Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

one09jason · Oct 15, 2003, 10:25 PM

I have a new PowerBook 15" Al and I recently developed a new "white spot" that was not there when I first purchased the PowerBook. Let's look at this problem scientifically. I urge all of you with 15" Al PowerBooks to download the desktop image posted as part of today's macfixit article, and post your results here. You may be surprised to find that you have some spots that you didn't know about.

1) download http://www.macfixit.com/images/whitespots.jpg and set as your desktop image. Compare with a solid dark background, such as dark blue.

2) Post:
a) which of the 5 spots you have in order of brightness, brightest first
c) when the appeared (out of the box, 1 week later, etc.
c) if you have any other spots

I will compile the results, and post them here as they come in.

jcgerm · Oct 15, 2003, 10:37 PM

I have 2, 1, and 3...in order from brightest to darkest. I have two more, one up and to the left of 3 and another down and to the right of 5.

I just noticed these today and I got my powerbook just a couple weeks ago.

lunaticbunny · Oct 15, 2003, 11:05 PM

intresting, they match-up almost dead on, except for circle 4, mine is a little more to the left.

Dennis the Phantom Menace · Oct 15, 2003, 11:25 PM

I have 2 small whitespots, but they're not even close to the circles on the .jpg. Mine are to the far left of the screen.

nate_02 · Oct 15, 2003, 11:53 PM

-My spots are 1, 4, and 2.

-1 and 4 are out of box, 2 appeard yesterday (had the PB since Saturday the 11th).

-My screen in general is brighter and more yellow on the right side, and darker and more blue on the left side.

--my spots are definately there, but not as bright as other pictures I have seen.

PowerMatt · Oct 16, 2003, 12:23 AM

This should be sticky. I am still not experiencing any white spots but I will be sure to recomend this thread to everyone.

Great work!

tomfoolry · Oct 16, 2003, 12:33 AM

I have 1, 3, 2, and 5.

1 is by far the most noticable, but 5 is barely there. Inside the 2 circle I actually have 2 different spots. I also have one about an inch and a half to the left of the 3.

I've had my powerbook for about 3 weeks. I first noticed the white spot in circle one about a week and a half ago... and the others have only recently become noticable.

offbalance · Oct 16, 2003, 12:43 AM

i have the star like pattern on #4 starting to form.

chwbauer · Oct 16, 2003, 02:24 AM

I have 3, 1, 2, 5 in the order of brightness. I also have a pretty noticable one to the right of 5

samuellei · Oct 16, 2003, 03:32 AM

7 on spot 4
when I opened the box
very, very upset

CocoPops · Oct 16, 2003, 05:46 AM

I have checked that image.

Spots 1 and 3 are brightest.

However ALL spots line up on my screen with your image!!!

I have escalated this to Apple UK under ref 19944633, they are due to call me back as they are unsure what is happening at the moment

--edit--

I meant to say that, they have become more prominent since getting the pb, I don't remember them being there from opening it first of all etc.

I also spoke to my local Apple Service Centre, they are aware of problem, but are awaiting news of how to progress.

korn · Oct 16, 2003, 05:59 AM

It's the revenge of the spotted iMac I say!

PBG4 User · Oct 16, 2003, 08:49 AM

Either I'm lucky or I'm blind to these spots. I've been running pixel check about once a week to see if I can see these "spots". So far my screen still looks good to me.

dennis88 · Oct 16, 2003, 09:00 AM

I couldn't see any whitespots on mine.

fenster · Oct 16, 2003, 09:08 AM

I have spots at the 1,2,3 locations, about equal brightness. was a bit surprised how well the overlay fit the location of my white spots.
also have a spot that is close to 5, but is horizontally elongated. starts at the bottom of 5, then stretches ~3cm to the right.
appeared 7days after delivery.

machem · Oct 16, 2003, 09:09 AM

It matters when your machine was delivered, also. I'd say put your order date/delivery date in your post.

a holck · Oct 16, 2003, 11:15 AM

Delivery Date: October 10'th.

I got:

( 1 ) Is showing slightly brigheter when viewed at a certain angle.

( 8 ) Another spot not on the jpg. One inch to the left and one inch higher than ( 1 )

SuperHard · Oct 16, 2003, 11:38 AM

I can't see any white spots on a black background or when using whitespot.jpg as my desktop background. I believe my 15" Al book was shipped Sept 25. So far everything on it is perfect. It was a educational BTO version.
Hope the responses are an accurate sampling!

one09jason · Oct 16, 2003, 12:43 PM

UPDATE

So far I have 11 people in this thread responding with white spot data.
Below are the results so far. Of those who have spots, the relative frequency of the spot positions are:

spot 1: 81%
spot 2: 64%
spot 3: 55%
spot 4: 45%
spot 5: 36%
other spots 45%

16% fond spots visible immediately on opening box
83% developed spots later

I am working on a way to examine relative brightness. Will keep you all up to data as more people respond.

mainemanx · Oct 16, 2003, 01:18 PM

I have 1, 3, and 4 ... and about 1.5 to the left of 1 (center to center).

Didn't notice out of the box ...

