Perfect imac 27 received! [Archive]

Paulyboy

Apr 22, 2010, 03:25 PM

Likewise on my Week 13 refurb I7, at least as far as I can tell after one week of use. For good measure no visitors to my home have seen anything wrong with it either, and one is a photographer.

But really if it's fine to YOU that's all that should matter. I kind of obsessed about the display issues for awhile, which delayed my purchase a bit. Then when I got it I spent way too much time running those tests (for myself and friends), staring at the screen and trying to find fault with it. As much as I love these forums I would not have done any of that if I hadn't been reading these forums and I would have been quite happy. Instead I'm still quite happy but I unnecessarily wasted alot of time. Don't post photos for complete strangers to pass judgment on. Just trust your own eyes. :D

-PN

lefse

Apr 22, 2010, 04:37 PM

Can you show us a picture of your perfect iMac?

I bet there are a lot of people in here who would like to see that.

Thanks.

StarTzar

Apr 22, 2010, 05:39 PM

Can you show us a picture of your perfect iMac?

I bet there are a lot of people in here who would like to see that.

Thanks.

I sure would like to see what a perfect iMac Screen looks like.

West La

Apr 22, 2010, 11:25 PM

week 15, 1 stuck pixel and yellow tinge, waiting for replacement.

xSPRINTERx

Apr 23, 2010, 12:17 AM

I sure would like to see what a perfect iMac Screen looks like.

I can not find anything wrong with her.

SaSaSushi

Apr 23, 2010, 04:13 AM

I sure would like to see what a perfect iMac Screen looks like.

Man, don't you ever get tired of the spiel? Don't you own a 27" iMac? Why not go enjoy it (or sell it) and put the broken record away and move on with your life?

Absolutely perfect LCD screens (of any make) don't exist. Let's keep doing this dance until the cows come home, shall we?

As for good 27" iMac displays without gradients or yellow tinge there have been numerous pictures, for what they're worth, posted to these forums.

The OP of this thread has a tinge-free 27" iMac. I have one.

SaSaSushi

Apr 23, 2010, 04:14 AM

I can not find anything wrong with her.

I wouldn't even bother. The man apparently fancies himself on some mission.

Nice screen, though. :)

Eruanno

Apr 23, 2010, 06:52 AM

My mother bought a 21.5-inch iMac only a few days ago, and as far as I can tell it works perfectly too (so far, anyway :P)

kazmac

Apr 23, 2010, 07:30 AM

I'm looking forward to hearing more good news about the current line. While I will stick to a smaller sized iMac for vision reasons, I'm very glad to hear that the screen issues are finally being resolved. :)

IndustrialSpace

Apr 23, 2010, 09:20 AM

Let's see the photos!!!! :)

Some nice photos of a defect-free machine WILL do WONDERS for people who want to purchase the iMac but have reservations. Indications that the yellow debacle has subsided will surely inspire confidence in potential buyers, allwoing them to commit to a purchase with confidence that they won't have to return/replace/repair 6+ units.

By withholding these photos, you do a great disservice to Apple, MR and MR members.

Isn't that what MR forums is for; the exchange of helpful infomation, especially when there have been numerous reports of flawed screens. All we want to know is whether this problem has truly been fixed. Posting user photos of good screens is essential if people are to have faith and confidnece in purchasing an iMac. Why is this not obvious to SaDaSushi?

SaSaSushi

Apr 23, 2010, 09:40 AM

Posting user photos of good screens is essential if people are to have faith and confidnece in purchasing an iMac. Why is this not obvious to SaDaSushi?

It's SaSaSushi, but you know this. I'm not going to call you Industrial Waste or something equally childish in return though, I.S., even though it would be good juvenile fun.

For the record, I posted pictures of my own i7 iMac's screen back in November. ;)

I've got no problems with anyone posting pictures of their iMacs.

Btom

Apr 23, 2010, 10:15 AM

Let's see the photos!!!! :)
........

Actually this screen seems to be quite good (judging from the attached, very small picture, with a visible reflection of the photographer).

On the other hand the very idea of congratulating ourselves after seeing a decent screen on the iMac in kind of ludicrous, don't you think?
Just imagine for a moment BMW owners bragging and congratulating themselves on the new car not leaking oil on the driveway (or only just a little tiny bit)! Wouldn't it sound totally moronic?

I bet BMW wouldn't be easy living with this kind of publicity either, yet Apple apparently is.

Tom B.

SaSaSushi

Apr 23, 2010, 10:21 AM

Let's see the photos!!!! :)

By withholding these photos, you do a great disservice to Apple, MR and MR members.

OK, this isn't too over the top.

If people want to post photos of their iMac that's their prerogative. Not doing so doesn't make them traitors to anyone. lol

Like you yourself just wrote, this is a free forum to exchange ideas and opinions. Obviously, no one is under any obligation, moral or otherwise, to post anything, nor is it a disservice to anyone not to post photos if they don't want to.

spcdust

Apr 23, 2010, 10:22 AM

SaSaSushi

Apr 23, 2010, 10:26 AM

I bet BMW wouldn't be easy living with this kind of publicity either, yet Apple apparently is.

Tom B.

Tom, you are aware that Apple had it's best quarter of Mac sales in history since these new machines were released, aren't you?

Desktop sales grew 40 percent from the second quarter of 2009, and saw a 45 percent increase in revenue. (http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/04/20/notes_of_interest_from_apples_q2_2010_conference_call.html)

IndustrialSpace

Apr 23, 2010, 11:02 AM

It's SaSaSushi, but you know this. I'm not going to call you Industrial Waste or something equally childish in return though, I.S., even though it would be good juvenile fun.

For the record, I posted pictures of my own i7 iMac's screen back in November. ;)

I've got no problems with anyone posting pictures of their iMacs.

Oh sorry. It wasn't intentional. The the "S" and "D" are very close. Don't be so insecure! ;)

IndustrialSpace

Apr 23, 2010, 11:11 AM

OK, this isn't too over the top.

If people want to post photos of their iMac that's their prerogative. Not doing so doesn't make them traitors to anyone. lol

Like you yourself just wrote, this is a free forum to exchange ideas and opinions. Obviously, no one is under any obligation, moral or otherwise, to post anything, nor is it a disservice to anyone not to post photos if they don't want to.

I disagree. There has been plenty of hoopla over the yellow screen issue. This is a very real problem which has prevented MANY from purchasing their iMac and casued them to question Apple and its product quality. I think those who have perfect screens should provide evidence so the rest of us waiting on the sidelines can FINALLY order the iMac. Some early reports are encouraging, especially from those who have had bad screens and now are receving more uniform ones. People aren't going to go on just words to comfort them, they want to see proof. This is the digital age. It takes mere seconds for someone with a modicum of basic computer skill to do so. If so many can post photos of their blemished screens for all to see, it would certainly warrant that those on the other end of the spectrum provide photos of theirs.

If one wants to post and consume knowledge they must also recipricate and contribute. To withhold because they're under no obligation is quite pretentious to suggest or dissuade others from posting. The only reason I can see some NOT wanting it posted is that they are in fear that the screen really isn't perfect. This of course makes no sense, as it defeats the purpose of the exercise.

xSPRINTERx

Apr 23, 2010, 11:23 AM

Actually this screen seems to be quite good (judging from the attached, very small picture, with a visible reflection of the photographer).

On the other hand the very idea of congratulating ourselves after seeing a decent screen on the iMac in kind of ludicrous, don't you think?
Just imagine for a moment BMW owners bragging and congratulating themselves on the new car not leaking oil on the driveway (or only just a little tiny bit)! Wouldn't it sound totally moronic?

I bet BMW wouldn't be easy living with this kind of publicity either, yet Apple apparently is.

Tom B.

Sorry about the reflection, I have only just noticed that. The size is limited by this web site. You can not post anything bigger than 1.14mb in JPEG format.

My screen has zero yellow. I have run all the test and brightness settings.

I also agree with others that this is how it should be delivered.

I am very happy with my Imac.

Btom

Apr 23, 2010, 01:27 PM

Tom, you are aware that Apple had it's best quarter of Mac sales in history since these new machines were released, aren't you?
....

Yes, it makes the situation even more ludicrous.

Tom B.

SaSaSushi

Apr 23, 2010, 07:54 PM

Yes, it makes the situation even more ludicrous.

Tom B.

What situation, Tom? It appears to confirm that the very vocal folks returning iMacs are in the smallest minority. The sales figures have proven that the Late-2009 models are selling like hotcakes.

Personally, I find it ludicrous that there are those that would like to paint the new machines as some sort of giant Apple failure based on nothing other than their own negative experiences.

By the way, I was tickled pink to see in the news this morning that Gizmodo, an early champion of this cause might be the subject of a criminal investigation for their questionable journalistic techniques (http://blogs.barrons.com/techtraderdaily/2010/04/23/apple-lost-iphone-prototype-triggers-criminal-investigation/) in the iPhone 4.0 photo leaks.

TennisandMusic

Apr 23, 2010, 08:11 PM

What situation, Tom? It appears to confirm that the very vocal folks returning iMacs are in the smallest minority. The sales figures have proven that the Late-2009 models are selling like hotcakes.

Personally, I find it ludicrous that there are those that would like to paint the new machines as some sort of giant Apple failure based on nothing other than their own negative experiences.

By the way, I was tickled pink to see in the news this morning that Gizmodo, an early champion of this cause might be the subject of a criminal investigation for their questionable journalistic techniques (http://blogs.barrons.com/techtraderdaily/2010/04/23/apple-lost-iphone-prototype-triggers-criminal-investigation/) in the iPhone 4.0 photo leaks.

The only thing it confirms is that most people either have no clue what they are buying, or are complete Apple apologists. That guys "perfect" screen is a disaster. If you can't see the tinge NOW well...that's just called denial. These iMac screens are the ONLY ones I've seen that do this consistently in this manner. This is certainly not a result of photo angles either, because of the IPS technology.

http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/5772/tinge.jpg

The situation IS ludicrous. I'm not really sure there is any way to possibly spin it.

jjahshik32

Apr 23, 2010, 08:45 PM

That screen looks great to me. I don't see the yellow tint on that display.

TennisandMusic

Apr 23, 2010, 10:59 PM

That screen looks great to me. I don't see the yellow tint on that display.

