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5th MBP - What now?

T

tom burns

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 25, 2008
55
0
Hi guys...

I took today my 5th MBP. i'VE REPLACED 4 ALREADY...

1)Extremely loose battery cover
2)dent next to trackpad - trackpad too hard to click
3) uneven rubber strip around screen - lid bent due to that
4)(tried it in applestore) stuck pixel
5)this is what i got today... and i find the screen awful. Seems to have a slight yellow hue. And on black backgrounds, I see the line of lights on the bottom of the screen.

5...

Keep it, refund, or keep on trying?...

Any advice?

Thanx guys
 
tom burns said:
Hi guys...

I took today my 5th MBP. i'VE REPLACED 4 ALREADY...

1)Extremely loose battery cover
2)dent next to trackpad - trackpad too hard to click
3) uneven rubber strip around screen - lid bent due to that
4)(tried it in applestore) stuck pixel
5)this is what i got today... and i find the screen awful. Seems to have a slight yellow hue. And on black backgrounds, I see the line of lights on the bottom of the screen.

5...

Keep it, refund, or keep on trying?...

Any advice?

Thanx guys
Click to expand...

Minor cosmetic flaws I can deal with, but a stuck pixel? That would drive me crazy.

If you noticed it at the store, why didn't you point it out right away and have them take care of it there?
 
no the stuck pixel was on the fourth one sorry.

the fifth one has the yellow tint...
 
Go in for your sixth!

Im going to keep on replacing my BTO 2.8 until Im happy that I got what I paid for. As I see it there is no excuse for these quality flaws.
 
Wow, now that is some horrible luck! Have you been going to the same Apple Store? Maybe try a different one...

Also, if it were me and I had 5 bad experiences in a row, I would wait at least a week or so and hope by then the Apple store has gotten in some new shipments.
 
ahh. okay. I see - I thought that was a list of things thats wrong with your current one.

Well, obviously you're the one who is ultimately using the computer, so it all depends on your own tolerance as to what you can accept and what you can't accept. Any opinion here is based on personal preference anyways, but your threshold for flaws is probably not the same as someone else.

Personally, if I've done 5 replacements and didn't find one I liked, I would just get a refund. If after 5 you don't find one you like, the odds are against you that the 6th one will be any better.
 
Thanx guys... lol

The exchanges were not in a row because there was waiting in the meantime for thm to bring stock back...

And i went to Regents st. in London... which is the biggest and i was thinking that brings more stock in...
 
Don't you think apple will have one big mega pile of returned mbp's with the amount of threads on this place about returns.

Regards

Jonathan
 
tom burns said:
Hi guys...

I took today my 5th MBP. i'VE REPLACED 4 ALREADY...

1)Extremely loose battery cover
2)dent next to trackpad - trackpad too hard to click
3) uneven rubber strip around screen - lid bent due to that
4)(tried it in applestore) stuck pixel
5)this is what i got today... and i find the screen awful. Seems to have a slight yellow hue. And on black backgrounds, I see the line of lights on the bottom of the screen.

5...

Keep it, refund, or keep on trying?...

Any advice?

Thanx guys
Click to expand...

go for a sixth and demand some other type of compensation for your inconvenience.
 
I had similar luck when trying to buy my MBP. After the third defective one my local store refused to give me another, they said I could keep the one I had or get a refund. So, I got a full refund. This horrible quality control is ridiculous, and, although I stil plan on buying the machine, I'm going to wait a month or so. I'd say, if you don't NEED the machine right now just get a refund and wait a little bit. Maybe apple will sort out some of the quality issues. Maybe these issues are b/c these are the first batches of a new design or something (I hope). But yeah, I'd get a refund for now if you don't need the computer right away. Or, if you don't need/absolutely have your heart set on a mac then just get a pc.
 
I would keep going until you get one you can live with. I was lucky and got one without any flaws (had the fan clicking but it went away) but if I had all those flaws I would be at the Apple store asap. Maybe the Apple store in your area just has a bad batch? The machine really is a beautiful machine once you get a good one. I say go for it!
 
Have you tried callibrating the screen?

The first day i had my MBP i was literally in tears over the colouration of the screen...then i found in the colour profiles library sRGB and ProPhoto RGB. Try these both out as technically these should look perfect. If it still looks bad with either/both of them then take it back. I'd then really consider whether you actually want a 6th.
 
Keep trying, they'll probably give you 3 years free AppleCare and an iPod or TV for compensation eventually.

Would of been simpler to stick with the first and just bend the prongs so the cover doesn't move.
 
Well, apparently the odds of getting a MBP that you'll be happy with is pretty slim next time around. Perhaps you should try ordering online, or going with a higher end Sony (if you don't need OS X). Either way, you should definitely change your strategy.
 
Jesus...has ANYONE gotten a late 2008 MBP and been happy with it??? I have mine coming in the mail and now I'm horrified!
 
The 2.53 that I received from Apple in the mail yesterday also had a yellow screen. I'm fairly certain that it's because the panel is Chi-Mei, because I previously bought and returned an MBP from the local Apple store and that one had an LG screen and absolutely no yellowness, but it did have bad backlight leaking. Waiting to hear back from my customer care specialist on Monday and will try to get an exchange. The only thing I'm hoping for right now is that Apple has not completely switched over to using Chi-Mei for the next few months before going back to LG again, because if that's the case then the exchange will probably not end up being any better.

Overall, I must say that I'm extremely impressed by the "good" units Apple made as they are simply brilliant, but at the same time I'm quite disappointed by the number of "bad" units that's been produced. Yes we do nit-pick more than the general public, but I don't consider this super nit-picking, in which case Apple would be completely failing. I considered keeping the yellow screen, but then decided that for this much money, an unit without obvious flaws is not too much to ask.

Keep trying would be my advice, or if you get tired of it, get a refund. I've pulled out my old but functional PC laptop and am gonna stay in this until I get a good unit. *fingers crossed*

P.S. Check your color profile in display in system preference. Line 13, if the model number is 9C85, then you have a Chi-Mei as well. 9C84 is LG.
 
Thanx for the responses guys!

Yes my screen now is Chi mei... :(
My previous one was an LG and it was great...

It seems like i have to accept a flaw finally, but I have to choose which flaw!:rolleyes:

I m using the HE discount and i only have 3 weeks as a student left, that's why I keep on trying...
 
I would keep trying to get one you are satisfied with one. I really think there is just 30-40 people that have had bad luck with their mbp's. I iwsh more people that are happy with their laptops would post more.

Wonder what the apple stores do with these returns? I mean I hope they don't just repackage the ones with ones with cosmetic damage and hope the next buy doesn't notice or care.
 
my screen is kinda yellow too, is it like that for everyone? do i just need to play with the color profiles?
 
I have the LG screen and mine shipped yellow, but after calibration it's pretty neutral (maybe a bit cool, but that's okay with me).
 
Brien said:
I have the LG screen and mine shipped yellow, but after calibration it's pretty neutral (maybe a bit cool, but that's okay with me).
Click to expand...

mine only has a yellow shade when i look at the screen from an angle, when i look straight at the screen its not there. same with yours?
 
SchneiderMan said:
mine only has a yellow shade when i look at the screen from an angle, when i look straight at the screen its not there. same with yours?
Click to expand...

SchneiderMan,
My experience is the same as yours, only see the yellow when looking at it from an angle (by the way I am OK with that). I have the LG screen.

I would be interested in hearing Brien's reply also.

Gary
 
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