Horizontal Lines in New Powerbooks

[Sic]

yeah, it's the same with me and my 12"...you can definitely notice the difference side-by-side...but on their own it's not so bad.

i wont send my PB back without a guarantee that it's going to be fixed. i can see myself shelling out £300 in the near future

 

[sk3pt1c]

just came back from the apple store in manchester
took a foto but it's too large to upload,sorry
the people there said they've never heard of this issue before
i noticed the lines,but only after really looking for them
it feels like they are part of the texture of the screen
an employee told me that it's because of the higher resolution and showed me an hd movie trailer which did in fact look amazing
i looked at the big cinema display and i could see the lines on that too
so i'm guessing it's just cause the 15 doesnt accomodate the higher resolution as well as the 17.i also tried different photos and the itunes bar and stuff and didnt look that bad to me.anyway,i don't intend to look at my screen from 2 inches away.i will order it and if it turns out to bother me too much i will call them and see what i can do about it.

 

[PDE]

just came back from the apple store in manchester
took a foto but it's too large to upload,sorry
the people there said they've never heard of this issue before
i noticed the lines,but only after really looking for them
it feels like they are part of the texture of the screen
an employee told me that it's because of the higher resolution and showed me an hd movie trailer which did in fact look amazing
i looked at the big cinema display and i could see the lines on that too
so i'm guessing it's just cause the 15 doesnt accomodate the higher resolution as well as the 17.i also tried different photos and the itunes bar and stuff and didnt look that bad to me.anyway,i don't intend to look at my screen from 2 inches away.i will order it and if it turns out to bother me too much i will call them and see what i can do about it.

There are no lines on my cinema display 20" and none on any of the Cinema Display I've ever seen.

 

[Gokhan]

k

that employee is bs u man i got no lines on my rev d pb

 

[maverick808]

an employee told me that it's because of the higher resolution

This part is the BS in what was said. If an employee told me that I'd report them to the manager and higher if necessary.

 

[Gokhan]

k

amazing how many fools work for apple
p.s there are very good people as well so chill apple people

 

[Wombert]

that employee is bs u man i got no lines on my rev d pb

We're talking about Rev. E Powerbooks. It's even in the thread title... "new Powerbooks". So I guess "you is bs u man"... or something like that.

 

[Gokhan]

k

i KNOW what rev powerbooks your talking about i owned one and sent it back

let me clarify i said that the employee was ********ting telling the forums member that the problem was unheard of !! apple know its exists they are just choosing to ignore it

it may be linked to resolution but who knows certainly not a employee !!!

but i got a rev d with no problems so the employee trying to give the idea that powerbooks suffer from the issue is total b.s

 

[sk3pt1c]

only the new ones have this problem,if it is a problem in the end
the dude didn't know what he was doing
he tried to show me that the powerbook could run many programs simultaneously and was hitting just about every button he could see, not knowing what he was doing. i asked two more employees and said they didn't know anything and of course the "genius" asked me to book an appointment through a mac through the website to go ask her one question cause she was "busy". anyway, i think that it is really not that obvious,i will order it and if it is worse than what i saw at the store or if it really starts to bug me i will send it back and ask for a refund or something...

 

[EJDischer]

Finally Gave In

Well I can't wait any longer. The display on my titanium is acting up to the point where I can't use the darn thing. It won't wake up. I restart. No screen. Blackness. Restart 3 more times. Finally it works. I can't wait that long. And I'm not locking myself in my den. While I love my cinema display, I like working on the couch better. After 10 hours at work it's nice to be able to sit in something other than an office chair. But I digress. I spent the extra $300 and bought a 17" tonight. I wanted a gig of ram and a 7200 RPM drive so the difference in price is worth it to me in the long run. I know the Intel books will be good. But the way I see it, there will be kinks, especially in the OS. And having to buy new FCP and photoshop, Illustrator, and after effects does not appeal to me. Especially since running my old warez in Rosetta seems like it will be sluggish much like virtual pc apps. The genius at the store yesterday told me that companies like Adobe, Avid, and Apple will continue producing software for the PPC architecture anyway, so upgrading to a mactel may be years in advance for me.

I'm going to continue with all of you to try to get this problem fixed with the 15" PB. I've been to just about every Apple store withing 100 miles of central NJ. I wrote a long review on Amazon. I'll continue to keep up with this forum and hopefully Apple will solve this problem for all. Thanks.

EJD

 

[sk3pt1c]

the new 17" powerbooks have no problems whatsoever?

cause someone said the display is dark at some places and so on

 

[Clix Pix]

OK, I'm finally on the PB tonight....had to do a couple of updates and then install Aperture, and after that I went ahead and made the crankycat photo my desktop. Ugh! Anyway, as someone else asked, what exactly is meant by "moving the image a pixel at a time" ?? Not sure how to do that! [Edited to Add: Nevermind, I figured it out.]

