Numerous speckles on 1 week-old Macbook Pro glossy screen

id2101 · Sep 19, 2009

Hi all,

I received my 13 inch macbook pro from the online store last Tuesday (September 15th). It's only been four days since I've been using my new laptop but I noticed a tiny speckle on my screen today. At thought it was a piece of dust, or that I had inadvertently made a little scratch on the screen but that didn't seem possible since I'd only travelled with it once since I bought it and the rest of the time it's been sitting on my desktop.

Well, it's been two hours since I noticed that first speck, which actually looks rainbow colored, and I am alarmed to report that the number of specks is rapidly increasing. Now my screen is covered in the specks I gently touched the spots to see if it was external, or if the spots were a result of something going on behind the screen. They feel like tiny bumps, so I think it is external. As I type this, the number of specks continues to increase.

I immediately booked an appointment at the Genius bar and will be going there on Monday. I really do hope they don't blame me for this problem although the fact that my laptop is so new and that the specks are so numerous and uniform should convince them. In the meantime I'm really saddened with my experience with Apple this time around. I have a separate case file with customer service for a defective power adapter (plastic coating melted and exposed silver wires within three days of use).

Anyone have any idea what may be going on my screen? Am I the only one whose had this issue?

SMC1991 · Sep 19, 2009

I'm not sure, but it sounds like you're experiencing dead or stuck pixels.

If that's the case, they won't blame you, and as long as there are enough pixels like that, they should exchange it without hassle.

gr8tfly · Sep 19, 2009

Try a slightly damp lint-free cloth. Or Klear/Klean Screen (even better IMO). Since the seem to be on the surface, and "rainbow" colored, they sound like small [dried] droplets on the screen.

nateharr · Sep 19, 2009

It sounds like it's just dried saliva. Seriously, my friend owned a glossy-screened laptop for a week and I pointed out all of the weird spots all over her screen. They were best seen at an angle. I would get a lightly damp paper towel and gently try to wipe them away.

I think this occurs naturally without thinking if you speak in front of your computer.

I'm sorry if I'm wrong and the problem is more serious however.

gr8tfly · Sep 19, 2009

nateharr said:
It sounds like it's just dried saliva. Seriously, my friend owned a glossy-screened laptop for a week and I pointed out all of the weird spots all over her screen. They were best seen at an angle. ...

I was trying to be subtle.

I have a 17" ubMBP and, for "some reason", I've noticed such "imperfections" from time-to-time myself.

....I would get a lightly damp paper towel and gently try to wipe them away...

But, I wouldn't use paper towel - a cotton t-shirt would be better (it's glass, but I have a phobia against using paper on optical surfaces - even though this is more like a "window").

skye12 · Sep 19, 2009

I use the Monster brand cleaner which comes with a nice large microfiber
cloth. Also great for the large screen LCD TV.

You notice stuff on the glossy screen much easier than on a matte. Just needs
cleaning.

nateharr · Sep 19, 2009

gr8tfly said:
I was trying to be subtle.
I have a 17" ubMBP and, for "some reason", I've noticed such "imperfections" from time-to-time myself.

But, I wouldn't use paper towel - a cotton t-shirt would be better (it's glass, but I have a phobia against using paper on optical surfaces - even though this is more like a "window").

I admit, I t-shirt would be better.

gr8tfly · Sep 19, 2009

My 17" came with a small microfiber cloth - your 13" probably did too. Try just breathing on a spot on the cloth (not blowing, I mean a long "haaaaaaaa" breath), then lightly rubbing the "defect". The moisture on the cloth can sometimes be enough to clean it off. The trick is good when you don't feel like cleaning the whole screen.

(Any microfiber cloth will do, though the one that came with the MBP is a much finer weave than you'll usually find.)

PCMacUser · Sep 19, 2009

gr8tfly said:
My 17" came with a small microfiber cloth - your 13" probably did too. Try just breathing on a spot on the cloth (not blowing, I mean a long "haaaaaaaa" breath), then lightly rubbing the "defect". The moisture on the cloth can sometimes be enough to clean it off. The trick is good when you don't feel like cleaning the whole screen.

(Any microfiber cloth will do, though the one that came with the MBP is a much finer weave than you'll usually find.)

That's the technique I use too and it works like a charm. Luckily the MBP is not sensitive to bad breath.

id2101 · Sep 19, 2009

embarassed

Thanks everyone for the tips.

I went to the CVS bought the closest thing to a screen cleaner: moist wipes for camera lens cleaning and voila, with a little rubbing the specks disappeared. Now I feel like an idiot for freaking out about this. I guess I was feeling paranoid because of the power adapter defect (which, I swear, is not imagined).

I guess I wasn't prepared to the sensitivity of a glossy screen, since my pervious powerbook had a matte screen which seemed to mask spittle projectiles (sorry about the disgusting mental image) very well. Either that or I talk too much.

Anyway, case closed. Thanks again for your help! Saves me a trip to the mac store and embarrassment at the hands of the mac "genius" who will probably tell me to talk less into my computer.

SMC1991 · Sep 19, 2009

id2101 said:
Thanks everyone for the tips.

I went to the CVS bought the closest thing to a screen cleaner: moist wipes for camera lens cleaning and voila, with a little rubbing the specks disappeared. Now I feel like an idiot for freaking out about this. I guess I was feeling paranoid because of the power adapter defect (which, I swear, is not imagined).

I guess I wasn't prepared to the sensitivity of a glossy screen, since my pervious powerbook had a matte screen which seemed to mask spittle projectiles (sorry about the disgusting mental image) very well. Either that or I talk too much.

Anyway, case closed. Thanks again for your help! Saves me a trip to the mac store and embarrassment at the hands of the mac "genius" who will probably tell me to talk less into my computer.

Yep, it happens. The glossy screens show dirt and such much easier than matte, IMHO. There are significant tradeoffs for and against glossy screens.

nateharr · Sep 19, 2009

id2101 said:
Thanks everyone for the tips.

I went to the CVS bought the closest thing to a screen cleaner: moist wipes for camera lens cleaning and voila, with a little rubbing the specks disappeared. Now I feel like an idiot for freaking out about this. I guess I was feeling paranoid because of the power adapter defect (which, I swear, is not imagined).

I guess I wasn't prepared to the sensitivity of a glossy screen, since my pervious powerbook had a matte screen which seemed to mask spittle projectiles (sorry about the disgusting mental image) very well. Either that or I talk too much.

Anyway, case closed. Thanks again for your help! Saves me a trip to the mac store and embarrassment at the hands of the mac "genius" who will probably tell me to talk less into my computer.

I'm glad your problem was fixed.

Sorry about your power adapter. That had to be scary...

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Numerous speckles on 1 week-old Macbook Pro glossy screen

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