Seriously? Do you not see that I moved the bars up to directly compare them? They are vastly different colors. I could tell it immediately, from the regular picture, but moving the bars up just makes it that much more clear.

unixfool

Apr 23, 2010, 11:03 PM

splashnader

Apr 23, 2010, 11:40 PM

I don't see anything wrong with that screen...but it doesn't really matter. I'm hating the constant "show us an image of your screen" banter. All it does is make people find issues that aren't there. It's one thing to say, "I see yellow" but its an entirely different thing to say something akin to, "I see yellow...WTF, Apple dropped the ball again. My first 6 iMacs were the same way. I'm never buying an iMac again." It serves no purpose in this thread...there are already threads for complaints out there. In my view, these types of posts are designed to spread dissent and FUD. So you got a bad iMac (or a bad 6, in the case of some). While that may be the case, the majority of iMac users out there find no issues with their iMacs. Here's something else: if you already have a yellowed iMac and you look at others' screenshots with that yellow iMac, guess what...you're gonna see yellow when the yellow doesn't actually exist! The fact that people are exchanging for multiple units tells me that they are looking for excuses to bilk Apple for that elusive perfect machine by justifying that they are entitled to having the perfect machine since they paid $XXXX.XX for it...it is not a real justification and its just an attempt at holding a company hostage against their marketing that its a "perfect screen". I challenge anyone to define the word "perfect" in regards to new technology, without comparing it to old technology.

OP, congrats on the nice machine! Don't let the FUD get to you!

There is some slight discoloration in on the two bars referenced. But this whole issue is being completely overblown. Just about all LCD panels will have some very slight color shifts. It is completely normal. Some vary more than others, but you find the color shift in just about any brand you buy. Unless you are buying a professional LCD monitor and are willing to pay 5 * what the imac is worth you will never find a completely perfect display, and even then some will still not be happy.

I do not have a problem with these small color shifts. To me this is a non issue. Now for those who actually had a yellow tinge, many of those imacs have been returned and the customers have gotten exchanges or refunds.

alanwong

Apr 24, 2010, 02:53 AM

What situation, Tom? It appears to confirm that the very vocal folks returning iMacs are in the smallest minority.

Wow those people must be also very unlucky in addition to being vocal as they keep getting bad screens given to them as replacements... :rolleyes:

lefse

Apr 24, 2010, 03:54 AM

The picture that was kindly posted shows the best iMac (late 2009) display that I have seen so far.

That being said, it is still defective, judging by a colour uniformity that can't keep up with cheap 6-year-old LCDs.
Everyone can see that the display isn't good enough for sensitive photo editing, but it might very well be that most people do not know this. At least they do not seem to care.
But please, stop indirectly saying that one has to get a $2000 Eizo for acceptable colour uniformity when the cheapest Macbook already has this.

It is not Apple-hatred to point this out. It is common sense to be disappointed when a premium product simply does not perform up to what's being advertised.
Even if people get a refund (I did), that does not excuse selling 3 million (is it?) piss poor displays because grandma and aunt Linda does not know any better.

xSPRINTERx

Apr 24, 2010, 05:17 AM

Btom

Apr 24, 2010, 07:42 AM

The only thing it confirms is that most people either have no clue what they are buying, or are complete Apple apologists. That guys "perfect" screen is a disaster.
.....

I wouldn't draw this kind of conclusions from the attached photo of the glossy screen, taken in less than perfect conditions (angle, bright room, hence reflections mixing with the content). As far as iMac screens go, I'd still say this one is not bad.

Tom B.

SaSaSushi

Apr 24, 2010, 08:01 AM

It is not Apple-hatred to point this out. It is common sense to be disappointed when a premium product simply does not perform up to what's being advertised.
Even if people get a refund (I did), that does not excuse selling 3 million (is it?) piss poor displays because grandma and aunt Linda does not know any better.

Oh sure, you got a bad screen, so a few million other iMac owners are just too dumb to realize their own screens are defective. Of all the interesting theories from this camp this is my favorite.

We folks with tinge-free and uniform-colored screens just don't have the advanced perception and visual acuity of the likes of lefse. Poor us.

Thank you for posting the pic of your screen xSPRINTERx. Like my own, it is without any serious flaws. Enjoy it in good health and by all means don't let the negativity get to you.

SaSaSushi

Apr 24, 2010, 08:51 AM

Wow those people must be also very unlucky in addition to being vocal as they keep getting bad screens given to them as replacements... :rolleyes:

Says them. :p

A group of very vocal repeat returners = several million satisfied customers are color-blind idiots?? OK. :rolleyes::rolleyes:

Perhaps these are people who are demanding something that doesn't exist: like absolute perfect corner to corner color uniformity. That would make it easy to return every one they send. You wouldn't even have to bother opening the box and turning it on.

For the umpteenth time to anyone considering buying an iMac, don't take anything you read in these or any other forums to be gospel. Let your own eyes be the judge because they're all that matters.

xSPRINTERx

Apr 24, 2010, 09:01 AM

Says them. :p

A group of very vocal repeat returners = several million satisfied customers are color-blind idiots?? OK. :rolleyes::rolleyes:

Or like me, such an apple fan boy I can no longer see the colour yellow !!:D

off topic.

Where can I download some HD content (1080p) to show this thing off ? The itunes store in the UK is rubbish for HD.

Paulyboy

Apr 24, 2010, 09:18 AM

Its my screen and it looks fine to me, Thats all that matters to me.
I take photos as a hobby, I have an SLR and only shoot in RAW. It meets my needs perfectly for editing photos.

I only posted the photo to show people what I had. I wish I hadn't bothered.
:(:(
.
+1 and precisely why I'll never be posting photos of my 27" iMac.

-PN

P.S. Enjoy your iMac. It's awesome. :)

IndustrialSpace

Apr 24, 2010, 09:35 AM

Btom

Apr 24, 2010, 10:06 AM

I don't see anything wrong with that screen...but it doesn't really matter. I'm hating the constant "show us an image of your screen" banter. ......
I hope you realize, that visiting this site is on a totally voluntary base?

Tom B.

Btom

Apr 24, 2010, 10:27 AM

Oh sure, you got a bad screen, so a few million other iMac owners are just too dumb to realize their own screens are defective.

Large percentage of Apple sales are laptops. Also, not everybody is picky about things as perfect color uniformity, as long as it is Apple and not all of the new iMacs were defective to the same degree. But the percentage of problem screens recognized by Apple must be substantial (judging from the multiple replacements).

Tom B.

unixfool

Apr 24, 2010, 02:47 PM

I hope you realize, that visiting this site is on a totally voluntary base?

Tom B.

Really? I didn't know that.

It's within my rights as a forum user to state the obvious. You don't have to like it, just as I don't have to like posts such as yours. Every forum has their issues. This one has the issue of people attempting to derail threads such as this. In every single "I'm happy with my iMac thread," there's someone who attempts to hijack it.

Just as you vent about the iMac issues, everyone else that doesn't have any complaints can voice their own opinion. Just as I can read complaints and hijack attempts, I can at least add my Mac experience.

SaSaSushi

Apr 24, 2010, 06:27 PM

Large percentage of Apple sales are laptops.

I said desktop Mac (http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/03/17/apples_imac_to_account_for_25_of_global_desktop_growth_in_2010.html) sales, Tom. That means iMac and Mac Pro. ;)

In this case I am referring specifically to the iMac data.

Also, not everybody is picky about things as perfect color uniformity, as long as it is Apple and not all of the new iMacs were defective to the same degree. But the percentage of problem screens recognized by Apple must be substantial (judging from the multiple replacements).

The only place I have read about multiple returns are in user forums. Please do point me to your hard data on just how substantial these replacements were in terms of the overall iMacs sold.

I am extremely sensitive to color issues and I'm sorry, but I've seen the yellow-tinged screens that Apple has acknowledged and you don't even need to be to recognize it. I returned my last iMac (mid-'07 24") a few times for screen issues.

Mac'nCheese

Apr 24, 2010, 07:42 PM

Is a slight hum from a new imac 27 normal? I'm assuming its the fan or the hard drive. No machine would be 100% quiet, right?

SaSaSushi

Apr 24, 2010, 07:57 PM

Is a slight hum from a new imac 27 normal? I'm assuming its the fan or the hard drive. No machine would be 100% quiet, right?

This probably belongs in a separate thread but, no, it's not absolutely silent. How detectable the sound of the power supply and fans are depends a lot on the ambient sound in the room you're using your iMac in.

That said, my 27" iMac is about as close to silent as any computer I've ever owned. The 24" C2D and 20" CD iMacs that preceded it were as well. I've got a fanless IcyDock external HD enclosure that is very quiet in operation but louder than the iMac.

Mac'nCheese

Apr 24, 2010, 08:21 PM

Yeah, I think Im being anal. My old imac has a hum that I must have gotten used to. Now that the kids are home, I don't hear anything. Its got be real quiet to hear the hum. Its got to be the fan or something. I guess seeing all the posts on the sight made be hyper-sensitive to any problems with the new macs.

SaSaSushi

Apr 24, 2010, 08:36 PM

I guess seeing all the posts on the sight made be hyper-sensitive to any problems with the new macs.

Oh, believe me, this place can do that to you for SURE. :D

Just remember, every time someone falls into that trap and starts getting nervous and questioning their own perceptions based on forum whingings, ye olde spreaders of FUD rejoice.

Regarding your own Mac, your opinion is the only one that counts. No one can argue with that because it's just a simple fact. Don't let negative suggestions breed hallucinations.

Btom

Apr 24, 2010, 10:23 PM

I said desktop Mac (http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/03/17/apples_imac_to_account_for_25_of_global_desktop_growth_in_2010.html) sales, Tom. That means iMac and Mac Pro. ;)

In this case I am referring specifically to the iMac data.

I was estimating numbers using this (http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/03/08/blockbuster_2010_mac_sales_expected_to_carry_into_february_for_apple.html) report referring to Mac (computers), but I don't know the split between laptops and desktops sales. I couldn't find sales numbers in your quoted report.

The only place I have read about multiple returns are in user forums. Please do point me to your hard data on just how substantial these replacements were in terms of the overall iMacs sold.

