How many iPad have you returned?

[mcdj]

That's right, I don't believe 4 iPads in a row look like that in real life.

Well, good thing you weren't on the Titanic, because it certainly sounds like you'd be one of the ones who wouldn't go topside because they clung to the idea that the ship was unsinkable.

In the short term, people like you are an Apple stockholder's dream consumer. But long term, if they continue to trade quality for quantity, in the name of worldwide multimillion unit product launches, the consumers who settled for lower quality will spell the end of the dream.

Apple is no longer run by a visionary. It run by a supply manager. He's clearly great at producing way more iPads than Steve Jobs would have, but are they as good in gigantic batches as they were in smaller more controlled batches? I'm voting no.

------------

A chef opens a small restaurant. He develops some amazing recipes. People line up around the block to eat his food. It's hailed as the best restaurant on the planet year after year.

Then the chef learns he is dying. He teaches his most trusted employee, the man in charge of buying ingredients, everything he can about running the restaurant.

Did he also teach him to cook? Well, he showed him what to do, but cooking, like many things, is an art. There are artists and there are those who know techniques but are not artists. Time will tell if the food will be as good...

The chef dies. His trusted ingredient buyer takes charge. The first thing he decides to do is expand the restaurant, buy three times as many supplies, and serve three times as many people at once. No more lines around the block! No more waiting! Now everyone can enjoy the food any time!

But on opening night under the new owner, there is chatter in the dining room. Some of the older regulars, who are far outnumbered by the throngs of new diners, are overheard saying the food isn't quite as good. The newcomers chide them. "Look where you are! This is the best restaurant in the world! The menu hasn't changed! The food is fantastic! Your taste buds are flawed! Stop complaining and eat! My food is great so yours must be too!"

A couple of years go by. Since there are no more lines outside the restaurant, people new in town aren't curious about it. The old regulars have long since stopped coming. The menu seems dated. Even the new regulars aren't coming in droves like they used to.

One night, the former grocery buyer is now standing in the doorway of his near empty restaurant. Across the square, he sees a line of people outside of a newly opened small restaurant....

 

[dstar]

One night, the former grocery buyer is now standing in the doorway of his near empty restaurant. Across the square, he sees a line of people outside of a newly opened small restaurant....

Or maybe they start lining up again at an old familiar restaurant with a new "Metro" recipe..

 

[Madjobs]

I want to be a apple fanboy

I have returned 3but will keep my I pad 3 with the pink and yellow screen,
Light leak from under the bezel,and the overheating that makes it go
Off on thermal reset,oh and the bad wifi and the fact that 50 percent on the
New release have issues,much higher than any other apple release!

BUT I WANT TO BE A FANBOY AND APPLE RARA DROID AND NOT RETURN
ANYMORE.
I WILL PISS AWAY 800 BUCKS AND LIVE WITH MY INFERIOR PRODUCT.
I AM NOT NUTS,AND WANT TO BE ALL THE FANBOYS FREINDS AND NOT BE CALLED OCD.

NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You fanboys are unreal-ATTACK THE MESSANGER AND NOT THE COMPANY THAT
HAS GONE DOWNHILL IN QUALITY CONTROL ON THIS RECENT RELEASE.

 

[iHeartsteve]

Does the random screen name of an anonymous tough guy really matter? It was just some noob with a handful of posts. Ironically, some of them were about how this is an unfriendly forum. Lol.

That is really disturbing how angry a person would get over a faulty iPad discussion and message such a hateful message.

 

[j.dstasio]

Zero.

My 1st gen was perfect.
My iPad 2 was bought on craigslist well after launch & was also perfect.
My new iPad had a blotchy screen but has either cleared up or I just love the retina display so much on this thing, I don't even see it now.

I am admittedly OCD & have returned probably 10 iPhones over the years for various issues, but my iPads have all been perfectly acceptable.