They are not all that distracting ... but eventually I do want them fixed.

babajazz · Oct 16, 2003, 02:08 PM

and what do we all do about our spots?
I'm so confused, only have one white spot. Should I hold unto it?

one09jason · 02:58 PM

UPDATE:

Getting a bit more organized, here are the latest results...

Dennis the Phantom Menace · Oct 16, 2003, 02:35 PM

I guess tables don't work on this board. Try a Grab of it instead.

Draco · Oct 16, 2003, 05:40 PM

This is all fine and dandy, but what is this going to accomplish?

woodsman · Oct 16, 2003, 10:10 PM

I have 8 spots. I ordered the 15" l PB on day one -- 9-16. The spots do not line up with your circles, except for #5 which is my brightest.

1 --mine are above and below the circle.

2-- mine is above the circle.

3--mine is above the circle.

4--mine is to the left of circle.

5- mine is centered (bright) and also above and to the right.

My white spots have grown since delivery and the spot at circle 5 is now a vertical bar above your circle and with an extension to the right, forming an " L ".

I plan to wait until Apple sorts this out and then get a repair under AppleCare. the brightest spot is beginning to interfere with Photoshop image analysis.

RufusRyker · Oct 16, 2003, 10:29 PM

No white spots on mine. I ordered on 9/16 and got it 2 days later.

smitty825 · Oct 16, 2003, 11:45 PM

No white spots on mine...Ordered 9/18...arrived on 10/9/03...

nate_02 · Oct 17, 2003, 11:16 AM

Originally posted by nate_02:
-My spots are 1, 4, and 2.

-1 and 4 are out of box, 2 appeard yesterday (had the PB since Saturday the 11th).

-My screen in general is brighter and more yellow on the right side, and darker and more blue on the left side.

--my spots are definately there, but not as bright as other pictures I have seen.

I now have a spot starting to appear in 3.

Apple better replace my screen.

iWrite · Oct 17, 2003, 12:01 PM

WW

That really really sucks, you guys.

Maybe THAT is why Powerbooks are seriously delayed? Between that and battery problems, I'm glad I returned mine.

pastrychefdavid · Oct 17, 2003, 07:26 PM

Received my 15" Powerbook 9/24.
About 2 weeks before I noticed them.
#3 is the brightest
#5 is a close 2nd
There is a spot right and a little down from #5 that is very bright
#2 is faint
#1 is very faint
no #4
I have a lot of papers due the next week, so I guess i'll wait a little longer before having it fixed. Otherwise, I love this computer (except for the battery life).

Minty Fresh · Oct 18, 2003, 01:09 AM

I have four spots...

Have had my PB since second week of Sept. '03.

1 - Barely noticeable (not in circle...just below, and to the left)
3 - Slightly noticeable (right on the line, on the left side)
4 - Brighter (about one inch below, and to the left of circle)
2 - Brightest (about two inches to the right of the circle)

2 showed up first, about one to two weeks after I got the PB. 4 showed up shortly after. 3 and 1 came about a week ago.

DigitalDNA · Oct 18, 2003, 04:36 PM

I have 2 and 1 in order of brightness.. odd how they match up almost exactly

hl_keyboard · Oct 18, 2003, 04:43 PM

I have 3 exact, 2 exact and 5 exact, in that order of brightness, I also have two more connected by a thin line to bottom right of 5 and a very faint mark in the bottom of 1.

I called apple today and they want me to send it in, when pressed for a reason that this happens all I got was roughly: this is the result of pressure applied by outside force (us) on the lid.

The rep then asked me how i carry it, and explained that since day one it has been in the same devided laptop bag, and that the problem took around 2 weeks to appear and he replied with roughly: in most cases pressure being applied to the case is the cause but that may not be the reason for you (my) problems.

He seemed to stay very hypothetical and made sure not to blame me, so I'm taking it as silent aknowlegment of the problem. Could have been politness too though.

one09jason · Oct 19, 2003, 09:08 AM

Originally posted by Draco:
This is all fine and dandy, but what is this going to accomplish?

It's meant to be an unbiased way to answer the question: Are these spots random, or are they occuring more frequently in some places than others? If the latter is true, than it tends to point to some QC issue at Apple, rather than random mis-handling or abuse by owners.

one09jason · Oct 19, 2003, 09:15 AM

UPDATE:

These are the latest results. It's interesting that 1 seems to be the brightest spot, 5 the weakest spot, and the others in between in decending order. 1 also seems to be the most frequently reported, and 5 the least frequently reported. There also seem to be a few "other" spots, but 48 spots are one of the 5, while only 8 are other.

beefstu01 · Oct 19, 2003, 06:56 PM

I wish I did that before I sent my 'Book back to Apple... but from what I recall I had 1, 3, 2 and 4. 4 didn't look like a star for me, but rather was more of a squiggly line. But anyway, I sent it off to Apple and they're fixing it right now.

exca1ibur · Oct 19, 2003, 08:41 PM

I have one spot on area 3. I didn't buy from Apple but took into the Applestore to get checked out.