I am extremely sensitive to color issues and I'm sorry, but I've seen the yellow-tinged screens that Apple has acknowledged and you don't even need to be to recognize it. I returned my last iMac (mid-'07 24") a few times for screen issues.

What I was trying to tell is that, if you are sensitive to color uniformity, Apple is saying something like: "Fine, we know there are some problem units, so try another one, maybe you'll like the next one better". Following are my main three thoughts on the topic:

1. It is actually quite noble of Apple to allow this being repeated several times;

2. Apparently the replacement units are not specially selected and there were many reports of multiple exchanges, before finally settling on the "best from the non perfect bunch". I don't recall any report saying "Gee, my second unit was really perfect, thank you Apple". More often than not people reported to be more and more frustrated, as perception grew, that the subsequent units were worse and worse (hence sometimes slightly rough language):

3. Most yellow screens I have seen could be used as they were and for most applications the modest yellow tinge is really unimportant. That's why I think many people do not notice non uniformity, think it is normal, or don't care.

Tom B.

SaSaSushi

Apr 24, 2010, 10:45 PM

Most yellow screens I have seen could be used as they were and for most applications the modest yellow tinge is really unimportant. That's why I think many people do not notice non uniformity, think it is normal, or don't care.

And I repeat my opinion that you and others of your ilk give people far too little credit. The yellow-tinged screens are not that hard to recognize. It can be detected in normal usage on any screen with a light background. It is obvious the moment you power on the machine and see the grey boot screen.

But the hype is spread and certain susceptible users read the FUD in here and end up staring at their tinge-free screens for hours until they eventually convince themselves they're affected. Some of these folks even end up returning good iMacs.

That's a shame. :(

Here's a simple test:

Do a color calibration and set your screen to your preferred level of brightness. Look at the screen with a solid grey or white background or run the Tapplox test (http://tapplox.com/imac-led.html) if you like. Give it a good solid look over for 20-30 seconds.

Hint: If after this you feel you have to continue to stare and stare and ask your wife and kids and friends to look and tell you if they think there's a yellow tinge, guess what?? There isn't!

My mantra: your eyes = the final arbiter. Fight the FUD!

lefse

Apr 25, 2010, 08:54 AM

And I repeat my opinion that you and others of your ilk give people far too little credit. The yellow-tinged screens are not that hard to recognize. It can be detected in normal usage on any screen with a light background. It is obvious the moment you power on the machine and see the grey boot screen.

(...)

Hint: If after this you feel you have to continue to stare and stare and ask your wife and kids and friends to look and tell you if they think there's a yellow tinge, guess what?? There isn't!

My mantra: your eyes = the final arbiter. Fight the FUD!

Listen up,
If someone buys a 27" display, I really hope for their sake that they'll be using it for more advanced stuff that sending off emails and reading macrumors.
I.e. editing a photo with a wedding dress, that ends up looking very weird if adjusted for print.

It's the same old story every time someone complains or asks a negative question regarding a mac:
Out of nowhere jumps a guy out in the middle of the road, feriociously defending Apple and suggesting that people be happy with what they got.

Fine. But get this. Wishing the problem away isn't going to save Apple from having to deal with it.
I understand that you find it hurtful, but please let people ask for help if they're not sure about what they just spent their money on.

unixfool

Apr 25, 2010, 09:53 PM

I understand that you find it hurtful, but please let people ask for help if they're not sure about what they just spent their money on.

I don't remember the OP asking for help or asking any questions that suggested he was unsure about his purchase.

lefse

Apr 25, 2010, 11:52 PM

I don't remember the OP asking for help or asking any questions that suggested he was unsure about his purchase.

I wasn't referring to the OP.
If you read what I quoted you will see that.

Hint: If after this you feel you have to continue to stare and stare and ask your wife and kids and friends to look and tell you if they think there's a yellow tinge, guess what?? There isn't!

SaSaSushi

Apr 25, 2010, 11:53 PM

I don't remember the OP asking for help or asking any questions that suggested he was unsure about his purchase.

EXACTLY!

It's just another case of the FUD-spreading peanut gallery attempting to plant unsolicited seeds of discontent into a thread about "perfect" iMacs.

SaSaSushi

Apr 25, 2010, 11:58 PM

I don't remember the OP asking for help or asking any questions that suggested he was unsure about his purchase.

I wasn't referring to the OP.
If you read what I quoted you will see that.

No, you're the one who started challenging the OP for pictures as if his claims of a flawless display couldn't possibly be true.

SaSaSushi

Apr 26, 2010, 12:06 AM

It's the same old story every time someone complains or asks a negative question regarding a mac:
Out of nowhere jumps a guy out in the middle of the road, feriociously defending Apple and suggesting that people be happy with what they got.

I'm not defending anything except that I know I can personally detect gradient issues and the yellow tinge and I don't think it's very likely that all of the millions of other iMac owners are that color blind that they can't.

Fine. But get this. Wishing the problem away isn't going to save Apple from having to deal with it.

Apple has dealt with it. They acknowledged that there are yellow-tinged screens and offered to replace them. I urge anyone with an affected screen to get it replaced.

I understand that you find it hurtful, but please let people ask for help if they're not sure about what they just spent their money on.

I don't know if English is your native language but what part of my last post or any other suggested I was urging people to accept defective iMacs? ;)

unixfool

Apr 26, 2010, 12:57 AM

I wasn't referring to the OP.
If you read what I quoted you will see that.

I think you're doing the OP a serious disservice. Yes, I mentioned the OP...after all, he's the one who created the thread. I don't really care about the rest of the posts with the exception of people treating such posters as if they don't know what they're talking about.

"I've the perfect iMac."

"You're wrong unless you post a screenshot so that your claim can be refuted."

I think you guys are driven to make people feel miserable because you yourselves are miserable. What's wrong with using the following example:

"I've the perfect iMac."

"Congrats. Although I've had bad experiences thus far, enjoy your Mac."

The standard argument from the sourpuss camp is to blame any differing opinions on fanboy-ism. I'd like to see a stronger argument...something more substantial and with more substance...something you can actually reference, maybe. Pissing on others' user experiences won't make you like yours any better, and if you've returned yours, moving on would be the better option...no need to haunt these forums with negativity. Why's it so difficult to believe that someone other than yourself can be happy with that they've purchased? You guys act like Apple bases their decisions on what's submitted in these forums. This isn't the only Apple forum, guys, and as was said before, this site is hardly representative of the entire user base.

I'm betting the OP wished he'd never created the thread at this point (oh yeah, I think he said that already...worth reminding people, though).

lefse

Apr 26, 2010, 01:06 AM

No, you're the one who started challenging the OP for pictures as if his claims of a flawless display couldn't possibly be true.

Certainly not. I politely asked for a picture, and then responded that it was the best iMac (late 2009) I have seen. However, the picture shows a display that is laughable compared to, say, a 2005 Powerbook.

I don't know if English is your native language but what part of my last post or any other suggested I was urging people to accept defective iMacs? ;)

I'd say this one. The display does have one clearly visible serious flaw.
It is interesting that such a colour sensitive person like yourself cannot see that. Maybe your lovely display negates the effect? (That was a joke)

Thank you for posting the pic of your screen xSPRINTERx. Like my own, it is without any serious flaws. Enjoy it in good health and by all means don't let the negativity get to you.

lefse

Apr 26, 2010, 01:21 AM

I think you're doing the OP a serious disservice. Yes, I mentioned the OP...after all, he's the one who created the thread. I don't really care about the rest of the posts with the exception of people treating such posters as if they don't know what they're talking about.

I take your point. But I hope you believe me when I say that trying to get people feeling bad about their computer isn't the goal here.
Please try to see it from another angle:
A serious disservice could just as well be to outright lie or ignore what to many seem like obvious flaws.

You mention that there are many other Mac-forums to visit - to that I can only say yes. And the more "educated" ones doesn't seem to have the same degree of discrepancy between what is a regarded as a good or bad display.
At least blaming Apple for something doesn't automatically lead to being called a troll.

For all I know there are iMac-displays (late 2009) out there that are just as good as previous IPS (and TN) displays from Apple. I would be quite surprised if there weren't.
Unfortunately though, these seem very hard to come by.
I sure as hell would like to get one.

SaSaSushi

Apr 26, 2010, 03:08 AM

I'd say this one. The display does have one clearly visible serious flaw.
It is interesting that such a colour sensitive person like yourself cannot see that. Maybe your lovely display negates the effect? (That was a joke)

This would have been an effective point but for the fact that the picture xSPRINTERx so kindly posted shows no evidence of any serious gradient issues. That sort of renders it ridiculous.

No display is perfect. How many times do I have to say that before it sinks in? If you're going to try and sell that the picture in question shows a flawed display with a yellow tinge best of luck to you.

You seem to be grasping at straws.

SaSaSushi

Apr 26, 2010, 03:15 AM

Unfortunately though, these seem very hard to come by.I sure as hell would like to get one.

Take a break from the incessant trolling and visit your local Apple Store. :)

(Oh, and you might want to take off those yellow-tinged glasses.)

SaSaSushi

Apr 26, 2010, 03:20 AM

The standard argument from the sourpuss camp is to blame any differing opinions on fanboy-ism. I'd like to see a stronger argument...something more substantial and with more substance...something you can actually reference, maybe.

I would too. Oh, and that doesn't mean declaring oneself a "color-educated" expert in a world full of morons too stupid to recognize their own flawed machines.

djrod

Apr 26, 2010, 02:43 PM

Here is the pic of my screen, directly from my iphone, not resized

Also here is a video showing the power of this iMac:

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=9766973

tiguanito

Apr 26, 2010, 03:10 PM

No sure where to post this, in the "yellow tint" thread, or here ...

