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Can I, and should I return my MBP to an Apple store?

X

Xeno

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 5, 2007
18
0
I received my first ever Mac about 3 weeks ago or so. 15 inch, 2.2 ghz MBP. Stock specs except glossy screen. Week 32 and an LG screen, if it matters. I ordered it online and when I received it, I took it on an extended trip accross the world. Now I'm back and I've realized a few defects. Of course I've heard about the screen yellowing. As the screen gets brighter and brighter, I do see it getting slightly darker/kind of yellow-er/less white in the bottom dock area and slightly up. Maybe it's my imagination, but it's definitely not perfectly white. Also, I have one dead pixel and there is a slight gap when I close it. Not a big deal, but still not perfect either. I don't want a replacement or a repair, I want a brand new unit. I know I'm over the 2 week period and I ordered online, but can I still return it to an Apple store? Should I? I don't know..Maybe I'm crazy. :D I need advice! Thanks.
 
I doubt they'll give you a hassle-free replacement now that the two week period is up. You may be stuck with the unit or a repair...
 
In terms of the lid having a gap, that is completely normal. I've got a 15" MBP. Same deal. It doesn't close perfectly flat. My lid is slightly raised on one side (it's barely noticeable unless you tap down on the left side and realized that it is raised). In reading these forums, I realized that this is standard for the MBPs. In fact, if you go to a store you'll notice the same thing.
 
Tumeg101 said:
It is still under warranty, and I am almost positive that dead pixels are covered... take it in, and they should fix it and\or replace it
Click to expand...

If you have more than 5 dead pixels I believe so. OP, your MBP sounds like it's working fine, don't return it. You really don't have much, if anything wrong with it. Unless your yellowing is unbearable, which I doubt because you just got back from a trip and noticed it. A screen will not be perfectly even and white, but will do the job as if it was. Trust me, it's fine.
 
screen

If your screen was actually yellowing, you'd be absolutely sure of it. The screen not closing all the way is normal as well. If it didn't LATCH correctly I would agree that there is a problem.

Too many people read the bad stuff here (notice how only the bad experiences are shared, the vast majority of us with no problems never say anything) and it does influence some.
 
Sorry for the double post, but I was just wondering are the replacements Apple sends via mail brand new or refurbished? My MBP paranoia is getting slightly worse. Also, is it normal for the screen to slightly brighten automatically? I usually notice it when I open a bright white/bright colored window. It also darkens automatically sometimes, like when I close/minimize a bright white/bright colored window. I know about the ambient light sensor, it's not that. Thanks again everyone.
 
Yes....

It sounds to me like you're just being very sensitive to the issues which commonly/always happen with notebook LCD displays - and you don't have any major problems Apple could fix for you.

I know what you're referring to with your screen appearing to suddenly dim or brighten when a large, bright window is opened or closed on the display. My Toshiba laptop I used to own did that, and I see it on my Macbook Pro now too. My friend's Dell notebook also does it occasionally. In fact, my 24" Acer LCD monitor on my desktop PC does it too, to an extent. I think that's just the nature of limitations of contrast/brightness of some makes and models of LCD panels.

Your screen-shot showing the "yellowing" at the bottom does show that your display doesn't show perfect color purity across the entire thing. Again, that's the nature of laptop computer screens in general. Have you done the advanced monitor calibration in OS X yet? I found that creating a custom profile using their advanced mode (where it goes through a series of steps asking you to squint your eyes while moving sliders until the black, white or grey Apple in the middle of the window seems to blend in with the lines drawn around it, etc.) results in a much better looking display than just using their defaults.

You have to remember though, most notebook LCDs have their backlight placed along the top (or bottom) of the screen, casting light over the rest of the screen. That means it WILL appear to be brighter/whiter where the light is mounted than on the other end of the display.


Xeno said:
Sorry for the double post, but I was just wondering are the replacements Apple sends via mail brand new or refurbished? My MBP paranoia is getting slightly worse. Also, is it normal for the screen to slightly brighten automatically? I usually notice it when I open a bright white/bright colored window. It also darkens automatically sometimes, like when I close/minimize a bright white/bright colored window. I know about the ambient light sensor, it's not that. Thanks again everyone.
Click to expand...
 
Here's what you should do. Bring your machine in, and set it aside the demo machines in the store. If all 3-4 Macbook Pros are consistantly better with regards to your issues, ask them to fix it. If only some have the issue and some don't, it's essentially a manufacturing variance. You're just paying too much attention to it.

My logic is this: when I first wanted a Macbook, I visited the store a couple of times and thought they were fantastic. Perfect. When I got my own, I noticed so many little issues - the lid not closing exactly right, or the mouse button not click well. When I went into the store, I could barely find some of these faults - essentially they had those issues all along, but I never noticed. So I chalked it off to manufacturing variances, realizing that I was essentially being too picky. The trackpad clicking, however, was an obvious issue because it was something I could demonstrate a material difference in with ease.

Nobody can produce an absolutely perfect product, much less one that undergoes such scrutiny from its users. In the end, it's your call and the Apple Store's call. People get away with a lot at that store, and if you want to be one of them, sure. But the above is how I would approach it from a logical standpoint.
 
Xeno said:
Thanks for the replies. I guess I can relax now. I do think there is a very slight yellowing, or at least a very slight darkening in the dock area. Maybe I'm just seeing things..Here is a picture for reference. Not the best quality and not exactly how it looks in person, but it gets the point across, I guess.

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b263/xenosphere7/compscreen1.jpg
Click to expand...

Is this not caused by the viewing angle difference in the middle, upper, and lower portions of the screen? Does the darkening disappear (or move around) when you change the angle of the screen?
 
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