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pieuk

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 25, 2011
48
0
Hello everyone, merry christmas to you all! can I get some insight to this please..

A few issues, creaking and smudges!

The other day, I was playing a film, and when the film started it displays a completely black screen, no dead pixels great! however...

...I can see what appears to be about 5 permanent smudge lines, two about 3 inches in length and the others about 1 inch. I haven't ever touched the screen and these marks must be in the screen which i find very very odd...

I have tried to clean the screen and got the whole thing looking completely immaculate, but these smudge marks do not move. When the screen is off you cannot see anything that would look like it would be causing it. however when you switch it on and turn the brightness up and are looking at a black/grey area you can see them, and you know how once you notice something it eats away at you... :(

this must be a manufacturing error?!. I have 3 years apple care, and the laptop is about 25 days old bought from apple online.

very upset about this, and whats annoying is, they are not very noticeable marks using the MBA for day to day things but when you watch a film etc you just can't help but to notice them.. so its forcing me to take action

reallly disappointing. To further this frustration i swapped out the first MBA i got as the right speaker was faulty.. this was fine at the time as it was within 14 days old, but now it looks like all i can do is to take it to an apple store and pray that they can fix the smudge and creaking issues.

I guess they will have to replace my screen only? just need a bit of support and advice on this really.

many thanks for reading


> photo

GetAttachment.jpg


sorry its so small, but can you see those smudge lines, they appear darker than the rest of the display


on top of this I noticed my 2011 13" MBA creaking around the track pad area and can get rather annoying, especially as it makes it feel cheap! anyway, from what i have read (linking me to this forum) its a rather common problem and you need a pentalobe screw driver or something?! I have booked it into the genius bar and i am going to ask them to re-seat it for me on tuesday.
 
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doktordoris

macrumors 6502a
Mar 14, 2009
532
1
Those marks on the screen look pretty dreadful, if, as you imply, they look worse in real life I feel very sorry for you.

I hope you get it sorted.
 
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pieuk

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 25, 2011
48
0
yeah they really make it look pretty "naff"

i am going to the apple store to see an apple genius, so i'll let you know how it goes. I'm thinking they will replace the screen.

with a bit of luck maybe they will feel sorry for me and replace the whole unit.
 

minnus

macrumors 6502
Aug 12, 2011
347
0
That is how I first noticed it as well. You can refer to this thread which refers to a very similar issue.

forums.macrumors.com/threads/1234731/
 

pieuk

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 25, 2011
48
0
thanks guys, yeah I'm heading to the genius bar tomorrow 1pm !

so your creaks return on there own do they? how long does it take? do you think its because you carry it around all the time or do you think there is a genuine manufacturing error?

have you thought about buying a pentalobe screwdriver?

yeah these marks must have been there from day one but i just never realised.

I havent excessively wiped the screen or placed any form of weight on or around the MBA.


even if it was due to wiping, how on earth are the marks behind the screen? it doesn't make sense.

i HOPE they will solve this i.e replace the screen.
 
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minnus

macrumors 6502
Aug 12, 2011
347
0
Yeah, the creaks return on its own. I believe the action of lifting the MBA causes the body to 'flex' slightly, causing the screws to loosen overtime. Eventually, it gets to the point where it 'creaks.' Some people have had success replacing the OEM screens with custom, larger screws such that it never becomes loose from mere movement. Should it become loose? Most likely not. Am I using the laptop in ways not intended by Apple? Most likely not as well, unless this MBA was intended to be a stationary machine.

The marks aren't physical marks. The LCD display is made of liquid crystals, and those liquid crystals can be realigned with pressure. The smudge marks you see is the shifting of those crystals.
 

lippyt

macrumors member
Aug 14, 2010
36
0
thanks guys, yeah I'm heading to the genius bar tomorrow 1pm !

so your creaks return on there own do they? how long does it take? do you think its because you carry it around all the time or do you think there is a genuine manufacturing error?

have you thought about buying a pentalobe screwdriver?

yeah these marks must have been there from day one but i just never realised.