I live in France.
Ordered a refurbished i7 last wednesday, was delivered on Friday. That was fast. (price = 1689€ / 2000€ new, tax included), so:
I open the box, trying to find something that makes a difference between a new and a refurbished. The box is different, but inside the box the iMac is in perfect condition.
Then I start the beast, install the sw updates (including the risky SMC firmware 1.0), a few tools, and check the hw configuration: i7, 4GB of RAM, but Hitachi 2TB instead of the 1TB. A nice free upgrade ... The hdd and iMac fans are quiet, very happy so far.
Then time to check the screen: no grey bar, no dead pixel, but "slight" yellow in the center towards the bottom, and backlight bleed on the bottom right corner. As I won't watch movies with this machine, the backlight bleed doesn't bother me (at least not yet). I think this is very common to all edge-LED screens. (I have a Samsung LED TV, and have some backlight bleed too)

Now, about the yellow tint: I see it, it's sometimes distracting, but I still enjoy using this iMac ... have 10 days to decide if I keep it, or send it and get a refund.
I have calibrated the screen today with a Spyde3 Elite, and have done some measurements. First, the default calibration profile is very "cold", white temperatures are more "blue" than "yellow".
My measurements before / after the calibration:

Factory calibration:
middle-top : 8612K
middle-center: 8423K
middle-bottom:7915K
right-bottom: 8015K

Spyder3 profile (target =6500K, gamma=2.2, calibration performed at the middle-center):
middle-top: 6523K
middle-center: 6530K
middle-bottom: 6266K
right-bottom:6308K

Don't know if the temperature is a "linear" measurement, but:
7915/8612 = 8%
6266/6523 = 4% ; yes, after the calibration, to my eyes, the yellow tint is less obvious. Probably because the screen is more "yellow" than before overall. And when I switch back to the factory values, the picture looks "blue".
I have seen some people reading delta=500K, between top and bottom, after calibration. I have 270K here, so maybe not the worst screen. But the yellow tint is still there.

I will call Apple Care tomorrow, just curious to hear what they have to say. But I won't try a screen replacement with the risk of dead pixels, dusts, etc ... and possibly more yellow. And I don't want to exchange the machine (it's not possible with a refurbished anyway) because I would lose the 2TB hdd.

So, 2 options:
- I keep it because this is a good deal (-24% /new), and an "almost perfect" machine.
- I return it. And will have to wait for the next refresh because there is little chance they fix this issue on the current machines. I still have my Win7 PC + 3-year old Dell 27" 27WFP with quite a good color uniformity (and almost no backlight bleed !)

old john

Apr 26, 2010, 07:15 PM

The aggression shown in some posts on this thread make me nervous to send a post! I realize that if I don't like the aggression I can stop reading the thread. However, that way I may miss useful information!:(

In contrast to aggressive posts, I find other ones containing relevant info useful, whether the info is that more people are reporting satisfaction with screens after a run of unacceptable ones or comparing ones from recent weeks more favourably or less favourably than earlier ones. Pictures of screens seem to me useful, so long as one appreciates that the camera (and one's own computer screen) may contribute to the lack of colour uniformity in the final image. Also I know that some screen photos uploaded to other threads or forums have had the variation in colour exaggerated to show it and its location more clearly. That can be useful so long at the exaggeration is explained by the poster.

I can't see it as so surprising that people vary in how uniform a screen has to be to be acceptable. My father-in-law listened to music on a system that sounded very low-fi to me, but to my continual amazement he couldn't hear the difference between that and my better system. My son criticizes my system, including the position of my rather old speakers! The three of us demonstrate different levels of requirement for the quality of the sound reproduction systems. It wasn't that any of the three of us are/were stupid or deaf! I can't see why suggesting a spread in people's requirements for the colour properties of their screens should be so controversial.

I think I must have different visual perception from most on this thread, because looking at xSPRINTERx's screen photo, the menu bar at the top of the screen seems to me to vary considerably in colour along its length, yet I've not noticed anyone commenting on it. Then djrod, the OP, posted a photo of his screen and I noticed a very similar colour variation on his menu bar. Although, my screen normally seems very uniform, I moved the window with xSPRINTERx's and djrod's screen photos round my screen to be certain that the colour variation I saw in the menu bars was not in my screen; it wasn't. Perhaps this menu bar colouring now normal and I'm behind the times with my G5 iSight 20" running Tiger!

I do hope this attracts informative replies and not a barrage of abuse. In the latter hope I should perhaps refrain from any other comments about the screen photos posted to this thread, other than to thank those that posted them, the OP for starting the thread and those that supplied useful comment and information.

SaSaSushi

Apr 26, 2010, 08:17 PM

I can't see why suggesting a spread in people's requirements for the colour properties of their screens should be so controversial.

I happen to agree with you. The point is not to blindly believe anything any pundits in user forums preach but rather to let your own eyes be the judge.

If someone wants to post pictures of their iMac's screen that's just fine but they should never feel under any obligation to do in defense of their personal opinions.

I've posted pictures of my own 27" iMac. Let's keep in mind, as you pointed out, that no photo is going to completely accurately reproduce what one would see looking at a screen in person.

Btom

Apr 26, 2010, 08:35 PM

.......I think this is very common to all edge-LED screens. (I have a Samsung LED TV, and have some backlight bleed too)
.....

Can you somehow measure temperatures on your Samsung LED TV screen?
It would be a very interesting info. Samsung LED TVs I have seen over here look very uniform to me, but knowing the actual numbers would be very interesting.

.....Now, about the yellow tint: I see it, it's sometimes distracting, but I still enjoy using this iMac ... have 10 days to decide if I keep it, or send it and get a refund. .....

It IS a very nice computer, so unfortunate about the screen. But the line refresh should be coming soon...

Tom B.

lefse

Apr 26, 2010, 08:46 PM

Here is the pic of my screen, directly from my iphone, not resized

Also here is a video showing the power of this iMac:

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=9766973

It sure is a powerful machine.

If you cannot see a yellow tinge, then I suppose referring to old john's post about different perceptions is suitable.

But this being a forum for debate, I think it is only fair to say that your display does have a massive yellow tinge right in the middle - rendering it useless for any serious photo editing. Far more pronounced than xSPRINTERx's display.
Unfortunately making the title of this thread highly relative.

I stand by for the ad hominem attacks to start.

Btom

Apr 26, 2010, 09:13 PM

The aggression shown in some posts on this thread make me nervous to send a post! I realize that if I don't like the aggression I can stop reading the thread. However, that way I may miss useful information!:(
....

I am trying to ignore bullies, but sometimes it is hard. They want to get you, this is how they learned to succeed in life.

..... It wasn't that any of the three of us are/were stupid or deaf! I can't see why suggesting a spread in people's requirements for the colour properties of their screens should be so controversial.

Color uniformity of the screen can be measured much easier, than the personal perception of the audio quality. It is quite inexcusable to continue shipping noticeable yellow tinged screens, IMHO.

.....I think I must have different visual perception from most on this thread, because looking at xSPRINTERx's screen photo, the menu bar at the top of the screen seems to me to vary considerably in colour along its length, yet I've not noticed anyone commenting on it.
.....

It is difficult to take a good picture of the iMac shiny screen. I've assumed that the darkening on the top band was a reflection of the photographer head (in both cases). By the same token, the color on the screen was a mixture of the screen and reflection from the room light - also not uniform (Ideally, the room should be all painted mat black). But that screen was not bad (as the iMacs screens I have seen go).

Tom B.

djrod

Apr 27, 2010, 09:30 AM

It sure is a powerful machine.

If you cannot see a yellow tinge, then I suppose referring to old john's post about different perceptions is suitable.

But this being a forum for debate, I think it is only fair to say that your display does have a massive yellow tinge right in the middle - rendering it useless for any serious photo editing. Far more pronounced than xSPRINTERx's display.
Unfortunately making the title of this thread highly relative.

I stand by for the ad hominem attacks to start.

I can see now a yellow tinge, but only in the thumbnail of the attached pictured, it's somewhere about the bottom center of the screen,right?

But I "can not" see it on the screen right know, so it's not an issue for me.

Edit: I just saw the pic again, and it's HUGE! I would never buy an iMac based on that pic, but as I said...in real life I can't see it.

It's a shame it's not a perfect iMac, but, it's ok for me and it would be fine for 99% of the non pro-people

tiguanito

Apr 27, 2010, 09:54 AM

I can see now a yellow tinge, but only in the thumbnail of the attached pictured, it's somewhere about the bottom center of the screen,right?

But I "can not" see it on the screen right know, so it's not an issue for me.

Edit: I just saw the pic again, and it's HUGE! I would never buy an iMac based on that pic, but as I said...in real life I can't see it.

It's a shame it's not a perfect iMac, but, it's ok for me and it would be fine for 99% of the non pro-people

I'm not a pro, so I don't care about the color uniformity for my photo/video usage. (especially when the yellowish is hard to notice when displaying various colors). But I don't like having this yellow gradient when scrolling a web page, reading an email, or editing a document with white backgrounds.

rymack

Apr 27, 2010, 10:15 AM

It seems this yellow screen issue is having an effect on potential purchasers. I am in the midst of getting my first Mac ever (super excited!!), I'm just sorting out finances etc. I was back and forth between 15" MBP and 27" i7, and I have FINALLY decided to go with the iMac (photo editing will be my main use for the machine so I opted for bigger screen-size; portability is not a huge concern for me).

Well here I am all excited and ready to take the plunge when I found myself reading through that huge thread of people with yellow screen nightmares and ridiculous numbers of replacements/exchanges/repairs etc. etc!! I was glad to have found this thread so that I can at least be certain that there ARE INDEED problem-free screens out there!

My question to you all is: should the potential of getting a yellow screen and the numerous accounts of issues with them be enough for me to hold off on getting an iMac? Should I just go with the MBP?? I really want the 27" but I am having a hard time NOT getting sucked in by all the bad things I have read about the screen. Any advice would be great!

wysinawyg

Apr 27, 2010, 10:54 AM

But this being a forum for debate, I think it is only fair to say that your display does have a massive yellow tinge right in the middle - rendering it useless for any serious photo editing. Far more pronounced than xSPRINTERx's display.
Unfortunately making the title of this thread highly relative.

Its pretty clear from the picture that either this is the worst screen ever produced in the world with completely off centre balance of light, or else its just a bad photo with the screen not being evenly lit.

Its not a yellowing issue with the screen just an obviously bad photo (no offense to the taker) that can't possibly let you know whether the screen has issues or not. Surely its obvious to everybody that either the backlighting on that screen is completely broken (in which case slight yellowing would be the least of the poster's complaints) or else the photo is so over exposing the bottom middle of the screen (compared to the corners) that any suggestion it can be used to judge the screen is just silly.

Seem to be rather a lot of people around happy to proclaim bad screens off photos which frankly show nothing other than how hard it is to get a representative picture of an LCD display.

