Horizontal Lines in New Powerbooks

[ybakos]

Return your Powerbook

I think that the line problem is important for us to complain about because

1) No other computer manufacturer sells bad screens like this. By returning your defective product, you are sending your message in dollars that this Apple product is not worth the money.

2) The lines really do distort what you're seeing and isn't good for you. Look everyone, every third row of pixels has a noticeably lighter tint to the rest of the screen. It distorts the way we see smooth curves (look at the curved lines of the default blue desktop background image -- they're jagged) and some folks even complain of a headache. And for professionals who use the screen for as many as 12 hours a day... it's a bit much to put up with.

By looking around at the entire laptop market, AT MINIMUM the product should have a proper quality screen.

I just wish Apple would fix this. Don't ya'll?

 

[Sic]

forget it

 

[MRU]

hey, bit of a latecomer, but someone asked me in my "woot check me with my new powerbook" thread if i'd post my SN prefix, so i thought i'd post it in the relevant thread. i'm a W85'er...and i have no lines.

hope this is helpful to someone. and you guys really should get together and take it up with apple. i've not read this thread, but you could get all your details together and send it to apple...obviously wouldnt be much, but in the grand scheme of things it could help. i'd be quite happy to put my name next to something should you need it.

like i said...hope that helps

LOL W85'er.... Yeah cos theyre really is 85 weeks in the year.
That's the Shanghai factory designation. its the two numbers after W85 that tell us what week the machine was manafactured.

 

[technocoy]

Sic...

I should have clarified that in my earlier post, as i was brainfarting in your thread... you also need the two numbers after that.

Also, thanks for your input and for trying to help us all out...

are you SURE you don't have the lines? a lot of people think they don't until they try the tests earlier on in this thread...

if you would do those and post your results it would be awesome.

again,
thanks for the help and sorry for the mix-up on the prefix.

technocoy

 

[Vasileios]

I have the NEW powerbook 15' for almost a month and i'm completely satisfied with it's perfomance.
No horizontal lines screen issue at all.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks for taking the time to make a positive comment.

However, for ALL those with good 15" Powerbooks (no horizontal lines), it would help us fence sitters if you would include:

1) the first five characters of the Serial #
2) are BOTH of the RAM slots working properly
3) is the Battery OK

Good news reports are as important as negative ones.

3)Battery times all ok
2)Ram is working properly in both slots
1)i can't give my serial No in a internet forum(sorry)

The thing is that i am sure i don;t have a line issue...
I almost put my head inside the screen and still nothing...
Maybe i am lucky

 

[Sic]

forget it

 

[Wombert]

W8546'er, and as i said, i didnt read the whole thread, so i didnt actually know what these numbers referred to. the number could've been 985 and it wouldn't have made a difference.

it would appear that if i change to the default background, take a screen grab, zoom and squint that i have VERY feint lines. they're so feint that i cant actually decide whether it's just minute space between pixels, and you've all got me paranoid! i'll take a screen grab, zoom in and post it when i've reinstalled CS2, if you all wish.

Oh god come on can't you PLEASE read the thread. A screenshot will not capture the lines. it's not that difficult to understand, really.

 

[Sic]

Oh god come on can't you PLEASE read the thread. A screenshot will not capture the lines. it's not that difficult to understand, really.

right. well screw you all then. i wont try and help with your thread. if you think i'm reading 760 posts then you're gravely mistaken. all i was going to do was post my serial prefix to try and help in some way. edit that quote out of your post. im done wasting my time for ingrates like you

 

[PDE]

right. well screw you all then. i wont try and help with your thread. if you think i'm reading 760 posts then you're gravely mistaken. all i was going to do was post my serial prefix to try and help in some way. edit that quote out of your post. im done wasting my time for ingrates like you

Look, there are a lot of people here who would appreciate your contribution so please don't lump everybody together.

Thanks,
PDE

 

[netb0y]

Look, there are a lot of people here who would appreciate your contribution so please don't lump everybody together.

Thanks,
PDE

I agree. For those who are just coming to this thread, here is a good summary that details the problem many of us are having:

http://15inpbscreen.appleplace.com/

 

[LucT]

serial number

1. So don't give the serial number, just the first five digit. This only indicates where the book has been produced and the week of production. No big deal here, no one will be hurt, not even Apple.

2. go to http://crankycat.com/pb15_problems.png : go close to the screen :
do the two boys look exactly the same (no line in any of them ?).

If the left boy is fine AND the right boy stripped THEN you have really a lineless PB. This would be the first one I ever heard seriously about.
I demand only one thing and it is youre right, this will give me hope to one day have the perfect machine (which is not the case for me yet)

Take care

Luc


1)i can't give my serial No in a internet forum(sorry)

The thing is that i am sure i don;t have a line issue...
I almost put my head inside the screen and still nothing...
Maybe i am lucky [/QUOTE]

 

[Sic]

well, it would appear that after much deliberation and straining my eyes (i cant actually decide whether it's because i'm trying to see the lines, or whether i actually can see them) it appears that i am suffering with the old "lines" problem. although it does appear to be only very slight, as it's only really mildly effecting the anti-aliasing of some text. i've busted out a few photographs and they dont look any different to when i was messing with them on my old PB. i got my old PB out for a comparison and there definitely are some very slight lines to be seen, but from a comfortable seating position, they simply cannot be seen (although now i know they're there! )

here's hoping that apple brings out a firmware fix or something

 

[Gokhan]

k

hate to say i told you so

 

[motherduce]

w00t! and onengadget! http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000753069961/
traffic is really starting to take off now good that I got plenty of bandwidth to spare xD

Good news. Maybe this will keep rolling and get a response from Assle.

