Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Any chance of getting a perfect 30" Apple Cinema Display?

Z

Zoowatch

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jan 6, 2004
348
0
Sheffield, UK
i am seriously considering the 30" display.

but i am highly concerned over the possibility
of getting one with stuck / dead / dancing pixels
or one with broken USB / firewire hub
or one with a dark band running across the screen.

i am getting it directly from the UK Apple Store (Online)
and so i will not be able to inspect the item until it arrives at my doorstep.

i have asked the sale staff at the apple retail store earlier, and they insisted that it is not possible that i open the box to check the display before i pay for it.

i must say that i have a rather small tolerance for pixel abnormalities because i still believe that since i have paid so much for a display (1799 pounds), it should not be any less than perfect. on the other hand, i am fully aware of Apple's explanation for this issue and i am afraid that they will refuse to take responsilities when i eventually discover that there is a bad glaring pixel right in the middle of my screen.

questions:

have any of you guys actually received a 100% perfect 30" display before?

what is the chance of getting a perfect display? 75% chance or lower?

am i better off getting a Dell 30"? do you think there is a less likelihood that i will get a bad 30" display from Dell? does Dell use the same LCD quality as Apple?

this is a huge investment for me, and i want to get this right. friends of mine who are PC users are keenly watching this purchase and if something isn't right again (just like my past experience buying computers from Apple), they would probably think that i am a real fool paying such a premium for something with defects out of the box.

i hope i do not sound unreasonable as a paying customer. i think that it is only natural that i want a perfect 30" screen.
 
My 30" ACD has no problem pixels. It is 100% perfect. So is my 23" ACD. NO stuck pixels on either. No weird pink color casts either.

Very happy with both and if my desk was big enough, I would probably get a second 30" for the Quad.
 
I would recommend that you buy it from a retail store, simply because it is so much easier to return. I heard tell that the policy at Apple Retail Stores is that they will except an exchange if the customer is sufficiently unhappy, no matter how few pixels on the display are affected.
 
For the record, Dell uses the same standards as Apple does on quality control for LCDs. You COULD get stuck with an imperfect screen from either company. Honestly, though, if you complained enough to Apple, you'll get a new one. Just hope you get different operators. Be persistent.
 
Meyvn said:
For the record, Dell uses the same standards as Apple does on quality control for LCDs. You COULD get stuck with an imperfect screen from either company. Honestly, though, if you complained enough to Apple, you'll get a new one. Just hope you get different operators. Be persistent.
Click to expand...

The difference with Dell is that they'll take it back with no questions asked. They even shipped the replacement display out to me before I had a chance to send them the defective one. All this was arranged during a three minutes web chat on Dell's web site also. :) Apple could learn a few things from Dell, at least with regard to the dead pixel problem.
 
So when I get mine, if i go to an Apple Reseller and purchase the display, then I can go and test the monitors until I find one with no defects?
 
Glenn Wolsey said:
So when I get mine, if i go to an Apple Reseller and purchase the display, then I can go and test the monitors until I find one with no defects?
Click to expand...

I highly doubt they'll let you open them without paying. Apple Resellers tend to not know what they're talking about, half the time (for instance, at my local Fry's, I've yet to meet an employee of the Apple section who's ever actually owned an Apple computer). If you ask them, they probably won't even know about Apple's standards with pixel defects, and they'll just tell you that you can return it if something's wrong with it, and that they 'guarantee' their products. Or that they simply don't know.
 
Glenn Wolsey said:
So when I get mine, if i go to an Apple Reseller and purchase the display, then I can go and test the monitors until I find one with no defects?
Click to expand...