Btom

Apr 27, 2010, 02:41 PM

....
My question to you all is: should the potential of getting a yellow screen and the numerous accounts of issues with them be enough for me to hold off on getting an iMac? Should I just go with the MBP?? I really want the 27" but I am having a hard time NOT getting sucked in by all the bad things I have read about the screen. Any advice would be great!

One more thing to consider - the line refresh (http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/#iMac) is due some time soon. Maybe they'll fix the screen?

Tom B.

djrod

Apr 27, 2010, 03:21 PM

I'm not a pro, so I don't care about the color uniformity for my photo/video usage. (especially when the yellowish is hard to notice when displaying various colors). But I don't like having this yellow gradient when scrolling a web page, reading an email, or editing a document with white backgrounds.

Me neither, but as I said...I can't notice any yellowish using the iMac.

Another photo, with an actual camera, not an iPhone :D

xSPRINTERx

Apr 27, 2010, 04:26 PM

I think I must have different visual perception from most on this thread, because looking at xSPRINTERx's screen photo, the menu bar at the top of the screen seems to me to vary considerably in colour along its length, yet I've not noticed anyone commenting on it. Then djrod, the OP, posted a photo of his screen and I noticed a very similar colour variation on his menu bar. Although, my screen normally seems very uniform, I moved the window with xSPRINTERx's and djrod's screen photos round my screen to be certain that the colour variation I saw in the menu bars was not in my screen; it wasn't. Perhaps this menu bar colouring now normal and I'm behind the times with my G5 iSight 20" running Tiger!
.

I have my menu bar set to translucent, the colour you can see is the picture in the back ground.

old john

Apr 27, 2010, 05:15 PM

I have my menu bar set to translucent, the colour you can see is the picture in the back ground.
Thanks for the explanation, xSPRINTERx, but that means there's an amazing coincidence, because when djrod, the OP, posted a photo of his screen, I noticed a very similar colour variation on his menu bar. The colour is very similar to the colour in the photo of your menu bar and it varies left to right in the same way! Not only must djrod's menu bar must be set to translucent, but the colour provided by the picture in the background must be very nearly identical!

I didn't realize the menu bar could be transparent; perhaps it appeared after Tiger, which we're still using.

xSPRINTERx

Apr 27, 2010, 05:25 PM

Thanks for the explanation, xSPRINTERx, but that means there's an amazing coincidence, because when djrod, the OP, posted a photo of his screen, I noticed a very similar colour variation on his menu bar. The colour is very similar to the colour in the photo of your menu bar and it varies left to right in the same way! Not only must djrod's menu bar must be set to translucent, but the colour provided by the picture in the background must be very nearly identical!

I didn't realize the menu bar could be transparent; perhaps it appeared after Tiger, which we're still using.

when this photo was taken I had the standard os x desktop background set, djrod could quite easily have that set as his back ground.

rymack

Apr 27, 2010, 07:38 PM

One more thing to consider - the line refresh (http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/#iMac) is due some time soon. Maybe they'll fix the screen?

Tom B.

AHH! Thanks for the link, sir! The last time I looked it had a different status, now it says "Buy only if needed". I guess I will do some thread searching for speculated refresh times? lol.
Thanks!

SaSaSushi

Apr 27, 2010, 08:36 PM

AHH! Thanks for the link, sir! The last time I looked it had a different status, now it says "Buy only if needed". I guess I will do some thread searching for speculated refresh times? lol.
Thanks!

The next iMac refresh could be in June or it could just as easily be in September or even later.

I highly doubt that Apple is going to change the LCD panels it is using in the next refresh anyway. Apple used the same LG panels in its 24" iMacs from mid-2007 until the most recent update in late-2009 and this is obviously the first iteration with these current 27" panels. I expect the next revision will be primarily speed bumps.

If you get one with a yellow tinge or any other color gradients Apple will replace it. Take what experts like Tom will tell you about all 27" panels being broken with a grain of salt. Look at one for yourself and decide.

rymack

Apr 27, 2010, 11:39 PM

If you get one with a yellow tinge or any other color gradients Apple will replace it. Take what experts like Tom will tell you about all 27" panels being broken with a grain of salt. Look at one for yourself and decide.

Yeah, for sure. The 27" they have on display at FutureShop is GORGEOUS and I have no idea if it has tint or not. I have also been assured that Apple is the best when it comes to customer service (although, of course, there are always exceptions and different situations...). I guess my biggest concern is the fact that the closest Apple stores to me are a 9 hour drive west, an 8 hour drive south, or a 16 hour drive east, lol, so I don't have the luxury of bringing my machine back to an Apple store if there is a problem. Although I am pretty sure the campus tech store at the university in town is an authorized Apple reseller/service depot or whatever you call them...

SaSaSushi

Apr 28, 2010, 12:06 AM

Yeah, for sure. The 27" they have on display at FutureShop is GORGEOUS and I have no idea if it has tint or not. I have also been assured that Apple is the best when it comes to customer service (although, of course, there are always exceptions and different situations...). I guess my biggest concern is the fact that the closest Apple stores to me are a 9 hour drive west, an 8 hour drive south, or a 16 hour drive east, lol, so I don't have the luxury of bringing my machine back to an Apple store if there is a problem. Although I am pretty sure the campus tech store at the university in town is an authorized Apple reseller/service depot or whatever you call them...

Well, I'm 3 hours from the nearest Apple Store here so I call AppleCare whenever I have a problem. If the computer needs to be sent in they send a courier to pick it up complete with packing materials. I just hand over the machine and they have it back to me in a few days. I have had only excellent service experiences although it's always inconvenient to be without one's Mac for any period of time.

Yes, if the campus store in Thunder Bay is an authorized service center you will likely be able to get service directly through them as well.

alanwong

Apr 28, 2010, 01:02 AM

I really want the 27" but I am having a hard time NOT getting sucked in by all the bad things I have read about the screen. Any advice would be great!

Until the frequency of postings on http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=9773226#post9773226 goes down I would not get an iMac.

lefse

Apr 28, 2010, 01:09 AM

Its pretty clear from the picture that either this is the worst screen ever produced in the world with completely off centre balance of light, or else its just a bad photo with the screen not being evenly lit.

Its not a yellowing issue with the screen just an obviously bad photo (no offense to the taker) that can't possibly let you know whether the screen has issues or not. Surely its obvious to everybody that either the backlighting on that screen is completely broken (in which case slight yellowing would be the least of the poster's complaints) or else the photo is so over exposing the bottom middle of the screen (compared to the corners) that any suggestion it can be used to judge the screen is just silly.

Seem to be rather a lot of people around happy to proclaim bad screens off photos which frankly show nothing other than how hard it is to get a representative picture of an LCD display.

A somewhat controlled photo of an LCD is far better than someone's word.

The reason people are interested to see these photos, is that they want to know if Apple has done something to correct the problem.
Giving a refund after a few "iMac-trials" should not be considered a fix.

Djrod stated that he does not care about the tinge, and cannot notice it in real life. That's good for him.
But there are other people who care about colour fluctuations that in many cases are close to 800K.
And to these people getting a thread like this debunked, helps them to avoid getting an iMac at this point.

Btw: the new MBP has according to anandtech.com over 75% of the Adobe RGB colour space. Making it the best Colour-performing Mac currently available.

djrod

Apr 28, 2010, 01:42 AM

when this photo was taken I had the standard os x desktop background set, djrod could quite easily have that set as his back ground.

Yes, I have the default background:

http://att.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=224042&stc=1&d=1272436842

And here is a screenshot of the toolbar:

SaSaSushi

Apr 28, 2010, 02:20 AM

Until the frequency of postings on http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=9773226#post9773226 goes down I would not get an iMac.

We go in circles. I'll stop when you do. :)

I'd say basing a decision not to buy a new computer, sight unseen, based on the frequency of posts to a user forum, is slightly ridiculous.

And if you really wanted to sell that advice post some hard data on how the number of actual bad machines reported in that thread (frequency of posts, many repeats from the same posters, is quite irrelevant) compare to the total number of iMacs sold.

Just let your own eyes be the judge. Don't buy the hype. ;)

SaSaSushi

Apr 28, 2010, 02:40 AM

Djrod stated that he does not care about the tinge, and cannot notice it in real life. That's good for him.
But there are other people who care about colour fluctuations that in many cases are close to 800K.
And to these people getting a thread like this debunked, helps them to avoid getting an iMac at this point.

So you admit to your agenda in here of trying to discourage sales of iMacs?

Personally, I couldn't care less if someone buys a new iMac or not. That's up to them.

I just find it hilarious that posters, some of whom have no experience with the late-2009 iMac beyond reading forum posts, make scurrilous claims that the entire line is broken, or that a tinge exists in all of them. This, I can absolutely prove is not the case. I have a 27" iMac, two good eyes and a colorimeter. I doubt very seriously that I lucked out and got the one good iMac in 3 plus million or whatever the amount is now. I don't have that sort of luck, sorry to say.

If I got a display with anything close to an 800K color fluctuation it would be sent back immediately for replacement.

tiguanito

Apr 28, 2010, 02:55 AM

So you admit to your agenda in here of trying to discourage sales of iMacs?

Personally, I couldn't care less if someone buys a new iMac or not. That's up to them.

I just find it hilarious that posters, some of whom have no experience with the late-2009 iMac beyond reading forum posts, make scurrilous claims that the entire line is broken, or that a tinge exists in all of them. This, I can absolutely prove is not the case. I have a 27" iMac, two good eyes and a colorimeter. I doubt very seriously that I lucked out and got the one good iMac in 3 plus million or whatever the amount is now. I don't have that sort of luck, sorry to say.

If I got a display with anything close to an 800K color fluctuation it would be sent back immediately for replacement.

Please can you give us your fluctuation values ?
I have :
middle-top: 6523K
middle-center: 6530K
middle-bottom: 6266K
right-bottom:6308K

and would like to know if some screens are significantly better than this one ?

dade

Apr 28, 2010, 04:36 AM

i bought an imac i7. in substitution of g4 owc 1.3, the productione week is 17 (april) . it will arrive on may 6th-7th . Which tests i will have to make when it will arrive. I hope it will be ok i sold the car for buy this one:mad:
1.yellow problem for monitor
2.flikering
3.noise of monitor???? what is this?when it happens
4.noise of hd
5.bluetooth and wifi
and... what else?
thanks

SaSaSushi

Apr 28, 2010, 04:37 AM

Please can you give us your fluctuation values ?
I have :
middle-top: 6523K
middle-center: 6530K
middle-bottom: 6266K
right-bottom:6308K

and would like to know if some screens are significantly better than this one ?

