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pete · Nov 17, 2005, 01:23 PM

After receiving a new powerbook with the lines AND a protruding dent above the display release button as well as a defect space bar, I immediately returned it to Amazon for a refund. Then I thought about it and decided to ask amazon for a replacement instead. Why not give it another go, right?

Well, I just received my replacement and was still kind of excited about opening the box. I booted it up: no dead pixels, space bar working, horizontal lines there but I knew that. Felt promising. Popped in a DVD to make sure the drive was working. No problem, except THERE IS NO SOUND ON THE RIGHT SPEAKER. NONE. I've checked sound in system preferences and even played around with the audio mid app in the utilites folder, but it's dead. Completely dead.

So there we go. Another lemon. Going back this afternoon. Now I feel even more disillusioned about all this. What should I do?

: (

brokenjago · Nov 17, 2005, 01:44 PM

Try one more. The third time's the charm!

Seriously though. Go for another one. How can you live life without your sexy powerbook?

jhogarty · Nov 17, 2005, 01:48 PM

Sorry about your problems. I've decided to wait a bit on my Powerbook purchase. Instead there are some upgrades I'm going to do to my box - video card and RAID volume for editing. I also still need to grab a mini to replace my server, but that will need to wait. Just bought an eMac for my brother to replace his POS windows antique.

J.

pete · Nov 17, 2005, 01:54 PM

The sound suddenly started working! It works! Yeah, the new $2000 powerbook WORKS! Maybe it was just my negativity that made it not want to speak...

If it stops working again, it will go back. You're right though, It's really really hard to live life to the fullest without a sexy powerbook....

iomatic · Nov 17, 2005, 01:58 PM

Run a hardware test with the included CD.

irockdabari · Nov 17, 2005, 02:18 PM

Call me crazy.. but I think I may have heard something where apple eliminated one of the speakers on the powerbooks. Anyone else heard this?

brokenjago · Nov 17, 2005, 02:23 PM

They didn't eliminate the entire right speaker, they just eliminated the little hole that served as a third speaker.

Or something.

And if you decide to send it back, well....

You could always give it to me

.

I'm saving up for my Mac. Don't have one yet.

teknopimp · Nov 17, 2005, 02:25 PM

Originally Posted by irockdabari

Call me crazy.. but I think I may have heard something where apple eliminated one of the speakers on the powerbooks. Anyone else heard this?

i think it was a third 'mid-range' speaker (can't remember where i heard that).

pete · Nov 17, 2005, 02:40 PM

did the hardware test and everything passed. Speaker working as it should. I re-calibrated the LCD with supercal and I really think the lines are negligible. Will post pictures soon.

wildcard · Nov 17, 2005, 02:42 PM

How's the refresh rate? Any headaches/eye strain compared to the old one you sent back?

pete · Nov 17, 2005, 03:12 PM

I don't notice the subtle flickering (more like a vibration of pixels) as with the other screen. That said, I do think I need more time to get used to how small the UI is. I can definitely feel it in my eyes more than with the previous resolution, but for most apps it doesn't matter since I can increase the size of things. I'll have to use it more to really have an opinion though.

brokenjago · Nov 17, 2005, 03:15 PM

I think you should send it to me for.... uh

a second opinion....

That's right.

PeterKG · Nov 17, 2005, 03:25 PM

Originally Posted by pete

I don't notice the subtle flickering (more like a vibration of pixels) as with the other screen. That said, I do think I need more time to get used to how small the UI is. I can definitely feel it in my eyes more than with the previous resolution, but for most apps it doesn't matter since I can increase the size of things. I'll have to use it more to really have an opinion though.