 

[TheWheelMan]

One thing people still need to understand is that the number of complaints on a forum, or several forums is at best an inaccurate judge of a defect rate. For one, people rarely go to forums to praise their products, thus you have a decent sample size of only one side, while those with "perfect" iPads are highly under represented.

Secondly, Apple's sold millions of iPads. How many individual complaints in total have you read? You don't even have a way of knowing how many of the same people are posting the same complaints across multiple sites. That's simply an unquantifiable fact, as is not really knowing whether everyone claiming to have defective iPads really do, are just mimicking what others with real flaws are saying. The number of complaints you've read are a drop in the bucket in comparison to the actual size of the user base, and we just don't have enough to consider the complaints as an accurate microcosm of a larger issue.

You also have to consider how the media have been circling this topic like starving sharks, and yet keep coming up empty. And trust me, they are just itching to break the scandalous news of flaming iPads scalding children's hands as they stare at their light bleed, dead pixel riddled screens. But it just isn't proving true.

Sorry for inserting actual logic into the discussion. Please return to your regularly scheduled bickering now.

 

[mcdj]

One thing people still need to understand is that the number of complaints on a forum, or several forums is at best an inaccurate judge of a defect rate. For one, people rarely go to forums to praise their products, thus you have a decent sample size of only one side, while those with "perfect" iPads are highly under represented.

Secondly, Apple's sold millions of iPads. How many individual complaints in total have you read? You don't even have a way of knowing how many of the same people are posting the same complaints across multiple sites. That's simply an unquantifiable fact, as is not really knowing whether everyone claiming to have defective iPads really do, are just mimicking what others with real flaws are saying. The number of complaints you've read are a drop in the bucket in comparison to the actual size of the user base, and we just don't have enough to consider the complaints as an accurate microcosm of a larger issue.

You also have to consider how the media have been circling this topic like starving sharks, and yet keep coming up empty. And trust me, they are just itching to break the scandalous news of flaming iPads scalding children's hands as they stare at their light bleed, dead pixel riddled screens. But it just isn't proving true.

Sorry for inserting actual logic into the discussion. Please return to your regularly scheduled bickering now.

Mostly true stuff, but...

Just because it hasn't blown up yet, doesn't mean it won't. Just yesterday, cultofmac ran a story about these very screen issues, quoting the discussions here and on Apple's forums. This is the first major blog to talk about it, but it's an undeniably established and highly visible blog. The mainstream press has typically relied on blogs for their tech news leads. If it shows up on enough blogs, mainstream media will pounce.

I have been following the discussions here VERY closely here and on other forums. A Google search for "iPad 3 tint" yields more and more unique relevant hits for various forums, tweets, and blogs every day. Just 2 weeks ago, there were maybe 3 or 4 hits...now it's pushing 20.

The wacky coloration and limited viewing angles I've experienced on multiple iPads waxes between subtle but annoying to glaringly flawed. But even on the subtle ones, once you see it, you can't unsee it. This is evidenced by a handful of new posts here in recent days from people who've said they thought their iPad WAS perfect at first, but are recanting, after discovering previously unnoticed color shifts, blotchiness and poor viewing angles

I have a theory. In the first weeks of release, there was a sizeable burst of noise about the new iPad running hot. There was little in the way of uneven color complaints. But the heat complaints have died down, while color complaints are on the rise. My experience is, the brighter the screen is, the less noticeable the color shifts are, and the brighter the screen, the hotter it runs, especially compared to the iPad 1 and 2.

What's the first thing people do with their new iPad? They crank up the brightness and show it off to people. We've all done it. So for the first few weeks, we were all busy showing off max brightness iPads and they got pretty hot.

Now, a few weeks later, the newness has worn off a bit, and people are cranking the backlights down to a more normalized level, thereby reducing the heat factor and the heat complaints, while simultaneously exposing the discoloration and viewing angle issues, which are either a byproduct of over production and rushed QC, or are inherent in a newer screen technology that's not quite ready for prime time in a 9 inch panel. I think it's a bit of both.

