15" rMBP perfect screen but misaligned lid... what to do?

[Breedlove]

So...

I finally got the perfect screen after 6 replacements.
It's a Samsung with even tinting and absolutely no backlight bleed.

But nothing is perfect in this world and this one creaks and ticks.
I did minimize the sound by reseating the backplate but the sound is still there.
I decided I would be fine with this and happily kept the laptop.

Three days later I have now noticed that the lid is not aligned properly.
It looks to be twisted counterclockwise just a bit, causing an lid overhang of ~1mm on the left side...

Is this normal or am I being too picky?



If it were you and you noticed the lid was not flush/properly aligned, would you return or keep it?

 

[rgarjr]

Your being OCD about it.

 

[ducatiti]

Returned my 3rd one today. Decided to wait around for a bit until the demand is not that high...

 

[dastinger]

Aligning the lid is pretty easy. I think the issue might be on the hinge. I had that issue due to a bad service on my 2012 rMBP. Went to an Apple Store (with a Genius appointment) and they took care of it in a few minutes. Why replace it again when you may just ask to fix it?

 

[LabGuy]

So...

I finally got the perfect screen after 6 replacements.
It's a Samsung with even tinting and absolutely no backlight bleed.

But nothing is perfect in this world and this one creaks and ticks.
I did minimize the sound by reseating the backplate but the sound is still there.
I decided I would be fine with this and happily kept the laptop.

Three days later I have now noticed that the lid is not aligned properly.
It looks to be twisted counterclockwise just a bit, causing an lid overhang of ~1mm on the left side...

Is this normal or am I being too picky?



If it were you and you noticed the lid was not flush/properly aligned, would you return or keep it?

6 replacements? How much time and effort did that cost you? I don't know about you, but my time is worth a fair amount of money. You are insanely OCD. It's sad really.

 

[Quu]

6 replacements? How much time and effort did that cost you? I don't know about you, but my time is worth a fair amount of money. You are insanely OCD. It's sad really.

For the cost of these machines it is not unreasonable to get what is advertised.

I personally went through three units. The 3rd one was perfect, the first two had yellow in parts of the display that was very noticeable during normal usage.

My 2nd unit also had the misaligned top case, mine was about 2-3mm out on the right side and it felt very poorly manufactured.

Returning didn't really take much time out of my life, all I had to do was put the computer back in its box, tape the box shut and write an RMA number on the side. Then TNT came and picked it up, all organised and paid for by Apple. Then a few days later my replacement unit would arrive.

 

[zOlid]

So...

I finally got the perfect screen after 6 replacements.
It's a Samsung with even tinting and absolutely no backlight bleed.

But nothing is perfect in this world and this one creaks and ticks.
I did minimize the sound by reseating the backplate but the sound is still there.
I decided I would be fine with this and happily kept the laptop.

Three days later I have now noticed that the lid is not aligned properly.
It looks to be twisted counterclockwise just a bit, causing an lid overhang of ~1mm on the left side...

Is this normal or am I being too picky?



If it were you and you noticed the lid was not flush/properly aligned, would you return or keep it?

No your not.
Visit a Apple store, and tell them to fix the alignment and the creaking also.
And tell them that you already realigned the backplate but it still creaks. So they don't just do the same thing you've already done.

I'm on my third rMBP 15". First had a really visible yellow spot, and the second of them had TERRIBLE creaking. Couldn't even type on it with out it sounding like i was tapping it with something hard.

The one I got now is really nice, it has a extremely faint darker area in the lower right corner. But i cant see it with out putting brightness to max, and moving a white window over it then moving it away to another area to see if the color is the same.
If i just use a big white window i cant see it.
That's close enough for me to be fine with it, since i wont ever notice it. And really no screens have a 100% white balance all over the screen, they more or less always have 1-5% (or even more) difference in white balance all over the screen.

But the issue you have now, i would never settle for. Especially since it is probably easy to fix, and you don't need to swap it out to do so.

