Dead pixel on otherwise perfect MPB..keep or call Apple?

[afultz075]

Just got my first Mac ever on Tuesday..a 2.4ghz glossy MBP. Very pleased with it but noticed on the second day that it has a dead pixel about 3.5 inches up and 2 inches to the left from the lower right corner. This is my third laptop i've owned in my lifetime and also the most expensive by nearly $1000 so it really makes me uneasy that this is the only one to have a dead pixel.
Other than that..this MPB doesnt have any of the other issues like warping of the top case or lower 1/3 yellowing.
Now my question is, what are fellow MPB owners on this board doing about dead pixels. Living with it or calling up Apple? I've read on this board that Apple does replace computers due to one dead pixel with enough persistence. I'm really unsure right now what to do as I realize that a replacement could have an issue that bugs me far worse like a yellow lower 1/3 of the screen.

Also, I notice that if i'm listening to itunes and pause the song or after I close the program there is a static sound for about 30 seconds afterward. Is this an inherent issue?

[iW00t]

1 dead pixel is "within spec"

[SteveM8]

Out of the three I had, there were no dead pixel problems on any - just the yellowing, warped case, freeze ups, kernel panics and broken return key.

The 3rd one is perfect in every way, and I am now happy. (unless something pops up in the next couple days)

I have found apple does NOT like to take a return or exchange. They gave me hassles every time and they seem to be trained to make you feel bad for returning something.

[UltraNEO*]

1 dead pixel is "within spec"

You can have up to 7 dead pixels, in one square inch before it's considered outta "spec" - those are really rare. If your not happy, you'll have to find another fault with your system.

[Jestered]

If you want to exchange it.... If you purchased it within 14 days, just take it back and tell them that you want to get a refund. After you get your money back, go get another one.

One stuck or dead pixel is in spec and Apple will not replace it no matter how persistent you are.

The problem with that is you may end up with another one that has the other problems that people on this board are talking about.

You can return the computer within 14 days without an explanation. Then get another one.

I wouldn't tell them anything about the dead pixel if this is what you plan to do.

[iW00t]

What I would (really) do is to take a hammer to it and ring them to say my machine came out of the box with a dent immediately. That you waited so many days.... you have lost the case for that option.

If it bothers you complain immediately. Don't go all soft and mushy and look at its good attributes while deciding if the flaw is worth ditching the machine for.

[SteveM8]

Problem is that if you just return it they charge you a restock fee

[PDE]

Have you tried massaging the dead pixel? If you're lucky it will take care of it.

Otherwise, surely there is something else wrong with it? Something....maybe you should let me take a look at it??? I'm known to be able to find faulty with even the most perfect machine!

If not, Iwoot's advice seems good.

[Mr Fusion]

Problem is that if you just return it they charge you a restock fee
Not if you yell at them enough. :D

Seriously. Yell at them. They will not charge you if you make a scene. :apple:

[WillMak]

They don't have to exchange it due to just one dead pixel but I would personally make a fuss until they do. Noone should have to get dead pixels after shelling out that sort of cash for a MBP. If you're already feeling uneasy about having a dead pixel....imagine how annoying it's going to be when you watch movie in full screen! You'll have that little tiny spot showing up constantly....it'll drive anyone crazzzzzyyyyy!

[henhowc]

Don't listen to these guys who think that returning a LCD with dead pixels is a lost cause. A lot of stores will shoot you down but its NOT out of the realm of possibility. It really depends on the manager at the particular Apple store and whoever you get on the phone.

I had one dead pixel on my new MBP and I took it back to my school's apple retailer the same day. At first they gave me the whole spiel about the industry standard and the within spec BS. I insisted that they at least have the hardware repair guys in the back look at it.

So they had me fill-out a work order. The whole time the manager kept telling me how he had a dead pixel on his own laptop and he couldn't get Apple to exchange it and saying that it is very unlikely that Apple will authorize an exchange. I get a call about a hour later from one of the repair guys informing me that Apple authorized an exchange and would be mailing them a new one (they were out of stock of the 2.2 MBP at the time).

Its a crap shoot but it really is worth a shot. Going in sooner rather than later will probably increase the likely hood of them doing an exchange. That plus you bitching them out (be nice about it though). :)

[Erasmus]

It is worth it for Apple to spend a few hundred dollars on a unhappy customer if that means they keep that customer in the future.

Apple wants you to be happy, and therefore if you care about a dead pixel so much to complain, they will probably fix it. If someone refuses, go find another guy.

If there's anything wrong with your computer at all, it can't hurt to try and get it fixed.