 

[NoMoreSony]

One thing people still need to understand is that the number of complaints on a forum, or several forums is at best an inaccurate judge of a defect rate. For one, people rarely go to forums to praise their products, thus you have a decent sample size of only one side, while those with "perfect" iPads are highly under represented.

Secondly, Apple's sold millions of iPads. How many individual complaints in total have you read? You don't even have a way of knowing how many of the same people are posting the same complaints across multiple sites. That's simply an unquantifiable fact, as is not really knowing whether everyone claiming to have defective iPads really do, are just mimicking what others with real flaws are saying. The number of complaints you've read are a drop in the bucket in comparison to the actual size of the user base, and we just don't have enough to consider the complaints as an accurate microcosm of a larger issue.

You also have to consider how the media have been circling this topic like starving sharks, and yet keep coming up empty. And trust me, they are just itching to break the scandalous news of flaming iPads scalding children's hands as they stare at their light bleed, dead pixel riddled screens. But it just isn't proving true.

Sorry for inserting actual logic into the discussion. Please return to your regularly scheduled bickering now.

Sure, Apple sold millions of iPad. New iPad owners going to forums not only to complain, but also to look how the others use their iPads, which accessories to buy, e.t.c. So, we have to see here quite good overall picture, similar to the numbers in the "real" world.

What is really disappointing is the number of defective iPads in a row for one customer. 3-4 defective units in a row mean very serious problem with a quality control by the manufacturer. It doesnt have anything common with the number of units to be sold - it is pure failure rate picture.

Well and with the media, let's just wait for another weeks... You'll see.

 

[xxxl]

None from three.

 

[mcdj]

I have returned 3but will keep my I pad 3 with the pink and yellow screen,
Light leak from under the bezel,and the overheating that makes it go
Off on thermal reset,oh and the bad wifi and the fact that 50 percent on the
New release have issues,much higher than any other apple release!

BUT I WANT TO BE A FANBOY AND APPLE RARA DROID AND NOT RETURN
ANYMORE.
I WILL PISS AWAY 800 BUCKS AND LIVE WITH MY INFERIOR PRODUCT.
I AM NOT NUTS,AND WANT TO BE ALL THE FANBOYS FREINDS AND NOT BE CALLED OCD.

NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You fanboys are unreal-ATTACK THE MESSANGER AND NOT THE COMPANY THAT
HAS GONE DOWNHILL IN QUALITY CONTROL ON THIS RECENT RELEASE.

You are not helping the cause with the caps lock, name calling and ranting. I'm on your side, but please, give it a rest.

 

[nicoplanet]

I haven't seen (yet) any correct screen on iPad 3rd gen. I think it's technology related. But I can't be sure. My experience is limited since I haven't inspected much iPads (I think around 12 displayed models in 3 differents stores).

So I definitely like to get a photo of a perfect iPad screen displaying a grey chart like these, full screen, portrait oriented:

- Grey chart #1
- Grey chart #2

When shooting your iPad screen, just lock exposure and white balance of your camera to avoid changes between these two charts. Looking forward to see a correct iPad 3rd gen screen: feel free to send us these 2 pics!

 

[plucky duck]

Of the two new iPads I purchased, one has a slight green tinge on the right side of the display, and the back top right has a 2mm scratch. I bought it with a $50 coupon, and neither issues bothered me enough to warrant returning it and losing out on the coupon.

I can live with it, but others may not and it's understandable so I won't go out of my way to call someone OCD on it. I used to be quite anal about my new car as well, making sure to park as far away as I can, wash and hand dry it every week, check for scratches/swirl marks, etc. Now I just go meh it's just a tool for my job and gets me where I need to go. And yeah, now I just wait for the rain to wash my car instead lol

 

[ZipZap]

One thing people still need to understand is that the number of complaints on a forum, or several forums is at best an inaccurate judge of a defect rate. For one, people rarely go to forums to praise their products, thus you have a decent sample size of only one side, while those with "perfect" iPads are highly under represented.