 

[maflynn]

So...

I finally got the perfect screen after 6 replacements.
It's a Samsung with even tinting and absolutely no backlight bleed.
...
If it were you and you noticed the lid was not flush/properly aligned, would you return or keep it?

I think you're being overly picky in this case. How far would you say the mis-alignment goes, 1mm, 5mm, a centimeter? No offense but if 6 replacements did not suit your needs, I suspect no laptop will. As you astutely pointed out, there's no perfect device.

 

[Windows&Apple]

6 replacements? How much time and effort did that cost you? I don't know about you, but my time is worth a fair amount of money. You are insanely OCD. It's sad really.

Those machines are expensive, and that huge price tag should include some quality. I'd say to the OP: Go for another unit.

 

[qawsed]

Nope, you're not being overly picky. You're being completely crazy about it. 6 replacements? Come on.

 

[yangchewren]

So...

I finally got the perfect screen after 6 replacements.
It's a Samsung with even tinting and absolutely no backlight bleed.

But nothing is perfect in this world and this one creaks and ticks.
I did minimize the sound by reseating the backplate but the sound is still there.
I decided I would be fine with this and happily kept the laptop.

Three days later I have now noticed that the lid is not aligned properly.
It looks to be twisted counterclockwise just a bit, causing an lid overhang of ~1mm on the left side...

Is this normal or am I being too picky?



If it were you and you noticed the lid was not flush/properly aligned, would you return or keep it?

You see it on a daily basis and if it causes your enough distress, you should get a replacement.

Otherwise just let it age and get character.

 

[that1guyy]

If the OP is being OCD, it's nothing compared to what I'm feeling. The amount of people that said "your" when trying to "you're" in this topic is driving me crazy.

Go get an education.

 

[Breedlove]

6 replacements? How much time and effort did that cost you? I don't know about you, but my time is worth a fair amount of money. You are insanely OCD. It's sad really.

According to billables, an hour to me is a little over 300USD not sure if that's a fair amount by you.

Yes I might be OCD, but that's only cause I spent over 2.5k on a laptop.

Expecting perfection is a little bit more acceptable at this level of spending no?

 

[superego]

I think the fact that you have to replace an Apple product six times to get it about right (but not quite) tells more about their manufacturing quality than anything else.

Something is seriously wrong when you have to settle for "lesser" imperfections, instead of a product that has no flaws to begin with.

 

[zOlid]

I think the fact that you have to replace an Apple product six times to get it about right (but not quite) tells more about their manufacturing quality than anything else.

Something is seriously wrong when you have to settle for "lesser" imperfections, instead of a product that has no flaws to begin with.

THIS!
..... is exactly the point.

 

[Tavicu]

Go to the Apple Store! They will align your display in a few minutes!

I had the same problem with my laptop after a drop and all i had to do is to unscrew the hinges a little bit, align the display and screw them back.

And no, you're not a person with OCD, you're a person who paid a lot of money for something that is supose to be perfect for that amount.

 

[marc55]

What to look for & test on new rMBP at the Apple store?

With all the issues I'm reading with the rMBP, I hope my first one is like thousands of others which have no issues. I'm being positive here, but just want to take some precautions.

To preclude multiple trips to the Apple store for replacements , I would appreciate knowing what I should be looking for, besides the yellow screens, IR, creaking and misaligned case, and backlit keyboard that flickers.

Are there any tests I can do for the yellow screen and IR? Anything else I should be looking for?

Thank you

 

[Breedlove]

With all the issues I'm reading with the rMBP, I hope my first one is like thousands of others which have no issues. I'm being positive here, but just want to take some precautions.

To preclude multiple trips to the Apple store for replacements , I would appreciate knowing what I should be looking for, besides the yellow screens, IR, creaking and misaligned case, and backlit keyboard that flickers.

Are there any tests I can do for the yellow screen and IR? Anything else I should be looking for?