Hey Pete,

I returned my first one because all of the sudden the screen went black. The new one is perfect, except it does have the horizontal lines, but I seriously have to be cross eyed to see them. But I was going to suggest that you do a clean install right off the bat. This could remove whatever quirk that caused your speaker to not work. Plus you can get a clean install minus uneeded printer drivers, and languages, fonts, etc. Enjoy!

wildcard · Nov 17, 2005, 03:36 PM

Originally Posted by pete

I don't notice the subtle flickering (more like a vibration of pixels) as with the other screen. That said, I do think I need more time to get used to how small the UI is. I can definitely feel it in my eyes more than with the previous resolution, but for most apps it doesn't matter since I can increase the size of things. I'll have to use it more to really have an opinion though.

This is really good to hear. I could deal with the lines as is if I *HAD* to, but if DisplayConfigX was right and these things only got 40-50 Hz refresh rates, I'd rather claw my eyes out that have to use a migraine-inducing screen.

jhogarty · Nov 17, 2005, 03:40 PM

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you. Please keep us updated and post those pictures when you can.

J.

iBorg · Nov 18, 2005, 01:29 AM

Congrats, Pete - good to hear your replacement is working better for you! Keep us updated, let us know how the "lines problem" goes with time, and post some pics when you get a chance!

You'd gone through enough agonizing about your purchase - glad you've been rewarded for your patience!

iBorg

pete · Nov 18, 2005, 02:43 PM

So, everything still working well. I want to write a review with pictures this weekend - can anybody tell me a good way to take pictures of the LCD? It seems like no matter how I try, they end up with artefacts and it's hard to see the actual display. I'm using a nikon D70 with a 50mm 1.8 lens.

Thanks.

Pete

wildcard · Nov 18, 2005, 04:22 PM

Well, I got my replacement Powerbook as well (Serial W8540)...

I haven't had much time to test it out so far since I'm at work, but here's my quick impressions....

*Lines are still there, but seem to be less noticeable than on my W8542 laptop
*Refresh rate not an issue-good news for those getting headaches or other signs of eyestrain; those with symptoms should get their powerbook exchanged ASAP.
*Shoutout to Pete for recommending SuperCal. It does mitigate the effects of the lines to a great deal.
*No other apparent build issues (haven't tested sound/Superdrive, etc)

pete · Nov 18, 2005, 10:10 PM

My battery suddenly died today. All I did was unplug the computer (the charge light was green) and it lasted for about 5 mins and then everything went blank. I reset the pram and then got a battery time of 56+hours, but it still just lasted a few minutes. 56 hours would have been nice - talk about calibration! The lights on the bottom indicated full charge one moment and then just one blinking light the next. I checked the apple forums and there are apparently quite a few people with battery problems out there.

I've decided I'm not going to accept this. I don't feel like calling applecare on the second day of having it and, besides, I have no idea what the problem is so it worries me. I'm going to return it for a refund and then wait a few weeks until there is more clarity about what is going on with the screens and batteries and usb connections and what not.

If it weren't for the wonderful OS and the beautiful hardware (when it works, which it most has in the past), this would be a time when I would seriously consider switching over. But I won't.

Oh, one last thing: when I was deleting my account, the powerbook also started making a kind of loud pitched noise that continued whenever there was any activity. It had been completely silent prior to that...since yesterday that is.

Hope you all have better luck!

Pete

iomatic · Nov 19, 2005, 04:35 PM

Sounds bad, have them replace it.

Sorry to hear your bad luck.

pete · Nov 19, 2005, 07:55 PM

I guess it is bad luck, although it seems like anybody buying a powerbook now runs the risk of encountering some kind of problem. It may have just been a batch though. I certainly hope so.

I would ask for another replacement if I believed that it would arrive without any defects, but I don't. If anybody knows where I can get one of the older generation 1.67ghz new from a shop with a 'free' return policy, please let me know! I'm perfectly happy with the older version, but given my recent experience I really don't want to buy from a place that doesn't allow me to return it if something is wrong. Nothing is worse than paying so much money for a laptop and then having to have it repaired immediately.

If I can't find one, I'll try to wait until the issues have been addressed. It's REALLY hard not having my own computer and I feel I'm suffering serious withdrawal...

Good night, and good luck.

