Apple Facing Class Action Lawsuit Over Lack of Filters in MacBooks and iMacs Causing Trapped Dust

[mixel]

Mine got dust in the corners behind the panel after 7 months of purchase. It's hilarious how many people experience this! Obviously, I can have my screen replaced, since its in warranty but there are a lot of people posting about having their panels replaced multiple times and that it always comes back. So clearly - a design flaw.

So my questions for the possible future solutions would be:

- Any chance the vacuuming bellow the screen (where it takes air in) or behind (where the exaust is) could fix this problem without damaging the screen even more (when the dust travels to the vaccuum cleanr/if its even possible)?

- Maybe some DIY filter would be helful?

- Ultimately, anybody know how dangerous this is in the long run?

Hopefully the new colourful iMacs don’t have this problem. That seems quite possible with the new internal layout and thinness.. Otherwise all we can hope for is a passive cooled iMacs (like the MBA), with no inlets because Apple clearly can’t be trusted with this one simple part of the design (that has been causing problems for many years)

Vacuuming it won’t do anything..

Adding a filter might work as a preventative measure, but the “dust” particles must be absolutely tiny so I’d imagine it’d mess up airflow a bit.

I think I’ve had 3 screen replacements for this problem now, lol. (2 on one iMac one on another) and it’s not an unusually dusty environment at all. Likely just an air quality thing which must apply to a lot of users.

 

[Mlrollin91]

I had the screen replaced on my 2012 21.5" iMac, 2015 21.5" iMac, and 2017 21.5" iMac for the same issue. I have not had the issue yet on my 2020 27" iMac but I know its only a matter of time. My fiancee has a 2019 21.5" with dust in both bottom corners, just haven't had time to take it into a store to have the screen swapped out. Its a hassle because its 7-10 days before we get the machine back and with her working from home, she needs it.

 

[Nemanja604]

Hopefully the new colourful iMacs don’t have this problem. That seems quite possible with the new internal layout and thinness.. Otherwise all we can hope for is a passive cooled iMacs (like the MBA), with no inlets because Apple clearly can’t be trusted with this one simple part of the design (that has been causing problems for many years)

Vacuuming it won’t do anything..

Adding a filter might work as a preventative measure, but the “dust” particles must be absolutely tiny so I’d imagine it’d mess up airflow a bit.

I think I’ve had 3 screen replacements for this problem now, lol. (2 on one iMac one on another) and it’s not an unusually dusty environment at all. Likely just an air quality thing which must apply to a lot of users.

Hopefully, but it seems you never know with apple.

Vacuuming was just a hope that ended in vain. Ofc it doesnt help. No reason it should because it cant pull the dust from that area. Maybe if we do it regularly with new screen replacement.

Question is, what can we do to REALLY prevent this if its even possible

 

[JSein456]

I've had the gray spots happen twice on my 2011 iMac (once on the original panel it came with, and again on the replacement panel I asked for) and now I see it on my 2017 iMac also. Each time it happened, I started to see the issue around the 3 or 4-year mark more or less, just after my extended Apple Care service expired, but YMMV. It's a nuisance to get the panel replaced so I'm not going to bother this time around, but the experience in general has left me rather bitter.

After the 2011 model I was optimistic that Apple would do something about it, improve the design and fix it so it wouldn't be a problem anymore, but that wasn't the case at all. I wouldn't be surprised if the new M1 iMacs also have this issue.

Apple might argue that filters are not feasible because they might inhibit the flow of air needed to adequately cool the computers, but I don't understand why over the past 10 or more years they couldn't at least figure out a way to seal and insulate the internal panel components properly so that dust coming in through the vents can't penetrate inside it. :-(

 

[mixel]

Apple might argue that filters are not feasible because they might inhibit the flow of air needed to adequately cool the computers, but I don't understand why over the past 10 or more years they couldn't at least figure out a way to seal and insulate the internal panel components properly so that dust coming in through the vents can't penetrate inside it. :-(

You're right. There is no excuse. It's an engineering problem entirely unique to the iMac. Many monitors have air inlets and I've even had Samsung LCD monitors with active fans that have way outlived my iMacs and none of them have ever drawn dust between layers of the LCD panel. It's a completely stupid problem, and it doesnt surprise me at all it also happened on the iMac Pros. Ridiculous.

As for the M1 imacs, they've had a decade.. TBH if they HAVE fixed it I can only assume it's just accidental, they clearly could have stopped this at any point but didn't care enough to bother. Just taping better around the lcd panel layers is enough to stop it reoccuring, it's that dumb of a problem, considering everything *else* they glue up for no discernable reason and the fact that they swap out the entire panel with all its layers intact when it develops a problem, they could have fully sealed it at any point.

Question is, what can we do to REALLY prevent this if its even possible

Nothing. Maybe put some sort of air purifier near the imac? If such a thing exists for pulling microscopic pollution outo of the air. Back with the older models it almost made sense to dissassemble the iMac once you get the replacement screen and better seal around the silver tape that holds the LCD panel together, taking care to seal around the wires etc.. Then reassemble (I don't recommend this and I don't it's possible anymore, last time I opened up my iMac was when you could use a plunger to pull the glass off, I dont think that's possible in later models.

I think we just have to get used to grey corners. They will be back regardless of how many times they replace the screen. :/

 

[Trt740]

You're right. There is no excuse. It's an engineering problem entirely unique to the iMac. Many monitors have air inlets and I've even had Samsung LCD monitors with active fans that have way outlived my iMacs and none of them have ever drawn dust between layers of the LCD panel. It's a completely stupid problem, and it doesnt surprise me at all it also happened on the iMac Pros. Ridiculous.

As for the M1 imacs, they've had a decade.. TBH if they HAVE fixed it I can only assume it's just accidental, they clearly could have stopped this at any point but didn't care enough to bother. Just taping better around the lcd panel layers is enough to stop it reoccuring, it's that dumb of a problem, considering everything *else* they glue up for no discernable reason and the fact that they swap out the entire panel with all its layers intact when it develops a problem, they could have fully sealed it at any point.

Nothing. Maybe put some sort of air purifier near the imac? If such a thing exists for pulling microscopic pollution outo of the air. Back with the older models it almost made sense to dissassemble the iMac once you get the replacement screen and better seal around the silver tape that holds the LCD panel together, taking care to seal around the wires etc.. Then reassemble (I don't recommend this and I don't it's possible anymore, last time I opened up my iMac was when you could use a plunger to pull the glass off, I dont think that's possible in later models.

I think we just have to get used to grey corners. They will be back regardless of how many times they replace the screen. :/

any update on this lawsuit.

 

[Greyland]

Wow. And I mean wow. My first Mac’s were an SE and then an SE/30. The main air intake was through the floppy drive. Dust and tobacco smoke killed those drives in those, and later machines with floppy drives. We paid to have the drives refurbished instead of filing a lawsuit to have Apple fix a problem that our environment caused in the first place. Know what I learned? Keep my workspace clean. End of problem!

 

[Mlrollin91]

any update on this lawsuit.

Case was dismissed in November 2019.

 

[H2SO4]

Wow. And I mean wow. My first Mac’s were an SE and then an SE/30. The main air intake was through the floppy drive. Dust and tobacco smoke killed those drives in those, and later machines with floppy drives. We paid to have the drives refurbished instead of filing a lawsuit to have Apple fix a problem that our environment caused in the first place. Know what I learned? Keep my workspace clean. End of problem!

Keeping anything clean will prolong it's life but the product should be able to survive in the real world.

 

[Digital Dude]

Oops - wrong tread