 

[Sic]

hate to say i told you so

wow....helpful

 

[PDE]

Sic,

Thanks for letting us know. It's helpful to know both for those waiting for a fix and for those thinking about purchasing a new machine.

pete

 

[technocoy]

yup...

we all appreciate the info...

 

[Clix Pix]

2. go to http://crankycat.com/pb15_problems.png : go close to the screen :
do the two boys look exactly the same (no line in any of them ?).

If the left boy is fine AND the right boy stripped THEN you have really a lineless PB.

<waving> Here! My 15" PB was ordered two days after the Big Announcement and it came BTO from Shanghai. According to the Coconut Flavours ID program it was built between October 17 - October 23rd. I received it a few days after placing my order and it's perfect. NO LINES. Really! I just had another look at the crankycat site and, yes, the photo of the boy on the left looks fine, very smooth, no lines, but the lines on the photo of the boy on the right are quite distinct, just as they are with my iMac.

I guess I must've really lucked out because of the timing -- maybe there were some changes when the orders started pouring in and they had to process a lot more PBs? Mine was a BTO, as I wanted the 7200 rpm hard drive and I wanted to max out the RAM. Don't know if that would have made any difference or not....

Whatever. There are others who have also reported having "good" PBs without the lines, and I think they may also have been among the early purchasers.

I quite agree that people who are having issues with the lines should report this to Apple, regardless of whether or not they intend to return their machine for a replacement/refund, because that is the best way to make sure the company is aware of this problem and to maybe stimulate them into doing something about it.

OTB

 

[Wombert]

<waving> Here! My 15" PB was ordered two days after the Big Announcement and it came BTO from Shanghai. According to the Coconut Flavours ID program it was built between October 17 - October 23rd. I received it a few days after placing my order and it's perfect. NO LINES. Really! I just had another look at the crankycat site and, yes, the photo of the boy on the left looks fine, very smooth, no lines, but the lines on the photo of the boy on the right are quite distinct, just as they are with my iMac.

I guess I must've really lucked out because of the timing -- maybe there were some changes when the orders started pouring in and they had to process a lot more PBs? Mine was a BTO, as I wanted the 7200 rpm hard drive and I wanted to max out the RAM. Don't know if that would have made any difference or not....

Whatever. There are others who have also reported having "good" PBs without the lines, and I think they may also have been among the early purchasers.

I quite agree that people who are having issues with the lines should report this to Apple, regardless of whether or not they intend to return their machine for a replacement/refund, because that is the best way to make sure the company is aware of this problem and to maybe stimulate them into doing something about it.

OTB

Nope, this is definitely not the case. I have a week 40 model and it has the lines. I also went to a store a week after the announcements and the model on display also had lines across the screen.

 

[Wombert]

Good news. Maybe this will keep rolling and get a response from Assle.

Wow... look at this

 

[Crusty]

Ooh graphs!

Can you tell if any requests are from Apple Computer subnets? Just out of curiosity.

 

[Wombert]

Ooh graphs!

Can you tell if any requests are from Apple Computer subnets? Just out of curiosity.

Yep. A couple of visits from both apple.com hosts and machines from the 17.0.0.0 subnet (this range is owned by Apple)

 

[Vasileios]

<waving> Here! My 15" PB was ordered two days after the Big Announcement and it came BTO from Shanghai. According to the Coconut Flavours ID program it was built between October 17 - October 23rd. I received it a few days after placing my order and it's perfect. NO LINES. Really! I just had another look at the crankycat site and, yes, the photo of the boy on the left looks fine, very smooth, no lines, but the lines on the photo of the boy on the right are quite distinct, just as they are with my iMac.

I guess I must've really lucked out because of the timing -- maybe there were some changes when the orders started pouring in and they had to process a lot more PBs? Mine was a BTO, as I wanted the 7200 rpm hard drive and I wanted to max out the RAM. Don't know if that would have made any difference or not....

Whatever. There are others who have also reported having "good" PBs without the lines, and I think they may also have been among the early purchasers.

I quite agree that people who are having issues with the lines should report this to Apple, regardless of whether or not they intend to return their machine for a replacement/refund, because that is the best way to make sure the company is aware of this problem and to maybe stimulate them into doing something about it.

OTB

Yes! Same here...
my Serial No starts with W8542 and i have a flawless powerbook

 

[Wombert]

Yes! Same here...
my Serial No starts with W8542 and i have a flawless powerbook

Can you please download http://crankycat.com/pb15_problems.png and set it as a desktop background picture (important!). Which of the photos of the boy eating the sausage has lines through it?

 

[phonic pol]

I've seen pb's in the apple store with this problem - figured it was a compromise with the higher res screen. Certainly left me feeling like an upgrade isn't worth considering until either the next rev or rev b intel pb's. My 1.33 15" pb screen is nicer to work on than the current 15" as seen in the apple store.