Absolutely, and thanks for your figures! I will take measurements later tonight after work.

dougal

Apr 28, 2010, 05:49 AM

Hi

I've just received my 27 i7 iMac, no yellow tinge, or at least I can't see it (I've done the test).

According to this site http://www.chipmunk.nl/klantenservice/applemodel.html :

Production week: 16 (April)

I bought mine from applestore in uk

no problems whatsoever

perfect in fact

Btom

Apr 28, 2010, 08:42 AM

....Although I am pretty sure the campus tech store at the university in town is an authorized Apple reseller/service depot or whatever you call them...

Contrary to what some people here are saying, I am not an expert, however I'd suggest to check the return/replacement policy of your university store before taking the plunge (specifically the "no questions asked" clause). For example, my local authorized reseller/service shop charges the restocking fee.

Tom B.

rymack

Apr 28, 2010, 09:24 AM

alanwong

Apr 28, 2010, 06:55 PM

for the most part the people who are posting on these forums dealing with iMac problems are going to be the people who have the problems, and not so much the problem-free users

Agreed, which is why I asked the guys at 27", 21.5" iMac Owners, test your screen for yellow tint issue here (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=824940) how many people got replacement screens or iMacs they were happy with.

At least if (more) people were getting their issues resolved rather than getting a refund that would be a positive sign. Unfortunately noone responded, probably due to the reason you raised (ie happy people are less likely to post)! ;)

rymack

Apr 28, 2010, 09:18 PM

Agreed, which is why I asked the guys at 27", 21.5" iMac Owners, test your screen for yellow tint issue here (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=824940) how many people got replacement screens or iMacs they were happy with.

At least if (more) people were getting their issues resolved rather than getting a refund that would be a positive sign. Unfortunately noone responded, probably due to the reason you raised (ie happy people are less likely to post)! ;)

lol too true! I have just recently Facebook messaged a few of my friends who have 27" iMacs, and neither of them even knew there was a problem, and both said they were amazed and awed by the awesomeness of their machines!

IndustrialSpace

Apr 29, 2010, 02:55 PM

Thanks again for all the advice and input. I was just thinking the other day, for the most part the people who are posting on these forums dealing with iMac problems are going to be the people who have the problems, and not so much the problem-free users (why would someone with a problem-free iMac post, unless they are offering advice, help, etc.), which would kind of make it seem like there is a bigger issue than there really is. Seeing as how I am not in a position to buy until June anyways, I figure I will wait and see if a refresh is released. If not, I will take the plunge, so to speak. I have been drooling over a Mac for years now, lol.

I understand your logic, but it's not correct in this situation. Those who have had issues, have had several issues in terms of defective replacements. For several individuals to receive anywhere from 2-7 replacements, with each one having a yellow tint problem, indicates that it is not just those who stop by with an isolated case. Its much more widespread than a squeaky wheel.

I'm hoping that this will be fixed come the next revision later this Summer.

sleyeu

Apr 29, 2010, 03:27 PM

hey noob question, how can i measure my colour balance on my imac screen?

i think it is with an app called spyder? do i have to pay?

and can i do it with a non-dslr? i only have the gimp.

rymack

Apr 29, 2010, 04:36 PM

I understand your logic, but it's not correct in this situation. Those who have had issues, have had several issues in terms of defective replacements. For several individuals to receive anywhere from 2-7 replacements, with each one having a yellow tint problem, indicates that it is not just those who stop by with an isolated case. Its much more widespread than a squeaky wheel.

I'm hoping that this will be fixed come the next revision later this Summer.

Yeah you are right, for sure. I guess I am just hoping that the issue isn't as bad as some of the forums would have me think. I was perfectly happy this time last week with my intentions of purchasing the 27", but of course my excitement led me to these forums, and in turn, have me doubtful.

SaSaSushi

Apr 29, 2010, 04:58 PM

hey noob question, how can i measure my colour balance on my imac screen?

i think it is with an app called spyder? do i have to pay?

and can i do it with a non-dslr? i only have the gimp.

You need a colorimeter. The Spyder is such a device. Taking pictures of your screen is hit or miss.

By the way, to Tiguanito, sorry I haven't posted my temps yet. It's the Golden Week holiday here in Japan and I've been busy but I'll try to get them done today.

Yeah you are right, for sure. I guess I am just hoping that the issue isn't as bad as some of the forums would have me think. I was perfectly happy this time last week with my intentions of purchasing the 27", but of course my excitement led me to these forums, and in turn, have me doubtful.

Oh is he happy to hear that. It's that seed of doubt that he lives for. He doesn't even own a 27" iMac and never has. His sole purpose is to troll these groups and try to dissuade others. WHY he, and others like him, do this is anyone's guess.

I got a great iMac on the first delivery and so did the vast majority of others out there. Do yourself a favor and believe your own eyes and not anything you read in user forums.

On the one hand you have these horror stories of people with multiple returns, some percentage of whom are squeaky wheels with unrealistic expectations of absolute perfect color uniformity and yellow-tinged eyes. On the other you have record sales of iMacs.

Btom

Apr 30, 2010, 08:34 AM

Please can you give us your fluctuation values ?
I have :
middle-top: 6523K
middle-center: 6530K
middle-bottom: 6266K
right-bottom:6308K

and would like to know if some screens are significantly better than this one ?

I know I am repeating myself, but is there any way you could somehow measure temperatures across the Samsung LED TV screen you've mentioned the other day?
It could be a very interesting comparison.

Tom B.

rymack

Apr 30, 2010, 10:45 AM

You need a colorimeter. The Spyder is such a device. Taking pictures of your screen is hit or miss.

By the way, to Tiguanito, sorry I haven't posted my temps yet. It's the Golden Week holiday here in Japan and I've been busy but I'll try to get them done today.

Oh is he happy to hear that. It's that seed of doubt that he lives for. He doesn't even own a 27" iMac and never has. His sole purpose is to troll these groups and try to dissuade others. WHY he, and others like him, do this is anyone's guess.

I got a great iMac on the first delivery and so did the vast majority of others out there. Do yourself a favor and believe your own eyes and not anything you read in user forums.

On the one hand you have these horror stories of people with multiple returns, some percentage of whom are squeaky wheels with unrealistic expectations of absolute perfect color uniformity and yellow-tinged eyes. On the other you have record sales of iMacs.

lol, yeah, I'm just trying to be diplomatic, I guess. The last time I called someone on something in a forum (not here, it was a comic book forum lol) I got flamed so bad I never posted again. The last thing I want to do is get into an argument with someone on the internet over something like this. But I will be taking your advice, for sure. I could hold off on an iMac for months and months waiting for the perfect LCD, and miss out on months and months of Mac awesomeness.

It's like the whole HD DVD vs. Blu-Ray. When I upgraded to an HDTV, the two formats were neck in neck, with literally a 50/50 split between studios. I eenie-meenied, and wound up buying an HD DVD player. 7 months later, Blu-Ray won. I have a Blu-Ray player now, of course, and love the heck out of it, but do I regret taking the plunge and buying an HD DVD player when things were uncertain?? ABSOLOUTELY NOT!! That was 7 months worth of amazing High Definition movies that I got to enjoy!

I think I will apply that logice to my upcoming Mac purchase, because I will lose my mind over-thinking this yellow screen thing. If I get a yellow screen, I will deal with it. If I don't, I will enjoy the crap outta my new iMac!

old john

Apr 30, 2010, 07:33 PM

Oh is he happy to hear that. It's that seed of doubt that he lives for. He doesn't even own a 27" iMac and never has. His sole purpose is to troll these groups and try to dissuade others. WHY he, and others like him, do this is anyone's guess.

Hey man, please cool it! I find posts such those by IndustrialSpace useful and I'd find it sad if your flaming keeps people from contributing their views in the way that rymack reports "I got flamed so bad I never posted again." Your view of the yellow tinge issue, etc, is also worth reading, but not to the exclusion of those that differ. I believe both sides of this argument believe they are being helpful and if we can read both sides we can come to our own decisions.

I got a great iMac on the first delivery and so did the vast majority of others out there. Do yourself a favor and believe your own eyes and not anything you read in user forums.

On the one hand you have these horror stories of people with multiple returns, some percentage of whom are squeaky wheels with unrealistic expectations of absolute perfect color uniformity and yellow-tinged eyes. On the other you have record sales of iMacs.

From what I've read and seen on various forums, the lack of colour uniformity problem seems to vary a lot from one currently available iMac to another (though it seems none is completely perfect if tested sensitively), and people vary in their perception of it, their tolerance and their requirements, just as they do with the quality of a stereo system, as I pointed out before.

It's difficult to tell from the restricted info one gets from forums, but the impression I get is that there are now fewer extreme examples of the yellow tinge and unless you have a strong need for near perfect uniformity, you've a good chance now of getting a satisfactory iMac. (...Unless owners of bad examples are now being frightened off by the flaming that's around!;))

The flickering that was reported in earlier examples of the current generation of iMacs seems to have been fixed some time ago and the very few more recent reports clearly represent a miniscule proportion of models now being delivered and it shouldn't put people off buying an iMac.

As regards the problem of scratched DVDs, the frequency of the problem seems low in comparison and I haven't formed a view on whether that has needed to be taken into consideration, nor whether the situation has improved on more recent machines.

If my current view of the risks had formed two or three months ago, we'd have probably bought a new iMac. However, I've only reached that view more recently and we're not that pressed to upgrade to a new iMac. So, with it now being over 6 months since these models became available, we shall probably wait to get whatever the next generation brings.:)

alanwong

May 1, 2010, 06:16 AM

I think I will apply that logice to my upcoming Mac purchase, because I will lose my mind over-thinking this yellow screen thing. If I get a yellow screen, I will deal with it. If I don't, I will enjoy the crap outta my new iMac!

