How to quality assure my new iMac

[ericbreiter]

What would you recommend as a checklist to use to quality assure my new iMac 27" once it finally arrives? If there is an issue I want to find out early so I can get it exchanged or, if Apple is less than happy to do it, return it before January 7.

So far I have seen reports on the following:
- dead pixels
- backlight problems
- yellow tints or uneven colour across the screen
- marks in the aluminium front
- dirt/scratches behind the glass screen
- noise, whine or clicks from fans or hard drive

So there are clearly some lemons out there and I want to do my best to avoid getting stuck with one.

[bobright]

You pretty much covered it. Also check closely for lint in the screen.

[metssuck]

FWIW, mine is in perfect condition!

[ericbreiter]

Just a follow-up: I ordered my iMac on Nov 30 and it arrived today. After having inspected it for every single issue mentioned on this forum it seems it passes, it is in prime condition.

There is a slight backlight bleed when putting up a dark background in a dark room, but not more than I would expect as inevitable on this type of screen. I have used it for a few hours (Photoshop, Lightroom, World of Warcraft, web browsing) and it's a non-issue to me.

[torana355]

Originally Posted by ericbreiter

There is a slight backlight bleed when putting up a dark background in a dark room, but not more than I would expect as inevitable on this type of screen.

Exactly, i can bet every 2012 iMac has backlight bleeding to some extent, its inherent on LCD/LED technology. Mine has it but its very minor and it not worth swapping it out and getting one of the other many issues.

[Confuzzzed]

Originally Posted by ericbreiter

After having inspected it for every single issue mentioned on this forum it seems it passes, it is in prime condition.

How did you test for yellow tints or uneven colour across the screen please?

[AT06]

Originally Posted by Confuzzzed

How did you test for yellow tints or uneven colour across the screen please?

I think it's a case of putting a white image on the screen, and using your eyes. If you can't notice anything then it's fine.

[AngelGuy7]

Originally Posted by Confuzzzed

How did you test for yellow tints or uneven colour across the screen please?

Originally Posted by AT06

I think it's a case of putting a white image on the screen, and using your eyes. If you can't notice anything then it's fine.

I noticed the yellow \ uneven color almost immediately on my new 27" iMac. I wrote about it here: http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1517959 . There's a test image I uploaded to that post of a gray image with a white square on the top and bottom. I used this for testing. On my iMac the bottom square was definitely darker and yellower, especially on the bottom half of the display (even though it does not show as good on the photo that I took of the screen). I also have a different image that uses a black background instead of a gray one that can be used to show yellowing\uneven color and light leak. If you want to try that then let me know and I'll upload it for you. I also compared my iMac to my 2007 Macbook Pro and my iPhone 5 and the iMac was distinctively more yellow.

Trying to use the Apple Monitor Calibration tool didn't seem to help much, especially with the darkness\yellowing towards the bottom. I'm sending my iMac back and Apple is sending me a replacement.

It's reassuring to see that others are chiming in that their iMacs are perfect. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my replacement will be perfect as well.

[axeman82]

Over £2k for a computer and you have a quality checklist. Is this what apple is all about?

All I seem to read about on these forums is how faulty everything is.

[AngelGuy7]

Originally Posted by axeman82

Over £2k for a computer and you have a quality checklist. Is this what apple is all about?

All I seem to read about on these forums is how faulty everything is.

Eh, I think anytime someone is spending a decent amount of money on something (smartphone, tv, computer, car, etc.) they want to ensure they're getting what they pay for and expect. The truth is that any mass manufactured product is bound to have some units come off the production line with defects.

And you're right, the forums are usually filled with people speaking about issues since people tend to be more active in their complaints when something is wrong and more passive with their praise when all is right.

[Coffee Minutes]

Here's the IMAC TEST:

http://imac.squeaked.com/test.php

Run it on your screen. It will shift full screen colors and walk you thru the screen quality of your new iMac.

It will check:

Dead/stuck Pixels

Yellow Screen

Uniform colors

Bleed

etc.

[pukingpixels]

Originally Posted by axeman82

All I seem to read about on these forums is how faulty everything is.

Welcome to the internet.

That's how forums works. You will see people complaining about their faulty products but you won't see the other 99% who are very happy and satisfied about theirs.

[tdhurst]

Turn it on.

Does it work for what you need to do?

[ericbreiter]

Originally Posted by AngelGuy7

I noticed the yellow \ uneven color almost immediately on my new 27" iMac. I wrote about it here: http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1517959

I ran the php test and compared the two gray boxes. I can't notice any colour difference up close nor at a distance (and I'm rather picky about screen quality). The way I usually check it on screens it to take an empty folder in a narrow Finder window, stretch it from top to bottom and use the alternating white/gray lines to judge tinting.

AngelGuy7, I checked your picture above and I agree the yellow tint is very clear. A replacement is justified and I hope it will improve your situation. However, I think all the error reports on this forum is driving some users to find slight inconsistencies that would never have annoyed them had they not found them in the first place.