Secondly, Apple's sold millions of iPads. How many individual complaints in total have you read? You don't even have a way of knowing how many of the same people are posting the same complaints across multiple sites. That's simply an unquantifiable fact, as is not really knowing whether everyone claiming to have defective iPads really do, are just mimicking what others with real flaws are saying. The number of complaints you've read are a drop in the bucket in comparison to the actual size of the user base, and we just don't have enough to consider the complaints as an accurate microcosm of a larger issue.

You also have to consider how the media have been circling this topic like starving sharks, and yet keep coming up empty. And trust me, they are just itching to break the scandalous news of flaming iPads scalding children's hands as they stare at their light bleed, dead pixel riddled screens. But it just isn't proving true.

Sorry for inserting actual logic into the discussion. Please return to your regularly scheduled bickering now.

Not this silly argument again.

 

[spcdust]

Not this silly argument again.

Without denying that there are inevitably going to be faulty units in any production run I would say TheWheelMan's points are valid. Forums, by there very nature, attract users who have problems as they seek solutions. You don't find so many threads entitled "Purchased My iPad and it's great". Also forums generally only attract the most dedicated of users / customers so whilst they are an important and useful resource (I use then on a daily basis) I wouldn't say they are a particularly empirically accurate reflection of a situation.

 

[qtx43]

A chef opens a small restaurant. He develops some amazing recipes. People line up around the block to eat his food. It's hailed as the best restaurant on the planet year after year.
...
The chef dies. His trusted ingredient buyer takes charge. The first thing he decides to do is expand the restaurant, buy three times as many supplies, and
One night, the former grocery buyer is now standing in the doorway of his near empty restaurant. Across the square, he sees a line of people outside of a newly opened small restaurant....

I've snipped your personal attacks so as not to repeat them, not that I think they were a big deal, but you do. And I finally see I'm talking to someone who thinks anecdotes and stories constitute proof or evidence. I should have before, my fault really.

You are not helping the cause with the caps lock, name calling and ranting. I'm on your side, but please, give it a rest.

Ah, so you admit irrational rants aren't unique to people who agree with you.

I haven't seen (yet) any correct screen on iPad 3rd gen. I think it's technology related. But I can't be sure. My experience is limited since I haven't inspected much iPads (I think around 12 displayed models in 3 differents stores).

So I definitely like to get a photo of a perfect iPad screen displaying a grey chart like these, full screen, portrait oriented:

- Grey chart #1
- Grey chart #2

When shooting your iPad screen, just lock exposure and white balance of your camera to avoid changes between these two charts. Looking forward to see a correct iPad 3rd gen screen: feel free to send us these 2 pics!

Even if I had a high quality camera, what's the point? Of course both defective and fantastic screens exist. Oh I see, you're hoping it'll be a horrible picture so you can accuse them of being a blind fanboy.

 

[vjacques]

Even if I had a high quality camera, what's the point? Of course both defective and fantastic screens exist. Oh I see, you're hoping it'll be a horrible picture so you can accuse them of being a blind fanboy.

now that you've done calling people names, would you mind posting pictures of your screen? thanks!

 

[nicoplanet]

Even if I had a high quality camera, what's the point? Of course both defective and fantastic screens exist. Oh I see, you're hoping it'll be a horrible picture so you can accuse them of being a blind fanboy.

Thank you for this information and affirmation about different screen qualities in retina panel! I've seen many defective screens, and not yet fantastic one: so your statement is encouraging.

Also, since I try to base my judgments on evidences, I'll be glad to get a picture or video of one of these. No need for a professoonal camera to do this. Then, I think it will encourage people to keep exchanging defectives products until they get a fantastic one! Nothing bad in that, except QC are done by customers. Anyway, that's last point is usual and not a big news in technologies...

P.-S. when shooting iPad screen, it's better to avoid 100% brightness since it tend to make uniformity problems less apparent (iPad is factory set to 50% and keeping it between 50-70% seems to be an usual brightness setting.