Pete

iomatic · Nov 19, 2005, 09:01 PM

If it's any consolation, mine is perfect.

knock on wood

iCol · Nov 19, 2005, 10:59 PM

Pete, it sounds as though you have the Mac-curse. One of my friends experienced this...

He was a PC head, Windows all the way, but over time I convinced him that the Mac was the way forward, he had fallen in love with my then iBook, and Mac OS X... and the iPod.

So, he got an iBook. And it was hell. Everything that could go wrong did, he couldn't use his machine on his unversity network, there were bugs and hardware defects, he had it replaced about 4 times for one thing or another, ranging from a cluster of about 50 dead pixels, to a failed logic board, bad battery, and bad hard disk.

He eventually got a refund and bought a new wintel laptop.

However, about a year later he jumped back and got a first edition PB 12". You know, the ones plagued with loads of hardware defects: annoyingly loud constant fans, yadda yadda. I warned him about Rev A machines, but...

Macs don't seem to like some people. On the uphand, he is now happy in the Mac world... it all seemed to smooth out eventually!

pete · Nov 20, 2005, 12:33 PM

The truth is I've always been very grateful for the troublefree experience I've had with my macs. And nothing made me more grateful than using a thinkpad T40 for a few months rcently (love the hardware, hated the OS). I've had quite a few experiences with repair of apple computers, but on the whole nothing too bad and always resolved professionally and courteously by Apple. At least I've never had a computer completely break down on me. However, I've always noticed that there have been more quality issues over the past year or so than ever before. I accept the fact that a certain percentage of macs coming from the factory will have some sort of problem, but it's saddening when two powerbook in a row are defect, not to mention all the other stories out there of people who have problems with their books. Compare it to the previous generation - where are all those people now? I suspect happily using their powerbooks. Something went wrong with this generation of aluminum powerbooks and I don't know what. Perhaps Apple decided to skimp on quality control, or perhaps the company they use skimped on the quality of parts. I have no idea. The fact remains though that buying a new powerbook today is a gamble.

So: my macs have liked me most of the time, but this last generation of powerbook not only does not like me, they don't really seem to like anybody....

Tedster · Nov 29, 2005, 10:57 AM

Hey guys, i'm new here, just got a refurb Powerbook 15, 1.67gh from Apple. My right speaker is really weak also, so I sent the laptop back to Apple thinking it was bad and they sent me another one and this one has the same thing, the right speaker is weak so I think thats how most Powerbooks are. I've played with the balance in the system prefs, and when I move the balance all the way to the right speaker, i hear sound in the left speaker also, and when i move it to the left speaker, I dont hear anything in the right one and when I move it to the middle, the right one is way weaker. So I think you guys are right, they must have made the right one weaker for some dumb reason, probably cuz the power button is there and they didnt have much room for stuff... what do you guys think?
Thanks, Ted

wildcard · Nov 29, 2005, 12:00 PM

I believe the subwoofer is housed in the left speaker enclosure. That might explain the difference in response.

pete · Nov 29, 2005, 12:40 PM

I think they should be the same, except that the subwoofer is more toward the left so it sounds like there is more coming out of the left. In any case, the unit I had had no sound coming out of the right at all when I got it, which is definitely not normal. The one I have now (previous generation 1.67) is normal.

Tedster · Nov 29, 2005, 01:19 PM

So Pete - by "normal" do you mean that the right speaker is still weaker than the left on the PB you have now?

Tedster · Nov 29, 2005, 05:52 PM

Do you all have this speaker problem on your Powerbooks? Or just some of us? Maybe you guys can check when you get a chance and let us know... Thanks.

Tedster · Nov 29, 2005, 05:52 PM

Do you all have this speaker problem on your Powerbooks? Or just some of us? Maybe you guys can check when you get a chance and let us know... Thanks.

Tedster · Nov 29, 2005, 05:53 PM

Do you all have this speaker problem on your Powerbooks? Or just some of us? Maybe you guys can check when you get a chance and let us know... Thanks.