[nagromme]

Do 15-inchers sold in recent months have screens that vary a lot from top-left to bottom-right?

Edit: NO they don't, and neither do repaired screens--see my final explanation from Apple below. My screen is perfect at last.

I just sent my year-old PB in for service at the last minute... it recently got the white-spot thing a little, and I wanted a new screen "just in case" it got worse. 3 days later (not bad!) it came back fixed, and happily the new screen still has NO dead pixels

BUT... my old screen was far better in one big way: it had VERY little side-to-side variation. You could stand WAY to the side--or above or slouched low--and the screen looked almost like normal! I've never seen an LCD in a laptop even close to that so good regardless of angle. I could slouch or lean on my elbow to one side and not have to re-orient the screen. I could share with other people and they all could see great. I could lean really close to it and not see any odd effects.

The new one they put in loses all those benefits. It has a LOT of variation if you move your head. Move a bit to the left (or up) and everything "fogs" lighter. A bit to the right (or down) and everything darkens--and dark colors solarize into an oily rainbow. And the bottom-right is a lot brighter than the top-left--especially for darker colors and grays.

I know Apple uses multiple different models of 15" display, and maybe I can get used to it--most laptops are like this in some way, and maybe I've just been spoiled--but... IF THIS IS NOT NORMAL, I have 3 months to send it back again A hassle, but I've been working off my iPod while it was away, and I can handle that for another 3 days away.

So, to help me decide if I have an issue...

1. Does your AlBook 15" look a lot brighter in the bottom-right than on the top-left? Look at a dark screen, like the Computer Name screensaver. I see a perfect smooth gradient from black down to a surprisingly washed-out gray.

2. And if you put your face 6 inches from the screen, do dark details (like in a game or dark desktop pic) start to go weird colors in the top left?

3. And how old IS your 'Book's screen?

Many thanks!

(Did Apple maybe scrap that old "nicer" model screen because it was unreliable, and now they're using a "better" model with terrible viewing angle and gradient effect? But if all 15" screens ought to be close in quality, then I definitely have a problem.)

[InterfaceGuy]

My screen has also been replaced due to white spots and my first screen looked better. Now I have no white spots but I do have one pixel out. My screen is brighter in the bottom right and darker in the top left. I do see a gradient in a solid color. Also I have to look at it at a certain angle with the screen slightly tilted back for the best picture. Looking at it from the left it looks dark and washed out. From the bottom the screen looks like the colors are inverted; from the top its very bright and unreadable; but viewing from the right the screen looks normal. Overall I feel the screens contrast looking dead one from in front is a little washed out compared to my first screen with the white spots, which I thought had a better overall picture. The backlighting is just horrible. I have Apple Care but from what I've read on the Apple Support forums I don't know that a replacement screen would look any better. I've been very disappointed in my new screen. I'm interested in hearing what others have to say.

[mnemons]

I have the same problem.

I have a 1.5 Ghz 15" Al PB. And it developed White Spots, the LCD monitor got replaced twice (Sep and Nov). The LCD replaced in Sep was perfect, except for developing White Spots again in 2 weeks. However, this recent one has to be looked at with "limitated view angles."
And the LCD is very bright or I should say the color looks like "metallic". Actually I did find a tiny white spot when I see the LCD from a certain angle. However, because the LCD is very bright, it's hard to really "see" the white spot. You can read the same report here

http://discussions.info.apple.com/[email protected]

I am wondering whether anyone did really get a LCD replacement because of this issue.

[InterfaceGuy]

Apple won't send me a box for this problem. They told me to be sure that it is not operating correctly I'll have to take it to an Apple authorized service center, and I just haven't had the time yet with school and all.

[nagromme]

That's discouraging--sounds like maybe Apple HAS started using some very low-quality 15" LCDs. If that's the case I could no longer recommend this model--something I've done ethusiastically in the past.

Apple told me the same--take it to a service center and have it looked at to see if there's an issue to fix. I hope to do that on Friday.

Whatever answer I get, I'll keep pushing. I'd rather have my OLD spotty screen back!

Fingers crossed for a good resolution.

[MrForgetable]

my screen is fine :shrug:

[nagromme]

How old is your good screen? (Mine was from a year ago, of course.)

I'm finding more instances of these bad screens that are just like I've described--all from the last couple months, and all from repairs, not new units. Hopefully that's coincidence and Apple's not using cheaper parts for repair than for original equipment. It's hard to tell unless someone with a new unit reports the same.