[Macbie]

It will depend on how good or arsehead your local store's manager do his business, right now my credit card company is helping negotiate with my local store. I guess some of you guys heard what happened to me, on 6/18 after I brought the MBP back to return, the next day I gave the store a bad shopper's experiences feedback online. So then next day after my bad feedback, the actual manager in charged (not the one I spoke to initially, he was just temporary in charged at the time) called me back and want to find out why I gave his store a bad rep.

I told him what happened to the MBP I brought back and what his genius bar noob told me about the 7 bad pixels in one square inch area rule, which surprised, surprised, he told me he has no idea how the genius noob came up with that number. I told him and insisted him to give me a darker room and let me show him.

So he offered me a deal to comeback and get another one minus the 10% I got hit, however his deal was not based on that he believed the MBP I returned was actually bad but based on my bad feedback. He then said if I don't take it, which I didn't, he made it clear like some mentioned here what other managers told them, if I get another one with minor flaws I can't exchange again, not without the 10%. Also he can't refund me the 10% since Apple store rule all returns will hit with the restocking fees, because that's how much they need to lower to resell. That's BS because if an item is defect within 14days then that customer should entitled for full refund.

I mean after all the things I have been through in his store, no freaking way I will go back there again for anything, just like a poster here told me he rather drive extra miles to a different store for better services. I am sure everyone here whom paid top notch dollars for top notch machines all prefered some high standard services and not being treated like crap.

[djinn]

What I would (really) do is to take a hammer to it and ring them to say my machine came out of the box with a dent immediately. That you waited so many days.... you have lost the case for that option.

If it bothers you complain immediately. Don't go all soft and mushy and look at its good attributes while deciding if the flaw is worth ditching the machine for.

I never thought of that idea.. just a small little ding eh? Kudos for iW00t. now release the apple activist on us for not being honest blah blah blah.....

[Macbie]

What I would (really) do is to take a hammer to it and ring them to say my machine came out of the box with a dent immediately. That you waited so many days.... you have lost the case for that option.

If it bothers you complain immediately. Don't go all soft and mushy and look at its good attributes while deciding if the flaw is worth ditching the machine for.

LOL, actually there is a protection plan in certain visa, mastercard, or amex cards, that if you lose the item to theft or acidental damages they might cover your repair cost or replace you with a new one within the first 90days

[Anonymous Freak]

Before you deal with sending it back, try to fix it.

My Google-fu is failing me at the moment, but there are utilities that basically cycle your display through many colors and high contrast differences really fast, that can 'unlock' a stuck pixel (even one stuck off, but not one that is truly dead.) You should also try applying mild pressure at the dead pixel point to try to 'massage' it alive.

I've seen both techniques work in the past. Especially on brand new displays.

[djinn]

LOL, actually there is a protection plan in certain visa, mastercard, or amex cards, that if you lose the item to theft or acidental damages they might cover your repair cost or replace you with a new one within the first 90days

Usually that includes a police report, too much of a PITA.

[Macbie]

Usually that includes a police report, too much of a PITA.

how about acidentall drop the machine and claim opps:eek:

[djinn]

how about acidentall drop the machine and claim opps:eek:

I suppose that would work. I would verify with my CC/insurance company before doing so. Thats one cool thing I like about my Dell, accidental coverage.

[scaredpoet]

I suppose that would work. I would verify with my CC/insurance company before doing so. Thats one cool thing I like about my Dell, accidental coverage.


Just hope they don't find this thread. Those protection plans on credit cards ARE insurance plans, and insurance fraud is a hard rap to beat.

[HungrySeacow]

Keep it! Every mac is different and you will be likely to find an issue with the next one. I made that mistake when my iMac had an off-centered screen. I had to go trough another 5 before I was given one with uniform colors.

[Macbie]

Keep it! Every mac is different and you will be likely to find an issue with the next one. I made that mistake when my iMac had an off-centered screen. I had to go trough another 5 before I was given one with uniform colors.

Or just let the problem come to you, don't try to go find the problem, live longer that way, haha.:p .

[afultz075]

Thank you all for the advice. I'm still unsure of what I will do. I'm gonna give it another day. The pixel is black so i'm assuming it's dead...but is there any chance for it to be repaired? I have the pixel fixer widget that flashes colors but I have my doubts that it'll work since it appears dead. How long does it need to run before it normally fixes a pixel?

[whateverandever]

1 dead pixel is "within spec"

I wish they would tell me where I agreed to this spec when purchasing the machine.