Thank you

Here's what I've been doing:

http://imac.squeaked.com/test.php
Use this to check for dead pixels, backlight bleeding, and uneven yellow tinting.
For backlight bleed, click on the dead pixel test, then cycle to the black screen. Turn your brightness all the way up and examine the screen in a dark room (as dark as possible).

If you care for the brand of the screen (I personally don't care as long as the screen is good) you can check it with the terminal code that is floating around the web and this forum. If it starts with LSN, it is a Samsung, LP is the LG.

Some go as far as to check the SSD brand (although I haven't seen anything other than a Samsung in any 15").

To check structural integrity, place the laptop on a flat surface, open the lid and press on the computer in various spots and listen for creaking noises/ticks (especially to the left and right sides of the trackpad and directly below the trackpad).

Then pick up the laptop and apply pressure to different areas to the bottom of the laptop (to the backplate). There may or may not be a squeak (and if there is, it is very likely that it is coming from one of the springs in the macbook). Do this with the lid open and closed.

Any other tests will be specific to your own experiences with the computer.

Good luck!

 

[N3ILA]

When purchasing a product you should receive nothing less than what's advertised. Me personally I would fix the alignment myself especially if thats the only thing that troubles you.

A display so advanced, the difference is clear.

The Retina display is a breakthrough — any way you look at it. We pushed the limits of technology to create a pixel density so high, you can see everything you’re doing with perfect clarity and make edits with pinpoint accuracy. Not only is it an incredibly high-resolution display, it has an integrated design that achieves a level of fit and finish never before possible. The Retina display doesn’t sit behind a layer of glass, it is the glass. Which means you get all the benefits of a state-of-the-art display — vibrant colors, high contrast, and wide viewing angles — with very little glare. So there’s more to see, and even less to distract you from your work.


Precisley engineered. Down to the nanometer.

MacBook Pro with Retina display is the result of an obsessive focus on detail. Apple designers and engineers worked closely together to craft every single piece that went into making it — the fans, the vents, the speakers, the noise-reducing microphones, the screws, even the machining of the thumbscoop. Everything was considered, and nothing overlooked. Because when a notebook becomes this advanced, every nanometer counts.

 

[tobeornottobe]

So...

I finally got the perfect screen after 6 replacements.
It's a Samsung with even tinting and absolutely no backlight bleed.

But nothing is perfect in this world and this one creaks and ticks.
I did minimize the sound by reseating the backplate but the sound is still there.
I decided I would be fine with this and happily kept the laptop.

Three days later I have now noticed that the lid is not aligned properly.
It looks to be twisted counterclockwise just a bit, causing an lid overhang of ~1mm on the left side...

Is this normal or am I being too picky?



If it were you and you noticed the lid was not flush/properly aligned, would you return or keep it?

I don't know if you are joking or not, but jokes aside, it's my 9000th replacement and it's still not perfect.

 

[alphaod]

According to billables, an hour to me is a little over 300USD not sure if that's a fair amount by you.

Yes I might be OCD, but that's only cause I spent over 2.5k on a laptop.

Expecting perfection is a little bit more acceptable at this level of spending no?

This level of spending is nothing in the grand scheme of luxury goods. Not sure if you're saying $300 is high or low.

I mean if your processor is shot, or the SSD doesn't work, sure that's okay for an exchange, but for small thing like a "misaligned" lid?

I've bought cars that have broken blind spot sensors, jammed sunroofs, among other things. I don't go around exchanging for new cars!

Expecting perfection is flawed an idea within itself.

 

[bravo.ftwftw]

My first instinct was to exchange it.

However, after thinking about how you had to go through 6 replacements, the next unit could have display issues, creaking, and / or another issue. You'll be stuck in the endless cycle of then exchanging it for another unit -- and soon you could be on your 14th replacement.

Assuming you have a local Apple store, have the genius bar fix it.

But if you rather exchange it & the Apple store has your configuration in stock: look at the serial number on the box before opening it to see if it's part of the newer batches. Check out my post on how to use the serial number to find the production date / week.