Do let us know how you go, whether it ends up as a positive experience or negative experience, people need to hear BOTH sides of the story and make up their own minds! ;)

lefse

May 1, 2010, 08:40 AM

Do let us know how you go, whether it ends up as a positive experience or negative experience, people need to hear BOTH sides of the story and make up their own minds! ;)

Millions of mac-users already have made up their own minds.

There is no one stopping anyone from hearing both sides of the story.
The problem seems to be that some people find it hard to swallow that perception of quality differs. Thus profusely attacking and throwing insults at people not deemed worthy of an opinion.

I could easily live with a yellow tinged display, if its only use was writing emails/surfing the web. But for that one doesn't need a 27" i7.
I welcome people to disagree, but the fact that many people have received multiple replacements (myself included) before ending up with a refund, so clearly shows that the tinge-problem is something to be taken for granted - until proven otherwise.

This thread's title and the photo posted by the OP speaks for itself.

Stealthipad

May 1, 2010, 09:32 AM

rymack

May 1, 2010, 09:42 AM

My 27" arrived a few days ago and is now attached to the pivot arm that gets it off my desk and is perfect!

The screen is a LOT of real-estate! I can have several windows up at the same time and still have plenty of room. Glad I got the 8gb of ram!

Good to hear! I'm thinking I want to upgrade the RAM from 4 to 8 as well, just not sure if I should do it through Apple or myself. A lot of people tell me to just do it myself, and that it is cheaper that way, but honestly, $210 Canadian with my Ed discount doesn't seem too bad to me, and in most cases another 4gb or RAM is not THAT much cheaper...

xSPRINTERx

May 3, 2010, 11:45 AM

Good to hear! I'm thinking I want to upgrade the RAM from 4 to 8 as well, just not sure if I should do it through Apple or myself. A lot of people tell me to just do it myself, and that it is cheaper that way, but honestly, $210 Canadian with my Ed discount doesn't seem too bad to me, and in most cases another 4gb or RAM is not THAT much cheaper...

Do it yourself its really easy. I did mine and I have no DIY skills at all.

jerryobr

May 4, 2010, 07:49 AM

After seeing the postings about the week in which one's iMac was built (week 14 (Apr), week 16 (Apr), etc) I was wondering how the build week is figured, since these new iMacs started production back in October or so?

Also, regarding the next iMac refresh, the iMac line was refreshed in March/Apr 2009 and then in October 2009. So, it would seem likely that another refresh would occur before October 2010, wouldn't it?

Jerry

Jacob Wall

May 4, 2010, 04:16 PM

BullyWoolly

May 6, 2010, 10:28 AM

mrwonkers

May 6, 2010, 10:55 AM

I have been following the whole saga on these boards and others, and I was very apprehensive when I opened the box. However, it's perfect in every way. I have no dead pixels, no yellowing, no whining, no scratchy CD drive, no noisy hard drive. It's a week 17 build, and it runs like a dream. After reading so much negative stuff, I'm very happy to have been blessed with such a great machine. If you've been waiting to pull the trigger, it seems like now is a good time to do so...

Exactly the same story here, except mine was on my second try. I purchased new 1st, no luck. So I thought try a refurbished unit and finally I am exceedingly happy here. Mine is the i5 version. No display yellowness, no clunky hard drives or disc scratching behavior present. So they are out there, maybe its luck or maybe its finally sorted out. Off to caress my iMac:eek:

Build Country: - Refurbished product, location unknown.

Build Year: - Your Mac was built in 2010.

Build Week - Your Mac was built in week 13 of that year (March).

Production Nr.: - Your Mac was number 512 to be built that week.

mtkagan

May 6, 2010, 05:19 PM

I just received my i7 from apple today. Guess I got some older stock because mine is a week 10. At first I swore I saw a yellow gradient towards the bottom third of the screen, but after taking pictures and boosting the saturation, I think my screen is okay. let me know what you guys think. First Image is the light bar test, second image is same but I boosted the saturation in adobe lightroom to 100 (double saturation). Third image is dark bar test and 4th is the same doubled saturation.

nateomedia

May 6, 2010, 06:52 PM

mystikjoe

May 6, 2010, 08:20 PM

I just receive my 27" 2.8 iMac today. It's manufactured in the US, production week 19, #146.

I know everyone's hoping this problem is resolved, but my iMac has the yellow tinge. It's a uniform gradient of yellow affecting the bottom portion of the screen. I used my X-Rite Eye One Display 2 to measure the temperature difference after calibrating the middle of the screen to 65K and got 66K at the top and 63K at the bottom. 300K isn't a huge variance, but it is there.

I have a second, color calibrated monitor that I plan to hook up — I never intended to use the iMac monitor as my main monitor — so I may just keep the machine. It is disappointing, but considering that we're talking about a machine that rivals a $3k low end Mac Pro in speed tests and comes with a monitor that based on its size should alone cost $1k, a slight temperature variance seems like it might just be par the course for a consumer grade machine that offers so much for $2k.

I don't know. Should I expect better here? The machine is quiet and seems to work well otherwise. Am I being a pushover if I keep this computer?

6500 vs 6300 isn't a huge difference. i would say some of it can be contributed to some backlight bleeding and the other to a little of the tinge. ask yourself if you never read these forums would you ever have seen it in the first place. if you can see it in your daily task then i would say try for another one. i got a perfect one in my eyes. i thought my other one was good till i set it up next to my new one. this one was hand picked by engineers at apples at least that's what apple executive relations told me. it's awesome so i believe them. good luck!

Btom

May 6, 2010, 08:28 PM

.....
I know everyone's hoping this problem is resolved, but my iMac has the yellow tinge. It's a uniform gradient of yellow affecting the bottom portion of the screen. I used my X-Rite Eye One Display 2 to measure the temperature difference after calibrating the middle of the screen to 65K and got 66K at the top and 63K at the bottom. 300K isn't a huge variance, but it is there.

.........

Did you check corners as well, or was it simple top to the bottom in the middle of the screen?
What are the corresponding numbers for your other monitor? Just curious...

Tom B.

dwarnecke11

May 6, 2010, 10:24 PM

The tinge on my Week 45 i5 was so apparent that the dock icons were very "warm". Opening a large white Safari page showed the tinge easily. I never even bothered running the grey bar test. If you have to run the test to see the problem I would be happy with it. My iMac also had the flickering problem and a grumbly Seagate HD. Otherwise, it was a rocket and a joy to use. I returned it after ten days for a full refund.

So now I'm patiently waiting for the updated model. I'll get the top end store model with my student discount as before. I'm hoping for an i7, 2TB HD (quiet!), 8 GB RAM, ATI 5870, maybe some other perks. Until then, I'm using my five-year-old Mac mini G4 running 10.3. So painful.

nateomedia

May 7, 2010, 12:40 AM

ask yourself if you never read these forums would you ever have seen it in the first place.

You make a good point here. Yes, I would have noticed, but I don't know if I would have paid any attention to the problem. I know some people have had real problems with these iMacs — I've read of 1000k temperature differences and yellow splotches and, of course, the flickering. This is pretty minor in comparison. On a neutral background, I can easily tell that the monitor is more yellow at the bottom than the top. However, looking at full screen video? You'd never know there was an issue.

Did you check corners as well, or was it simple top to the bottom in the middle of the screen?
What are the corresponding numbers for your other monitor? Just curious...

Well, when I checked the luminosity, it defaulted to the upper left corner, so that's where I got the 6600K reading. For the second run through, I did the lower left corner and got 6300K. That was enough for me to know that my eyes weren't playing tricks on me. The coloration looks the same across the length of the monitor, so I don't see taking the time to test the entire thing. My second monitor is an NEC and I have the Spectraview II software for it. That software works a little differently — I suppose I could take the time to run the NEC through the same testing but just looking at the monitors side by side I can see the yellow in the iMac and not in the NEC. Again, this isn't the strong yellow tinge that was reported months ago, nor is this splotching or flickering. Just a slight unevenness, which I'm starting to feel is probably within reason for a machine of this price with these specifications.

Btom

May 7, 2010, 07:00 AM

..... Just a slight unevenness, which I'm starting to feel is probably within reason for a machine of this price with these specifications.

Just in case you missed it, have a look at post #2467 from the other thread (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=9851925#post9851925) . This is what I have also seen on a few occasions in stores.

Tom B.

nateomedia

May 7, 2010, 11:21 AM

Just in case you missed it, have a look at post #2467 from the other thread (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=9851925#post9851925) . This is what I have also seen on a few occasions in stores.

Tom B.

That's a bit stronger than what I'm seeing, but it's a similar kind of discoloration. There's a little bit of leakage around all edges and the bottom of the screen has the slight hint of a sunrise.

I don't want to come off as an Apple apologist — I certainly believe they should strive for perfection — but the iMac should probably be judged for what it is: consumer grade electronics. The professional equivalent of this machine — a Mac Pro and a wide color gamut monitor of similar size — are going to cost together around $4k-$7k. I think it's ridiculous to expect Apple to include a professional grade monitor in a $2k all-in-one computer (as much as we'd all love to have one). Was there a problem with the iMac monitors? No doubt. The splotching, flickering and high temperature color shifts I've read about were not acceptable. But I'm not sure its fair to say that the monitor I received is not quite good for what it is. I think most consumers who are looking to surf the web, watch movies, play games, write papers, etc. would be quite happy with this machine. Heck, I was watching Hulu full screen last night and I was blown away by it.

Anyone complaining that the iMac isn't good enough for color critical tasks like photo editing, digital art, or design are right. And it probably never will be. Take a look at the NEC PA271W-BK — it's a 27" monitor that is able to display 97.1% of the AdobeRGB color space. That's what a professional should be using. The monitor costs $1,400. Apple can't put that in a $2k computer.

I guess the question is: How does the 27" iMac screen stack up against other low end 27" monitors? Is the quality really that inferior? I'm inclined to think that minor flaws in color might be expected (again, as opposed to the major problems experienced early on in the production run). But maybe I'm being dumb.

Btom

May 7, 2010, 12:44 PM

.....
I don't want to come off as an Apple apologist — I certainly believe they should strive for perfection — but the iMac should probably be judged for what it is: consumer grade electronics.
....

LCD screen technology is quite mature - just have a look at all the consumer grade LCD HDTVs at Best Buy. I didn't notice any yellow tinge on much bigger (and often brighter) screens.

Is it really too much to expect the same screen quality from Apple?