I havent excessively wiped the screen or placed any form of weight on or around the MBA.


even if it was due to wiping, how on earth are the marks behind the screen? it doesn't make sense.

i HOPE they will solve this i.e replace the screen.

Yup, the creaking always returns. After a screw reseat, the MBA feels very solid and stiff. But after bringing it to school and back for single trip, the creaking returns and it feels slightly squishy.
 

polee

macrumors 6502a
Jul 22, 2008
689
458
Yup, the creaking always returns. After a screw reseat, the MBA feels very solid and stiff. But after bringing it to school and back for single trip, the creaking returns and it feels slightly squishy.

Yup, I second that! After reseating. the macbook air remains creak free for a while, and then the creak returns...
 

pieuk

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 25, 2011
48
0
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

Haha that's mad isnt it! So basically if you carry it around eventually it will creak! Well at least it seems to not just be me. I can see why it does it since it is rediculously thin, maybe Mbp 13 would have been a better shout?! never mind... these things are meant to be used, and used it shall be

Almost forgot to say, screen is being replaced :)

Think I might buy a pentalobe screwdriver
 

lippyt

macrumors member
Aug 14, 2010
36
0
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

Haha that's mad isnt it! So basically if you carry it around eventually it will creak! Well at least it seems to not just be me. I can see why it does it since it is rediculously thin, maybe Mbp 13 would have been a better shout?! never mind... these things are meant to be used, and used it shall be

Almost forgot to say, screen is being replaced :)

Think I might buy a pentalobe screwdriver

That's good. I got my screen replaced due to a faulty hinge. A new screen gave the mba a new computer smell for a few days! Fancy getting that free. :p

Well I used a MBP 13" for schooling once, its nowhere near the convenience of of a MBA. I would accept as much creaking for a laptop of much less weight!
 

pieuk

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 25, 2011
48
0
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

Very true, so will my hinge have been replaced aswel? Hope not! Really looking forward to it being all fixed up, going to be so careful with it, but at the same time I want to enjoy it.
 

pieuk

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 25, 2011
48
0
right guys, the mba is back and its perfect now!

screen is lush and the creaks are gone!

apple store was very helpful, replaced it without questions, and did it within 1 day!

overall, extremely happy.
 

onthecouchagain

macrumors 604
Mar 29, 2011
7,382
2
When I got my first Air, it creaked severely. I brought it back for an exchange (mild hassle from the CS rep) and got a replacement, and that didn't creak... that is until a few weeks later. It's not as severe as the first one so I decided to just let it go.

Mine seems to creak particularly on the lower right side, where the right palm rests. It doesn't happen often, but it sure is the only thing that detracts from the "premium" feel of the Air.

When it gets really bad, I'll bring it in for a tightening or adjustment. Alas.
 

polee

macrumors 6502a
Jul 22, 2008
689
458
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A406 Safari/7534.48.3)

And I second second that. The creak return after about a week or two.
 

onthecouchagain

macrumors 604
Mar 29, 2011
7,382
2
Anybody else feel the creaking isn't due to loose screws? It's such an audible click and the screws just don't look loose enough to make such a sound. And it feels and sounds like it's coming from internally. I'm tempted to get a pentalobe screw driver, but I'm not fully convinced it's the screws that is the culprit.
 
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lippyt

macrumors member
Aug 14, 2010
36
0
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A406 Safari/7534.48.3)

And I second second that. The creak return after about a week or two.

Yup, term just started. creaking like a bitch after 3 days of carrying it around in my bag. It was creakless during the holiday after reseating. Not much to worry about, still a useful machine.
 

LFMNX

macrumors regular
Feb 14, 2011
150
2
Anybody else feel the creaking isn't due to loose screws? It's such an audible click and the screws just don't look loose enough to make such a sound. And it feels and sounds like it's coming from internally. I'm tempted to get a pentalobe screw driver, but I not fully convinced it's the screws that is the culprit.

I don't think it is related to the screws. I think it is related to the expansion/contraction rate being different between the top and bottom plate because of how much heat they dissipate. So sometimes there may be a gap other times not. Opportunities for creak when pressure applied. I think it's just the macbook air communicating how much it loves you so I would accept it as a good thing.
 

dsc888

macrumors 6502
Jun 25, 2010
407
168
Boston, MA USA
Returned 13" for a 11" and creaking is gone!