They are guessing that what causes the 'spots' it is heat from the keyboard when the LCD is closed. They thinking it has to do with sheilding issues with the base of Powerbooks, so they recommend to get a replacement than fix it because it might occur again, since if its sent in for repair they will just give you a new LCD and not address the heat issue of the main system.

So I am going to call J&R Wolrd and request a new machine tomorrow. Apple says if you get a PB through a third party they should replace it because the company WILL get reimbursed from Apple since this is a known issue.

Oneota · Oct 19, 2003, 08:52 PM

I can see #1 and #2 on mine (recently developed). I can also see a horizontal-oval-shaped one to the right of #5.

Once Apple comes up with a decent solution, I'll report it. Not much sense in making a fuss about it now, since any replacement is likely to have the same issue.

Mac Boy · Oct 19, 2003, 09:29 PM

No light or dark spots here.

- Ross

stukel1 · Oct 20, 2003, 01:09 PM

I received my 15' Albook on 10/17/03 and it DIDN'T have any white spots and it hasn't developed any in the last three days.

mainemanx · Oct 20, 2003, 01:24 PM

MacBoy and Stukel1 ... relax, we'll be right with you ... sooner, if not later ...

15" AL PB LCD Pox Team

spotze23 · Oct 20, 2003, 01:25 PM

1 and 2 and a third 3cm right below spot 2.

did anyone return his powerbook and got a working one back?
what about the rumor that apple returns only refurbished powerbooks?
how many weeks did the replacement take?

is it possible to get your money back from apple in europe. i can give it back in the first two weeks without a statement.

i had the same problem with my pismo. no white spots but a white line on the bottom of the screen. three replacements. 9 weeks without my new powerbook. that apple. thanks steve.

machem · Oct 20, 2003, 02:05 PM

Spotze, do a search, I got mine back on Friday. Seven (real, non-business) days, door-to-door. So far, so good. I definitely got my PB, not a refurb back.

nate_02 · Oct 20, 2003, 04:24 PM

Originally posted by nate_02:
I now have a spot starting to appear in 3.

Apple better replace my screen.

I sent my PB in today for repair. The earliest I would get it back is Wednesday, although with my luck, it will probably be longer.

The guy at the Apple store said that Apple wasn't even investigating the problem yet.

art_director · Oct 20, 2003, 04:39 PM

sent mine in this weekend via the apple store, minneapolis. told they're running about three days turnaround right now.

aside from spots (pooling) my machine won't boot from utility CDs and will not appear on other machines via target disk mode. been told all will be addressed when i get it back.

powerduck · Oct 22, 2003, 11:15 PM

out of box white spots 2 and 1 in order of brightness. Both are fairly small, 1 is hardly noticeable.

f1uxus · Oct 23, 2003, 10:56 AM

I received my PB instead of the Titanium that my company had ordered. (And I thought it was a good thing at the time!)

My spots started to appear about 2 weeks after I received it, and have worsened.

I have an exact match for 1,2,3,5 and some new spots.
5 is the brightest and also has an equally large and bright vertical spot which forms an "L" off spot 5. (I consider this to be spot number 6).

Next brightest is 3, followed by 1,2, and 4. (4 is a little lower and not a full star)

Also of the same brightness are two new spots, which I'll call 7 and 8.

7 is a small spot about a 1/2" to the right of 5, and closer to the top of 5, but not quite.

8 is a small spot about 1.5" above 5, and above the space between 1 and 5.

I am going to be patient and hope that Apple resolves this satisfactorily. And without having to send it in for "repairs"- I use this PB for work and can't be without it for a week. Besides my boss will FLIP! SHe already hates Macs because of problems the company had with the first apple laptops.

machem · Oct 23, 2003, 01:32 PM

My (once-repaired) 1.25GHz 15" is starting to show spots again.

Starting with #3, I'm sure 1 and 2 will be close to follow.

PoisonTooth · Oct 23, 2003, 02:39 PM

God, what a bummer. Until this clears up (or at least appears to be getting better), I'm holding off on dropping $7K for a dual G5, a 15" PB, and a cinema display. It seems as if this is a borderline chronic problem -- even if your PB shows up with a perfect screen, within a month your display can worsen and start showing the pooling effect.

Incredible for a $2500+ machine.

hl_keyboard · Dec 31, 2003, 09:06 PM

Originally posted by hl_keyboard:
I have 3 exact, 2 exact and 5 exact, in that order of brightness, I also have two more connected by a thin line to bottom right of 5 and a very faint mark in the bottom of 1.

I called apple today and they want me to send it in, when pressed for a reason that this happens all I got was roughly: this is the result of pressure applied by outside force (us) on the lid.

The rep then asked me how i carry it, and explained that since day one it has been in the same devided laptop bag, and that the problem took around 2 weeks to appear and he replied with roughly: in most cases pressure being applied to the case is the cause but that may not be the reason for you (my) problems.

He seemed to stay very hypothetical and made sure not to blame me, so I'm taking it as silent aknowlegment of the problem. Could have been politness too though.

Well I've had it back for about 2 months now and the spots are gone, but since i got it back the Keyboard has been comming unstuck from it's attachement points. The screen is definitly been fine though.

They still have never admitted it was a problem though have they?