Tom B.

nateomedia

May 7, 2010, 01:02 PM

LCD screen technology is quite mature - just have a look at all the consumer grade LCD HDTVs at Best Buy. I didn't notice any yellow tinge on much bigger (and often brighter) screens.

Is it really too much to expect the same screen quality from Apple?

Tom B.

Is that a fair comparison? Did you get to see still images on the HDTVs? Because when video runs on this iMac, you can't see the color cast at all.

Also, are we talking apples to apples for price and specs? This monitor is 27" at 2560x1440 — what would you say is a fair market value for just the monitor? $700? Can you get an issue-free 27" IPS LCD monitor for $700 from competitors?

I'm not asking these questions rhetorically, by the way. I really am still wondering if I should keep this machine or not. It's pretty amazing otherwise.

Btom

May 7, 2010, 01:34 PM

Is that a fair comparison? Did you get to see still images on the HDTVs? Because when video runs on this iMac, you can't see the color cast at all.

Yes, guys at Best Buy were kind enough to let me watch my own slideshow (a set of still pictures) on a 55" Samsung LED screen (using a built-in USB port). I can attest that the Samsung screen is awesome (as was my slideshow:)) and there was no sign of yellow, even on the most white of my winter images.

Also, are we talking apples to apples for price and specs? This monitor is 27" at 2560x1440 — what would you say is a fair market value for just the monitor? $700? Can you get an issue-free 27" IPS LCD monitor for $700 from competitors?

I'm not asking these questions rhetorically, by the way. I really am still wondering if I should keep this machine or not. It's pretty amazing otherwise.

I can't really comment on the fair market value, but it is slightly disturbing to see a wall of $400- to $3000+ HDTVs with totally uniform screen (when white), next to some of the "posh" 27" iMacs.

Tom B.

BehindTimes

May 7, 2010, 01:39 PM

Is that a fair comparison? Did you get to see still images on the HDTVs? Because when video runs on this iMac, you can't see the color cast at all.

Also, are we talking apples to apples for price and specs? This monitor is 27" at 2560x1440 — what would you say is a fair market value for just the monitor? $700? Can you get an issue-free 27" IPS LCD monitor for $700 from competitors?

I'm not asking these questions rhetorically, by the way. I really am still wondering if I should keep this machine or not. It's pretty amazing otherwise.

The problem that I had is that Apple only gives you one choice often. I could either get an underpowered (for what I do) Mac Mini, or an out of budget Mac Pro. So all I am really offered is the iMac, which just happens to have a really poor monitor. Now, I already have decent monitors (the good thing about monitors is that they don't need to be replaced nearly as often as the computers), but the iMac already takes up a decent amount of desk space.

I already knew from the price of the iMac that the monitor was going to be fairly bad, it's just that I didn't expect it to be this poor quality.

Stonefly

May 7, 2010, 02:15 PM

Until the frequency of postings on http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=9773226#post9773226 goes down I would not get an iMac.

If I had of read some of the posts on this forum I wouldn't have bought mine in December. I am certainly glad I got it before finding this forum as I would have missed out on the best computer I have ever had.

nateomedia

May 7, 2010, 02:30 PM

Yes, guys at Best Buy were kind enough to let me watch my own slideshow (a set of still pictures) on a 55" Samsung LED screen (using a built-in USB port). I can attest that the Samsung screen is awesome (as was my slideshow:)) and there was no sign of yellow, even on the most white of my winter images.

I just did a 2 second google search for 55" Samsung LCDs. They retail for ~$1,300. They are also only 1920x1080.

While LCDs are a mature technology, I think it might be fair to say that cheap, high pixel density LCDs on par with what Apple is attempting to do with the iMac are a rarity. Maybe Apple shouldn't have made the attempt if they couldn't get it right?

The problem that I had is that Apple only gives you one choice often. I could either get an underpowered (for what I do) Mac Mini, or an out of budget Mac Pro. So all I am really offered is the iMac, which just happens to have a really poor monitor. Now, I already have decent monitors (the good thing about monitors is that they don't need to be replaced nearly as often as the computers), but the iMac already takes up a decent amount of desk space.

I already knew from the price of the iMac that the monitor was going to be fairly bad, it's just that I didn't expect it to be this poor quality.

I can't comment on your monitor. I know some of them have been really bad. Mine isn't that bad. And I agree, if Apple sold the same computer without a monitor built in, I would have bought that too.

lefse

May 7, 2010, 08:27 PM

While LCDs are a mature technology, I think it might be fair to say that cheap, high pixel density LCDs on par with what Apple is attempting to do with the iMac are a rarity. Maybe Apple shouldn't have made the attempt if they couldn't get it right?

Also, are we talking apples to apples for price and specs? This monitor is 27" at 2560x1440 — what would you say is a fair market value for just the monitor? $700? Can you get an issue-free 27" IPS LCD monitor for $700 from competitors?

As you know very well, Apple does also sells a 21.5" iMac with a 1920x1080 IPS display. Yes, it has the same problem.
The 27" has 108.8 DPI.
The 21.5" has 102.5 DPI.

I am sorry, but pretending that this is a high pixel density issue is laughable.
Apple has delivered many IPS displays in the past within this DPI-range, without the total lack of colour uniformity we see in the late '09 iMac models.
Most likely they use an inferior backlighting technique that saves them money, but produces awful results for anyone who are close to caring about colour.

Also, no one is expecting this display to achieve almost the whole Adobe RBG-spectrum. People are simply expecting a screen that can handle the sRGB colour space without showing considerable temperature blotches.
Just like any other _cheap_ IPS display that's been out there for the last 6 years(!)...

Apple advertises these displays like this:
Whether you’re sitting in front of the display or standing off to the side, you’ll get a perfect picture with superb color consistency and no loss of detail.

aurichie

May 7, 2010, 10:30 PM

I don't get why people are still buying these machines. You know there is some kind of problem in manufacturing, and you know you will have a problem with the issue. :)

We desperately need to buy three iMac machines. But we are not about to blown $10,000+ on equipment that is known to have these issues.

Good news is we can crossgrade our Adobe Creative Suite CS4 licenses to a CS5 upgrade on Windows 7. So we'll probably go with Dell or HP and start phasing out Mac in our creative graphics department. In the long run it's probably a smart move given Apple's wars with Adobe, and the fact Creative Suite apps run better on Windows anyway.

I haven't told our creative team this yet though. They love their macs. So that should be a fun meeting. :)

If only we didn't need to purchase new machines now I would try to hold off buying until the next iMac product revision.

88keydave

May 7, 2010, 11:16 PM

Here is my situation...had 3 probs within the first 4 months...yellow tinge, Sony optical drive went bad, and screen starting having wierd image retention (intermitent.) They said we will build you a new one since you had all this trouble. They did, and now I have a dead pixel in the upper left quadrant. Yes it is a minor issue, and I can live with it for now. This is why you get the best and longest warranty available when you buy a computer. In spite of all this I love this 27" iMac with i7 more than any computer I have ever had, and I have had a lot. It helps if you don't expect perfection, and accept these challenges as nature of the beast. I would rather have the iMac with one dead pixel than a PC and monitor in mint condition. I like PCs but I love this iMac from the day I first got it - and this is my first MAC computer too. The MAC is not just a computer, it is a piece of art as well. I run Windows 7 on the second monitor and OSX on the first. I resisted Apple for 25 years, but now they have me! (and I even play City of Heroes on it.) Who can explain this feeling?

nateomedia

May 8, 2010, 12:05 PM

I am sorry, but pretending that this is a high pixel density issue is laughable. Apple has delivered many IPS displays in the past within this DPI-range, without the total lack of colour uniformity we see in the late '09 iMac models.
Most likely they use an inferior backlighting technique that saves them money, but produces awful results for anyone who are close to caring about colour.

Also, no one is expecting this display to achieve almost the whole Adobe RBG-spectrum. People are simply expecting a screen that can handle the sRGB colour space without showing considerable temperature blotches.

You know, there's no need for attitude here. I'm not "pretending" anything. I'm just asking questions, as I just bought one of these machines. I'm also well aware that most people are not expecting the monitor to display the entire AdobeRBG spectrum, but I have read posts from people in these threads expressing that they wanted to use these machines for serious photography or design studio purposes. I think it's silly to expect to be able to do that. Monitors that achieve significant color accuracy (and are thereby suitable for professional work) have historically always been expensive, why would anyone expect such quality from a machine that costs little more than the monitor alone would cost?

I also agree that these iMacs have had serious defects, including with the monitors. What I'm simply wondering is: at what point is Apple let off the hook for this? My monitor has a very minor color shift — 300K from top to bottom. That's not 1000K with severe splotching. Is it reasonable for a consumer grade monitor to have any color shift at all?

I'm thinking it is. And I think I'm going to move on and start enjoying my computer. Thanks for your feedback, everyone. :)

lefse

May 8, 2010, 09:51 PM

You know, there's no need for attitude here. I'm not "pretending" anything. I'm just asking questions, as I just bought one of these machines. I'm also well aware that most people are not expecting the monitor to display the entire AdobeRBG spectrum, but I have read posts from people in these threads expressing that they wanted to use these machines for serious photography or design studio purposes. I think it's silly to expect to be able to do that. Monitors that achieve significant color accuracy (and are thereby suitable for professional work) have historically always been expensive, why would anyone expect such quality from a machine that costs little more than the monitor alone would cost?

I also agree that these iMacs have had serious defects, including with the monitors. What I'm simply wondering is: at what point is Apple let off the hook for this? My monitor has a very minor color shift — 300K from top to bottom. That's not 1000K with severe splotching. Is it reasonable for a consumer grade monitor to have any color shift at all?

I'm thinking it is. And I think I'm going to move on and start enjoying my computer. Thanks for your feedback, everyone. :)

I did not mean to sound rude...

Your argument regarding price and performance is sound. The perfect 30" sRGB cinema display from Apple cost $1799 , whereas the cheapest 27" iMac cost $1699. The former is CCFL backlit, while then new iMac uses new LED-technology.
But remember, the 30" is 4 years old. It's been 4 years since that display saw a hardware update.

It is ridiculous to state that only expensive professional monitors in 2010 can achieve perfect sRGB colour consistency.
This is simply not true.

If you're happy with your display/iMac, then do enjoy it.