Hey Guys,

It's been a while since I've posted on the forum. I returned my 2011 13" for a 11" and the creaking is truly gone. I too was annoyed that my MBA felt a bit cheaply made with all the creaking and I did buy a pentalobe screwdriver and reseated the screws to no avail. And so I returned mine which was also having wifi drop issues despite updating Lion.

So it seems the 13 inches needs a bit of a redesign to eliminated the flex. Either they have to make the back panel thicker or add more screws. My 11" has zero flex and zero creaking. And the dreaded wifi issue is gone.

I interestingly discovered the same issue with the instore demo units at my local Bestbuy. I picked up the 13" with one hand I instantly heard the creaking several times. The 11" was silent. Good luck, guys.
 

doktordoris

macrumors 6502a
Mar 14, 2009
532
1
I am amazed that people are happy to put up with a creaking mac, or even happy to buy a screwdriver and keep tightening up those bonkers pentalobe screws. If my MBA were to creak I'd pop it in its box, walk about 60 yards down the street, and demand a new one from PC World. Apple stuff is a little more costly and as such should be perfect. Having a mac groan like a tea-clipper in a gale simply isn't good enough.
 

LFMNX

macrumors regular
Feb 14, 2011
150
2
I am amazed that people are happy to put up with a creaking mac, or even happy to buy a screwdriver and keep tightening up those bonkers pentalobe screws. If my MBA were to creak I'd pop it in its box, walk about 60 yards down the street, and demand a new one from PC World. Apple stuff is a little more costly and as such should be perfect. Having a mac groan like a tea-clipper in a gale simply isn't good enough.

I'm very happy with my MBA, best computer I have ever owned. My bones creak too sometimes.
 

onthecouchagain

macrumors 604
Mar 29, 2011
7,382
2
I am amazed that people are happy to put up with a creaking mac, or even happy to buy a screwdriver and keep tightening up those bonkers pentalobe screws. If my MBA were to creak I'd pop it in its box, walk about 60 yards down the street, and demand a new one from PC World. Apple stuff is a little more costly and as such should be perfect. Having a mac groan like a tea-clipper in a gale simply isn't good enough.

No one is "happy" to put up with a creaking Air; as you can tell from this thread and others, people are actually feeling quite the opposite about it. But having exchanged once myself, and based on others changing, it seems like this is an issue with Apple production, and may afflict more Airs than we know (or even want to admit about our dear Apple product). Given that likely scenario and given that people still need laptops and want an Air regardless, this is something we'll put up with because the pros of owning an Air [far] out weigh the cons. We're happy with our Airs, not with the creaking.

Tradeoffs. Welcome to life.
 

doktordoris

macrumors 6502a
Mar 14, 2009
532
1
No one is "happy" to put up with a creaking Air; as you can tell from this thread and others, people are actually feeling quite the opposite about it. But having exchanged once myself, and based on others changing, it seems like this is an issue with Apple production, and may afflict more Airs than we know (or even want to admit about our dear Apple product). Given that likely scenario and given that people still need laptops and want an Air regardless, this is something we'll put up with because the pros of owning an Air [far] out weigh the cons. We're happy with our Airs, not with the creaking.

Tradeoffs. Welcome to life.

But that is my point entirely. When one pays a bit more for a mac "tradeoffs" are unacceptable.
 

onthecouchagain

macrumors 604
Mar 29, 2011
7,382
2
But that is my point entirely. When one pays a bit more for a mac "tradeoffs" are unacceptable.

Macs are not infallible nor are they perfect. There are numerous issues with Airs/Pros/Macs/iPhones/etc which one might regard as tradeoffs; the price of wanting to stay with OSX/iOS.


Slightly off topic (so not directed at you Doktordoris)... but those who claim that Apple is perfect, in my opinion, honestly do Apple diservice, because when people realize the reality, they become vastly disappointed and disillusioned.
 
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