I can't recall signing anything that says "it's ok if the screen is just a little broken, I don't mind."

[Macbie]

Thank you all for the advice. I'm still unsure of what I will do. I'm gonna give it another day. The pixel is black so i'm assuming it's dead...but is there any chance for it to be repaired? I have the pixel fixer widget that flashes colors but I have my doubts that it'll work since it appears dead. How long does it need to run before it normally fixes a pixel?
That's dead and 100% most likely stay dead, even though the genius bar noob at my local store will tell you that's a stuck pixel. If lucky, stuck pixel fixer or the massage methods might work for you with seconds or minutes, next worse case scenario will be hours, or within 2days straight, then you pray either it will disappear on its own or it will like dead pixel, which will stuck there permenantly.

[aaron.lee2006]

Thank you all for the advice. I'm still unsure of what I will do. I'm gonna give it another day. The pixel is black so i'm assuming it's dead...but is there any chance for it to be repaired? I have the pixel fixer widget that flashes colors but I have my doubts that it'll work since it appears dead. How long does it need to run before it normally fixes a pixel?

No they will not repair it for you. It is only ONE dead pixel. They have policies that say you have to have a certain amount before a repair/replacement.

Your out of luck.

[rhagen]

They will not fix it for you, so I don't see how you are unsure what to do.

[epardilla]

Return it! I did with mine which I bought from the apple online store, I called applecare and they made me test the mbp over the phone, and when I said, "Yes, the dead pixels are still there." They authorized a return.

I waited 1 week to get it back, and I decided to take the new unopened fedex-ed mbp to the apple store at the mall---they gave me a hard time when I asked if I could open the mbp box to see if it had a dead pixel again and if it did I asked if I could get another one.

Of course they were NOT willing to help. ----Until I asked to pay for an upgrade to the 2.4 15" mbp. Yeah, money talks, but at least now I have a nice LG screen without dead pixels...

[afultz075]

Well, they're gonna replace it...but not due to the pixel but due to the audio interference issue.

[poke4christ]

I have to say, this is why you don't search for dead pixels. You probably won't notice them. Now that you know it's there it'll bug ya.

[Sopranino]

Don't listen to the posters who are saying that Apple 'won't' to anything for you. As several other posters have mentioned there is always the chance that the Apple store will replace the screen. You certainly won't lose anything by going and talking with them.

You might also want to try a little bit of screen massage, the pixel may actually be just stuck and not dead. A pixel can stick in any colour, including black.

Sopranino

[eenu]

I wish they would tell me where I agreed to this spec when purchasing the machine.

I can't recall signing anything that says "it's ok if the screen is just a little broken, I don't mind."

There has always been a grading system in place for LCD screens. Manufacturers grade the panels and only allow certain panels to be sold for certain applications. For example.... Military and medical use is Grade A.... there are to be no defects, Consumer is down at Grade B or C.

Where it is written i do not know but i would assume apple will have the policy somewhere and it maybe mentioned in dead pixels per square inch or refered to in grades.

[UltraNEO*]

Problem is that if you just return it they charge you a restock fee

I think, there are different rules in regards to 'restocking fees', depending on country. For example, in the United States they'll charge 10% for non-faulty goods. However, in the UK you can return a purchase a few times for an exchange. If your still unhappy, return it a fourth and seeks full cash refund! And there's F'all Apple can do about it.

Though they do ask, that all returns come with complete packaging and receipt (proof of purchase), which is fair...


I returned my MBP about 10 times to date, for various reasons..
I think I'm on my eleventh machine. This one seems fine in every aspects!
Overall, I miss the days when Apple products rolled of the shelf being perfect!

[queshy]

I think, there are different rules in regards to 'restocking fees', depending on country. For example, in the United States they'll charge 10% for non-faulty goods. However, in the UK you can return a purchase a few times for an exchange. If your still unhappy, return it a fourth and seeks full cash refund! And there's F'all Apple can do about it.

Though they do ask, that all returns come with complete packaging and receipt (proof of purchase), which is fair...


I returned my MBP about 10 times to date, for various reasons..
I think I'm on my eleventh machine. This one seems fine in every aspects!
Overall, I miss the days when Apple products rolled of the shelf being perfect!

It's funny how after hearing stories like this people STILL deny that apple has quality control problems. I think I'm on my 8th iPod touch and it still has stuck pixels - just like all the other ones. I've owned a white 24" iMac, 2 white macbooks, a 24" alu iMac, a macbook pro, a 16 gb iPod touch, and a lot of pre-iPod touch ipods, and the ONLY Apple products that weren't defective the first time were the pre-iPod touch iPods and the MacBook Pro.