 

[mcdj]

I've snipped your personal attacks so as not to repeat them, not that I think they were a big deal, but you do. And I finally see I'm talking to someone who thinks anecdotes and stories constitute proof or evidence. I should have before, my fault really.


Ah, so you admit irrational rants aren't unique to people who agree with you.

Personal attacks? Rants? By all means, show me where I personally attacked you and I will apologize profusely.

I'm sorry if you think a little piece of fiction was presented as evidence or fact. Please don't read any children's fables. You will be terrified.

I think I finally see I'm talking to someone who snips out things he doesn't want to address in a civilized discourse, and simply labels them rants, after discounting eyewitness testimony as unbelievable.

Really struggling to understand why you would think I would lie about having 4 pink/green screens. What benefit could I possibly derive from such a random benign lie? I can see, however, what benefit you could derive from dismissing my accounts as false and labeling my words as rants...the perpetuation of denial of a problem with the new iPad. Why so many people seem to be in denial about this, however, remains a mystery.

 

[sparkhill]

I purchased six iPads on launch day for various friends and family members. One peron changed his mind so that one went back unopened but the other five are all fine.

 

[AppleHater]

Anyone over 2 returns has OCD.

It's a fact.

It's more like they have nothing better to do with life. iPad is a tool/toy, which is not worthy obsessing for. Some of the descriptions of what people do to confirm iPad is perfect I read here is rather amusing. I guess its no different from pixel peepers in digital photography, though.

 

[spcdust]

There will be faulty screens, I think we can all agree that this is inevitable.

The iPad is just a mass produced consumer "gadget", not life changing, not essential and by no means did Apple promise a completely calibrated grade 1 monitor.

When people start taking pictures of screens and then photo shop them to boost saturations / white balances etc it's very dubious ground and just not really valid as a demonstration. I've seen this before when the iMac had some yellow screen issues and I personally think it discredits the argument.

Wy do some posters, who feel the screen is sub standard, have this militant tendency to insist that posters, who claim their screens are fine, should post pictures so that this can be disproved.

I sincerely hope those who have had genuine issues can soon move on and actually start enjoying using their new toy and accept it for what it is - that's the fun of iPad ownership, not this constant cycle of rejection-replacement-rejection.

 

[Capt T]

I for one got a perfect screen. Since part of my photography hobby is taking IR pictures, and they look stunning on the new display, I know it is good.

But for those of you that don't have perfect screens:

1) has anyone tried to figure out which of the 3 screen manufactures they use, is the one they ended up with? Would love to know if it is manufacture specific or if it is just across the board.

2) for those on their 5th or more return, aside from you all are persistent (meaning I would have given up unless sitting in the store checking them), are you trying different stores or the same one? Why after 5 unacceptable ones do you keep trying? If it is as major of an issue as you all say, then the answer would be to get your money back. That doesn't mean there wasn't a bad batch, but to have such bad luck if you are going to multiple stores....money talks to companies. If there are issues with most, then there would be lines of people returning them.

3) just because you got a bum screen doesn't mean those of us that didn't are lying or stupid and don't understand that ours are good. Just as you have a bad screen, I have a good one. The fact that mine and others are good, should help you feel vindicated for returning more than 5 in order to get a screen comparable to ours. (and that is a two sided thing, just because ours is good doesn't mean your's isn't bad).

4) if Apple takes the iPad back it means they saw an issue too. So the OCD comments are childish. It is an expensive piece of kit. If someone isn't happy with it, they should return or exchange it.

What I find interesting about this poll is the overall bad luck a few have had with finding an acceptable iPad. Which if people are trying multiple stores, maybe it was the batch sent to that particular area.

 

[qtx43]

Personal attacks? Rants? By all means, show me where I personally attacked you and I will apologize profusely.