YOu have to pay first, and then you get one try with another.
 
well

thanks for your advice

it seems that i will have to take the same risk of getting a display with pixel problems no matter which brand i buy...

i will give Apple one try... if the 30" ACD is no good then i will send it back for a refund... not for a replacement (as i also believe that this might be a batch quality issue)...

the new display should come within the week and i will keep you updated....
thanks for your input
 
Zoowatch said:
can someone please take a look at this PDF file

http://images.apple.com/pro/pdf/L309968A_Display_TO.pdf

go to page 18
there is a photo of the back of the Apple Display
where are there 5 horizontal vents at the top of the back of the display?
Click to expand...
Those look like vents to me.

iGary?

EDIT: i too have a serious interest in a 30", so here's another set of eager ears for any input you all have to give.
 
In a lot of countries they have laws protecting consumers that buy goods online and from catalogs. The basic rule is that if you don't like your purchase or have second thoughts, you can return it for a full refund with 10 day (or something like that). Such a law will allow you to buy, try and, if neccesary, return you 30" display. You should try to figure out if such laws exist in your neck of the woods.

Just to avoid the hassle I think I'd buy Dell's 30 incher. But hey, that's just me.
 
Just a few words from someone who has worked for Apple retail:

IF your first 30 inch goes amuck, take it back. The manager and Geniuses will probably open a new 30 inch and test it before you walk out again.

We had this problem once, where the last 5 30 inchers in stock all had problems. IT saved us a lot of time and headache testing all five monitors with the same cutomer before thye left. Suffice to say they were completely refunded and boght a 23 inch which had no problems.

I was fortunate when I worked there to get a 20 inch at HALF OFF because some moron with a dell computer brought it back complaining about the DVI connection (he only had SVGA on his dell, POS). So, it was brand new, and we had 15% off that month on any refreshed items, so I basically got an 800 dollar monitor for 450. Good deal! Haven't had ANY problems with it yet.
 
If Dell and Apple are using same LCD displays (I believe from LG), why bother buying it from Apple for much higher price??
 
pdpfilms said:
Those look like vents to me.

iGary?

EDIT: i too have a serious interest in a 30", so here's another set of eager ears for any input you all have to give.
Click to expand...


There are no vents on any of the Cinema Displays (ALU).

Bad picture.
 
edrifkin said:
If Dell and Apple are using same LCD displays (I believe from LG), why bother buying it from Apple for much higher price??
Click to expand...

A fine question. As someone who owns a 20" ACD, I can tell you there are 3 reasons: I like the firewire ports, I like the look of it better, and I like supporting apple, not dell. Are those good enough reasons to pay so much more? Maybe not... you have to decide for yourself. But I'm happy with my decision.
 
QCassidy352 said:
A fine question. As someone who owns a 20" ACD, I can tell you there are 3 reasons: I like the firewire ports, I like the look of it better, and I like supporting apple, not dell. Are those good enough reasons to pay so much more? Maybe not... you have to decide for yourself. But I'm happy with my decision.
Click to expand...

The LCD in my 20-inch ACD's (ALU) were Phillips (according to the repair order).
 
i have got the display on Friday.

For your your informantion, i ordered this display new (not refubished) from the online Apple Store (UK) and was delivered by Lynx.

First thing that surprised me was that the long stip of seal sticker was already broken. It seemed to have been cut along the opening by a penknife.

The box is in a reasonably good condition though. I gave Apple after-sale support a call and they took note about that under my order, asking me to proceed and inspect the content of the box.

I will come back with more updates later today.
 
ok i checked the screen

no or unnoticable backlight leakage
no 'dancing' pixels.

slight horizontal dark band extending from the extreme left to the centre of the screen.

and 6 stuck pixels, all found in the upper left portion of the screen.
2 of the 6 stuck sub-pixels are green and red and they are much brighter than the others.
both of them are found in the centre-left part of the screen.
on a dark area, they are quite noticable.
but when the screen is not displaying a dark image, they can hardly be seen.

having said that, the screen is awesome and well constructed

what is Apple's policy on pixels abnormalities?
(I just want to be informed, not neccessary that i'm going to ask for a replacement)
 
my first 30" display is perfect and i have had no issues. i am 100% happy with it. be careful, after you get use to it, everything else will look small. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back