[Consultant]

It's funny how after hearing stories like this people STILL deny that apple has quality control problems. I think I'm on my 8th iPod touch and it still has stuck pixels - just like all the other ones. I've owned a white 24" iMac, 2 white macbooks, a 24" alu iMac, a macbook pro, a 16 gb iPod touch, and a lot of pre-iPod touch ipods, and the ONLY Apple products that weren't defective the first time were the pre-iPod touch iPods and the MacBook Pro.

You actually don't hear a million of these posts. Out of hundreds of thousands of MBP sold, even if a small %, say 0.01% have issues, that would be 10 for every 100,000. So it might just be the side effect that many more macs are flying off the shelves. So assuming defect rate is the same (arugable, no data exist)

More people * same defect rate = more people complaining about defects

In the service industry, there is always someone who can approve an exchange, you just have to find the right person, be polite and persistent. If the store say they can't help, call. Vise versa.

[queshy]

You actually don't hear a million of these posts. Out of hundreds of thousands of MBP sold, even if a small %, say 0.01% have issues, that would be 10 for every 100,000. So it might just be the side effect that many more macs are flying off the shelves. So assuming defect rate is the same (arugable, no data exist)

More people * same defect rate = more people complaining about defects

In the service industry, there is always someone who can approve an exchange, you just have to find the right person, be polite and persistent. If the store say they can't help, call. Vise versa.

I don't know about that...you make some good points but how do you explain that these "10 macbook pro" stories are much more common for Macs than for windows? Just go on you tube for example. Type in "dell defect" then type in "apple defect". YOu get way more results with "apple defect". Although my case is probably not statistically accurate i.e. the majority don't go through what I did, but I've owned a ton of dell machines and none of them are defective. I think it's just the "all-in-one" form factor that makes them more susceptible to problems. Take the mini for example, or even the Mac Pro. It seems that there are WAY less problems with these machines than with the iMac. I guess with the iMac and the notebooks Apple has double the odds of messing up - i.e. computer + screen.

I think together with the fact that they have poor QC and the fact that they try to be overly-controlling about their return policy leads me to think that yes, indeed, they do have problems. until I see in person an iPod touch with a perfect screen, Apple is unable to produce one.

I do believe that mac users are more vocal, including myself, than the average PC user.

Buying an Apple stuff for me has not been a pleasant experience because more often than not I end up having to return it. Just my $0.02.

[heatmiser]

Apple doesn't particularly give a damn about quality control. Just go to the Apple Store and read reviews for either Magsafe adapter (MB or MBP). Combined, they have over 800 reviews with an average two-star rating. People continue to rate them with one's daily, raising the same issues today people were complaining about in the very first reviews of the adapter. Apple doesn't care. They still haven't made the adapters safer, or redesigned them. They're not going to change the design until someone brings a suit against them. Until then, the problem doesn't exist in AppleLand.

[queshy]

For the OP...if it bothers you call Apple and argue with them. It might take some time and aggravation but eventually you will get a good machine.

[deputy_doofy]

I have a similar problem. I don't have a dead pixel. I have a stuck pixel. Not sure what color it is, bit it almost seems like there's a hole where the tiny pixel should be and I'm actually seeing the light behind the screen - you know, the same light that shines the Apple logo.
I've come to terms with it a year later .

[gnasher729]

Thank you all for the advice. I'm still unsure of what I will do. I'm gonna give it another day. The pixel is black so i'm assuming it's dead...but is there any chance for it to be repaired? I have the pixel fixer widget that flashes colors but I have my doubts that it'll work since it appears dead. How long does it need to run before it normally fixes a pixel?

Type "dead pixel" into Google, that should for example lead you to the Wikipedia article with lots of useful information. One thing it says is that dead pixels, unlike stuck pixels, cannot be fixed too often.

Some manufacturers have a zero dead pixel guarantee, I don't think Apple is one of them. The next best is a "Class II" guarantee: At most two dead or stuck pixels per million pixels, at most five defective subpixels, at most two clusters of defective subpixels, but zero clusters of defective pixels. So for that guarantee, your monitor would be acceptable.

It seems that a store manager can decide on a case by case basis whether to replace the MacBook or not. The best strategy in that kind of situation (as in many others) is to make him _want_ to help you.

[gnasher729]

how about acidentall drop the machine and claim opps:eek:

If discussing how to help people making illegal copies of software is not allowed here, then discussing how to commit fraud should definitely be disallowed.