Just because you aren't ranting doesn't mean it's not a snarky personal attack. Again, I don't think it's a big deal, people do it in good humor all the time face to face, and it's no big deal. If I said you were OCD to your face, we'd probably laugh about it. But here you take it as people playing at being licensed doctors. But since you want an example from that post, since you couldn't figure it out:

Well, good thing you weren't on the Titanic, because it certainly sounds like you'd be one of the ones who wouldn't go topside because they clung to the idea that the ship was unsinkable.

From your more recent post, oh look, another attack! I must be diagnosed with debilitating paranoia immediately!

I'm sorry if you think a little piece of fiction was presented as evidence or fact. Please don't read any children's fables. You will be terrified.

And again...this is starting to become a habit:

I think I finally see I'm talking to someone who snips out things he doesn't want to address in a civilized discourse, and simply labels them rants, after discounting eyewitness testimony as unbelievable.

As for:

Really struggling to understand why you would think I would lie about having 4 pink/green screens. What benefit could I possibly derive from such a random benign lie? I can see, however, what benefit you could derive from dismissing my accounts as false and labeling my words as rants...the perpetuation of denial of a problem with the new iPad. Why so many people seem to be in denial about this, however, remains a mystery.

I don't think you're lying, and I don't think you're ranting. I think you're obsessed with this, and being overly picky. I think you're more interested in stories appealing to emotion than facts. The other guy you pointed out was ranting, we agree on that one. But again, you're all emotional and assume I'm attacking you.

This is the internet, if you're going to read the worst between the lines, then you need to scrutinize your own words with a fine tooth comb also.

 

[mcdj]

The iPad is just a mass produced consumer "gadget", not life changing, not essential and by no means did Apple promise a completely calibrated grade 1 monitor.

Personally, I'm not asking for a calibrated monitor. I just want to find one that doesn't have a dingy green cast on one side and a pink tinge on the other, and in the case of my latest one, a yellow band along the edges. So far, I haven't been able to find one. My latest one is the least agregious, but it's still much less evenly lit and colored than the iPad 2 it was supposedly an upgrade from.

When people start taking pictures of screens and then photo shop them to boost saturations / white balances etc it's very dubious ground and just not really valid as a demonstration. I've seen this before when the iMac had some yellow screen issues and I personally think it discredits the argument.

What if i posted a picture and drew a circle around the pink and green area? That would be ok, no? Is there really any difference between drawing a circle around a problem, and effectively letting the problem draw a circle around itself with a little help? That's all my saturation boost does. It simply highlighted what I find glaringly annoying in daily use...the persistent presence of inappropriate colors. I did not post my boosted image alone, or claim that it is exactly what I see. Denying technology's ability to illuminate is pretty close minded. If everyone thought that way, we'd have no MRIs in hospitals. Music would never get remastered. Books never digitized... Etc.

Wy do some posters, who feel the screen is sub standard, have this militant tendency to insist that posters, who claim their screens are fine, should post pictures so that this can be disproved.

I have asked those who resort to name calling (OCD, crazy, etc) to post a picture of their screen, in the context of me claiming this might be an issue with all iPads, with the name callers claiming theirs is fine and I am out of my mind.

Calling me crazy does not make it so. But posting photos of a clean problem free screen potentially does. To this day, I have seen very few samples of new ipad screens that do not exhibit some degree of pink/green shift, or glaringly yellow overall cast, in any photos here, or in the 50 or so I've seen in person. By comparison to the iPad 2, resolution aside, the new screen appears to be a considerable compromise.

If I were standing in a room with someone, and I showed them my iPad screen and pointed out my complaints, and their reaction was, "You're crazy, mine's perfect!", I would naturally ask them to let me see their screen. Is that so bizarre? If they refused, I would certainly be very confused and a little suspicious.

 

[dukebound85]

People sure make mountains out of molehills

Why look at pure white screens looking for a problem? In practice, one will never look at pure white screens. Also, if one looks for issues, they will find issues.

I don't get it. Don't get it at all. Seems like an awful lot of time/worry/stress over something that is quite unimportant in the usage of the device.