though, that sometimes, dead pixels may not show up until a few weeks after you have the machine.

That said, I have owned two PowerBooks. The first one was a 400 MHz Lombard (bronze keyboard PowerBook G3 1999), which had a stuck pixel about an inch from the top of the screen and 6 inches from the left edge. It was stuck in Blue, and I only noticed it when the screen was black. Flexing the edge of the screen would make it turn off and act normally for a while. The current one is a Titanium PowerBook G4 1 GHz machine, that has had no pixel problems that I can see.

[Babar]

FYI, I just received by new PBook 15' 1.5, 128VRAM, 80gb 5400rpm and it screams.

I don't have a single dead pixel on this screen, it looks gorgeous. I previously had a PBook 15' 667 DVI and it did not have a single dead pixel.

Go ahead, get the pbook, it's an amazing machine!

[GILBERT948]

Originally posted by Babar:
FYI, I just received by new PBook 15' 1.5, 128VRAM, 80gb 5400rpm and it screams.

I don't have a single dead pixel on this screen, it looks gorgeous. I previously had a PBook 15' 667 DVI and it did not have a single dead pixel.

Go ahead, get the pbook, it's an amazing machine!

YES!!!!!! What Babar said!!! I have his machine also and it POSITIVELY SCREAMS!!!

Joe

[Bonne]

I have the same machine listed above and I also don't have a dead pixel problem. It's perfect!