[benwhanlee]

my 1.25 pb had the uneven illumination problem. i had the lcd replaced at the end of august. my replacement screen is just like yours. the color's okay, but if i look at the screen at any sort of angle, the farthest 1/4 of the screen looks considerably darker. i too am bummed about it and am hoping i can just live with it.

[wuzup101]

The screan on my 1.5ghz is beautiful... viewing angle isn't great but I don't have any of the problems you're talking about.

[InterfaceGuy]

I've had my screen replaced two more times now and it still looks the same. And by the same I mean EXACTLY the same. I can't even tell that the screen has been replaced. Its still bright in the bottom right and darker in the top left. I set it side by side with a new PowerBook at my local Apple authorized reseller and showed the tech that it doesn't look the same as the new one. He said they replaced the entire display and he didn't know what else to tell me.

Tell me this... when you are watching a DVD is it normal for the pictures colors to be inverted when looking at it from any angle other than dead on? On mine, to the right the picture is inverted. From the left the picture is washed out. When viewing from dead on its bright at the bottom right, and inverted at the top left. I'll take some pics tonight. I'd really like to know if this is normal and I'm just expecting something you can't get from a PowerBook. I wanted to get a DVD and take a new PowerBook into a dark room, but they said they didn't have any place I could take it to. I'm not sure what to do, but still am not happy with the quality of my screen.

[nagromme]

Here's the final word from Apple:

THIS IS NOT NORMAL. They WILL fix it. Your PowerBook should have a VERY wide viewable angle. An Apple "specialist" made this clear to me, and they DID fix it in the end. My PowerBook screen is now as gorgeous as it shoule be!

More details:

* They are not using a cheaper screen for repairs--there's one Samsung screen they've always used, and it's a good one. (The ol' white spots were caused by a case defect--it damaged the screen, but the screen itself was not the culprit.)

* They do not have lower standards for repair units. This is an occasional issue resulting from a layer of the LCD not being properly polarized. A dud from Samsung in other words, and cause for replacement. But NOT something Apple INTENDS people to put up with.

* Your replacement screen has its own warranty (90 days), so even after your original warranty is up, you can still get this addressed.

And now the bad--from my own frustrating experience and other postings on the Apple board (not enough to be a common pattern--but nor are we alone):

* When Apple replaces a screen and puts in a badly-polarized one, they are likely not to notice it. A default OS X desktop doesn't make it obvious: dark images are what show the problem best.

* When you report the problem and send it back... they might not notice it THEN either!! They seem to look quickly at some things that are common issues, and may fail to notice a more unusual problem like this. (Most of the techs I spoke to at Apple had never seen this polarization issue. One of them had.)

* If you take it to an authorized repair center (I went to CompUSA) and THEY see the problem, and call it in to have that put in your file, and then you send it in for repair... Apple STILL may fail to see it!

* There is nothing you can do to avoid this other than making the problem as clear as possible. See my tips below. BUT once the problem been overlooked once, ask to speak to a "specialist" and have your NEXT repair "flagged for extra attention." I didn't have to ask for that--they said it was automatic if the same problem is sent for repair twice. But that "extra attention flag" or whatever (and some luck?) made Apple see the problem--and fix it--the next time. Too bad it took TWO round trips to Texas...

* My tips for getting the problem noticed: A) Describe it VERY clearly on the phone (they may ignore notes on the screen, so make sure they take down your explanation in detail) and provide an exact method for seeing the problem. For instance tell them exactly where to hold their head--horiz/vert and the distance--and what angle to look from, and what image to use, and what to look for. B) Set your machine to auto-login to a desktop picture that shows the problem. I pulled the Jupiter image out of Apple's space screen saver and told them to look from 45 degress to the right--they'd see that jupiter was DARKER than the black sky.

* If at first you don't succeec, try try again. It's incredibly aggravating, but you're not fighting a losing battle. You paid for a perfect screen and you'll get one.

I never had anyone at Apple suggest that this problem was acceptable, and I never had anyone suggest that it wasn't real. But when it's sitting on the repair bench, it can be overlooked--repeatedly. Don't settle for an average screen when your PowerBook was meant to have a great one.

In your case, it sounds like they may not have replaced the screen at all--which is what happened to me the first time. Maybe you can tell from the paperwork. But hang in there--you'll be glad once you get a perfect screen back. I'd forgotten how good they are SUPPOSED to look!

I'm happy with my resolution, but NOT with the frustration and delay along the way. Thank goodness I have a spare Mac. (And Apple did turn my machine around very fast each time.)