In just studying the image itself without moving anything it would seem that I DO have the lines, but they are very faint and it is quite difficult to see them unless I practically climb into the computer screen. A casual glance at the screen certainly does not reveal them but obviously the lines would still have an impact on the screen's overall appearance and presentation, making things subtly dimmer and darker than they otherwise would be or should be.

It is not enough of a concern or problem to me that I would return this machine. Although I've got PS CS2 and Aperture installed on it, I won't be doing any heavy-duty image manipulation on it -- the programs are there for quick-and-dirty processing of images shot when I'm on a trip.

I hope that Apple does come up with some sort of resolution (pun intended) for this issue, especially as it has affected some people's machines much more than others' and has had an impact on their usage of their new PB.

OK, Edited to Add: I have just checked things out on the ESPN site tonight and unlike the last time I'd done this, it was very clear to me that, yes, there is a problem with my PB. The lines in the line drawing on that site definitely move when I gently nudge the browser window up-and-down a bit. At the same time I went into the site with my iMac and did the same thing -- NO issues with moving lines. <sigh> And here I'd really, really thought for a long time that I didn't have the lines problem....


OTB

 

[sk3pt1c]

it's a pitty

has anyone heard of any problems with the 17" ???

please guys tell me if you have so i can order that instead of the 15

 

[maverick808]

it's a pitty

has anyone heard of any problems with the 17" ???

please guys tell me if you have so i can order that instead of the 15

The 17" does not have the line problem. It does have dark edges.

However, I don't understand why so many people that are returning the 15" are getting the 17". Surely these people must have sat down originally and thought "nah, the 15" is what I need... the 17" is too big". And now because there is a problem with the 15" they are giving Apple more money to buy a machine that isn't right for them.

In that situtation I'd either wait until Jan for Intel PowerBooks or, if you don't think that will happen or need one right now, buy a refurb 15" rev D.

 

[londonweb]

it's a pitty

has anyone heard of any problems with the 17" ???

please guys tell me if you have so i can order that instead of the 15

I've examined several 17"-ers and none of them have the lines. I've never heard anyone say they have lines on the 17" either. Order with confidence (just make sure it'll fit in your bag first)

 

[mlewan]

Even apart from the screen problems, the 15" is by far the worst of the nine Apple portables I have bought so far. The screen was blank when I bought it, and the Apple dealer had to reset the PRAM a few times to make it come back. The screen has a light flicker. The "b" key gets stuck occasionally, so I have to use a piece of cardboard to avoid my documents looking like bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb.... And the kernel_task goes up to around 60% every now and then, which cuts off the internet and I have to restart.

I sent it back for replacement yesterday. I can see no rational reason for it, but I'm gullible enough to think that the replacement will be perfect. It's perhaps because Apple used to deliver good quality stuff some time in the past.

 

[londonweb]

The screen has a light flicker.

Mine had a light flicker which was driving me nuts, because it was so faint I thought I might be imagining it. I realised after a while that it was being caused by the feature that adjusts the brightness of the screen depending on the ambient light. The problem is that the sensors are under the grills either side of the keyboard, so each time your hand moves over the grill and casts a shadow, the display dims.

You can turn this silly feature off in the display preferences though, and enjoy flicker-free viewing.

 

[sk3pt1c]

the 17" is just bigger than the 15",it's not too big,it's a slim sexy laptop,i don't see that much of a difference.and since applecare doesn't apply in greece where i will take it i can use that money that i was gonna pay anyway and avoid the 15 lines problem by getting the 17". so the 17" 's only problem is dark corners and flicker because of the sensor?
please report anything else you know guys
thanks a lot


by the way,the 17" powerbook is thinner and shorter than the 15" widescreen laptop i've got now and it's only 3cm wider,which i can live with very easily if that 17" monitor is flawless. is it?

 

[Wombert]

And the kernel_task goes up to around 60% every now and then, which cuts off the internet and I have to restart.

Install 10.4.3 and, after that, the Airport Update 2005-001. This issue is related to the amount of memory installed.

 

[mlewan]

Install 10.4.3 and, after that, the Airport Update 2005-001. This issue is related to the amount of memory installed.

2G Ram. Both updates installed. Problem persisted. (And the Mac now sent back to Apple.)

But it was kind of interesting that you caught that the kernel_task was related to Airport. The first sign of the problem usually was that airport behaved strangely - didn't recognise the network, didn't find the network, only found the neighbours' network. And yet my old trusty white base station worked fine with my other PowerBook. After a complete reinstall of the system, it even refused to accept the password of the base station. I tried about a zillion times before a restart. After the restart it worked at the first attempt.

Thanks for your comment anyhow.

 

[PDE]

the 17" is just bigger than the 15",it's not too big,it's a slim sexy laptop,i don't see that much of a difference.and since applecare doesn't apply in greece where i will take it i can use that money that i was gonna pay anyway and avoid the 15 lines problem by getting the 17".

Just curious, why doesn't applecare work in Greece? I've used applecare in several European countries without a problem.

 

[DIXIE]

17" PB vs. MacTels

Please guys, STOP assuming MacTels of any model are going to be free of multiple defects! Versions 3 or 4 will be the safest. Do not trade one headache for another.

The 17" may not be flawless, but the larger size permits the RAM slots to be placed side by side not over & under (easier production/less problems), extra space provides better cooling, and the native aspect screen ratio 16:10 is a standard view. The 15" native ratio 3:2 is a bit offbeat and might be a possible contributing factor toward the"lines" various degrees of visibility.

Yes, the 15" is the "sweet spot" and the 17" you really have to reach for the keyboard, but a lot of photographers and well known research workers use the 17" in the field.

Unless Apple suddenly pulls out of its stupor and corrects the unfortunate issues with the 15", go for the 17" APPLE PPC POWERBOOK!

 

[maverick808]

Please guys, STOP assuming MacTels of any model are going to be free of multiple defects! Versions 3 or 4 will be the safest. Do not trade one headache for another.

Nobody is saying that the first Intels will be flawless but a lot of people think that the number of flaws will be similar to later revs. For example, the PowerBook Rev E had many flaws on release (horizontol lines, airport/memory lockup problem). Rev C & D aren't much better as they suffer from random memory slot failures (the Rev Es probably do too but haven't been out long enough to know).

The point is that a Rev A isn't really anymore likely to have more or less flaws than later Revs. As more revisions come out then problems are solved but new ones are introduced - just like this Rev E introduced a major new problem.

So why moan at people that buy Rev As? No matter what rev you buy there is always a chance of flaws.

 

[Spectrum]

Yes, but assuming the RevA MacIntels include a 15" form factor - who is to say Apple will drop the 1440x960 display? They JUST introduced it for chrissakes. I would bet on the Intel PBs (when introduced - they are vapourware for now) having the same LCD screens as the current HD PBs. So, I cannot see any reason to wait for an Intel 15" to try and get a better screen - there is no guarantee that it will have one.

Unless, of course, this lines problem IS driver/hardware related, and not the screen itself. But that is looking less and less likely to me.

JMO

Nobody is saying that the first Intels will be flawless but a lot of people think that the number of flaws will be similar to later revs. For example, the PowerBook Rev E had many flaws on release (horizontol lines, airport/memory lockup problem). Rev C & D aren't much better as they suffer from random memory slot failures (the Rev Es probably do too but haven't been out long enough to know).

The point is that a Rev A isn't really anymore likely to have more or less flaws than later Revs. As more revisions come out then problems are solved but new ones are introduced - just like this Rev E introduced a major new problem.

So why moan at people that buy Rev As? No matter what rev you buy there is always a chance of flaws.

 

[Spectrum]

I'm sorry to hear this OTB. It is frustrating to realise that the display is bad, when the machine is so useful. Please contact Apple to complain, even if does not bother you - it may speed up a fix (if possible) for those that it does bother.

It also reinforces the conclusion that no PBs have a good display. All suffer, from what is, it seems to me, a characteristic of this (poor quality) LCD screen. It's just that people are susceptible to it to different extents.

But certainly - I am not aware of any other Apple-branded display - laptop or other - that shows such LCD character. (I have not looked closely at the 12" models, but I have examined, old pismo PBs, iMac G4s 15 and 17", old cinema displays, new cinema displays, iMac G5, and the old 15"PB).

As far as I'm aware, the only person that still maintains he/she has a good unit is azbigfella from the apple forums. But I am sceptical.

OK, I'm finally on the PB tonight....had to do a couple of updates and then install Aperture, and after that I went ahead and made the crankycat photo my desktop. Ugh! Anyway, as someone else asked, what exactly is meant by "moving the image a pixel at a time" ?? Not sure how to do that! [Edited to Add: Nevermind, I figured it out.]

In just studying the image itself without moving anything it would seem that I DO have the lines, but they are very faint and it is quite difficult to see them unless I practically climb into the computer screen. A casual glance at the screen certainly does not reveal them but obviously the lines would still have an impact on the screen's overall appearance and presentation, making things subtly dimmer and darker than they otherwise would be or should be.

It is not enough of a concern or problem to me that I would return this machine. Although I've got PS CS2 and Aperture installed on it, I won't be doing any heavy-duty image manipulation on it -- the programs are there for quick-and-dirty processing of images shot when I'm on a trip.

I hope that Apple does come up with some sort of resolution (pun intended) for this issue, especially as it has affected some people's machines much more than others' and has had an impact on their usage of their new PB.

OK, Edited to Add: I have just checked things out on the ESPN site tonight and unlike the last time I'd done this, it was very clear to me that, yes, there is a problem with my PB. The lines in the line drawing on that site definitely move when I gently nudge the browser window up-and-down a bit. At the same time I went into the site with my iMac and did the same thing -- NO issues with moving lines. <sigh> And here I'd really, really thought for a long time that I didn't have the lines problem....


OTB