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ToeCutter

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 22, 2006
17
1
Well, I've just exchanged my first iPad 2 for a replacement, due to a cluster of 6 bad pixels, and I have to stay that for the first time since purchasing my first MacBook in 2006, I'm completely disappointed with Apple's build quality on the iPad 2.

I'm please that Apple replaced the first iPad 2. A little hint on exchanging gear at an Apple Store: Don't even waste your time with the blue-shirts. Go straight to the Genius Bar. Better yet, make an appt before you even leave the house.

That said, my first iPad 2 had the dead pixels, and some tiny little nicks around the bezel, where the screen meets the aluminum. My replacement has them as well, and even includes another bad pixel. It's not as bad as the 6 bad pixels on the first, but even still, what's up with Apple relaxing their legendary quality control with iPad 2?

I always feared that if Apple continued to see massive success, they'd eventually go mainstream (I feel they already have) and we'd be stuck with mainstream products built for volume production, not quality.

I've never had to return an Apple product, so perhaps I've just been lucky? But after using several different generations of MacBooks, iPhones, iPods and iPads, I can definitely see a reduction in refinement creeping into the iPad2.

Bummer...
 
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Did you leave the store or check your iPad before you left?
 
It's just luck. With the iPad 1, I went through 4 to get one without dead pixels. With iPhone 4, 2 of the 4 in my family had dead pixels.

My iPad 2 is the first Apple device that came without dead pixels.
 
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Did you leave the store or check your iPad before you left?

I opened up the new one right there and was shocked to see the same nicks in the bezel. It had some of the same nicks, though not as bad as the first iPad. There was some skepticism on the part of the worthless blue-shirt, and even the GB tech, as if I had somehow damaged the one I was returning? The blue-shirt felt compelled to tell me all things she COULDN'T do, before finally sending me over to the GB. When the GB tech finally gave me a new one, I felt vindicated and bummed at the same time, as right out of the box, there they were.

The Genius Bar tech said less than 4 dead pixels was acceptable, and said there wasn't anything he could do about the nicks in the bezel. The GB tech also noticed a pretty sizable gouge in the black plastic cover the 3G antenna, as if to demonstrate that dings and scratches on a $800+ tablet were acceptable?

I dunno, perhaps I've put Apple on too high a pedestal with the quality of their fit and finish. Just a few short years ago, their products were sublime with regards to quality. Ever since iPhone 4, it's as if they've allowed things to slide a bit.

I'd rather have Apple as the underdog, offering excellent products to earn my business than the mega-market leader they've since become that simply expects me to accept whatever's in the box they hand me. Apple can pretend to be the company they were 10 years ago, but they're not. It's been my experience that once these tech companies hit the big time, it's we, the fans/users/whatever that end up getting the shaft.

Final perspective: I was absolutely geeked when I got my iPad on Day One last year. This time around, I felt no compelling reason to line sit, and when I finally did receive my shiny iPad 2, my overall feeling is one of "Meh, it's the same thing I already have with a camera and some sharper edges."

I'm actually wondering if I could have done better with something else, and THAT is a feeling I've NEVER had about any Apple product I've ever purchased.
 
I opened up the new one right there and was shocked to see the same nicks in the bezel. It had some of the same nicks, though not as bad as the first iPad. There was some skepticism on the part of the worthless blue-shirt, and even the GB tech, as if I had somehow damaged the one I was returning? The blue-shirt felt compelled to tell me all things she COULDN'T do, before finally sending me over to the GB. When the GB tech finally gave me a new one, I felt vindicated and bummed at the same time, as right out of the box, there they were.

The Genius Bar tech said less than 4 dead pixels was acceptable, and said there wasn't anything he could do about the nicks in the bezel. The GB tech also noticed a pretty sizable gouge in the black plastic cover the 3G antenna, as if to demonstrate that dings and scratches on a $800+ tablet were acceptable?

I dunno, perhaps I've put Apple on too high a pedestal with the quality of their fit and finish. Just a few short years ago, their products were sublime with regards to quality. Ever since iPhone 4, it's as if they've allowed things to slide a bit.

I'd rather have Apple as the underdog, offering excellent products to earn my business than the mega-market leader they've since become that simply expects me to accept whatever's in the box they hand me. Apple can pretend to be the company they were 10 years ago, but they're not. It's been my experience that once these tech companies hit the big time, it's we, the fans/users/whatever that end up getting the shaft.

Final perspective: I was absolutely geeked when I got my iPad on Day One last year. This time around, I felt no compelling reason to line sit, and when I finally did receive my shiny iPad 2, my overall feeling is one of "Meh, it's the same thing I already have with a camera and some sharper edges."

I'm actually wondering if I could have done better with something else, and THAT is a feeling I've NEVER had about any Apple product I've ever purchased.

revisionist history. there has always been problems with apple products (as there is wih every company) when you mass produce something errors occur. look back through the history of apple. this is not the first time nor the last.
 
revisionist history. there has always been problems with apple products (as there is wih every company) when you mass produce something errors occur. look back through the history of apple. this is not the first time nor the last.

Very true.
Anybody Remeber the major issues they had with the laptop batteries a few years ago?
 
Very true.
Anybody Remeber the major issues they had with the laptop batteries a few years ago?

And the G5 Power Mac failure rate was horrible. And they've had other hardware problems in the past, like any manufacturer.

But I do agree with the OP that getting a new iPad in the condition he describes it in is unacceptable.
 
Just out of curiosity what did u expect when u purchased an iPad 2?


It's not that different

I opened up the new one right there and was shocked to see the same nicks in the bezel. It had some of the same nicks, though not as bad as the first iPad. There was some skepticism on the part of the worthless blue-shirt, and even the GB tech, as if I had somehow damaged the one I was returning? The blue-shirt felt compelled to tell me all things she COULDN'T do, before finally sending me over to the GB. When the GB tech finally gave me a new one, I felt vindicated and bummed at the same time, as right out of the box, there they were.

The Genius Bar tech said less than 4 dead pixels was acceptable, and said there wasn't anything he could do about the nicks in the bezel. The GB tech also noticed a pretty sizable gouge in the black plastic cover the 3G antenna, as if to demonstrate that dings and scratches on a $800+ tablet were acceptable?

I dunno, perhaps I've put Apple on too high a pedestal with the quality of their fit and finish. Just a few short years ago, their products were sublime with regards to quality. Ever since iPhone 4, it's as if they've allowed things to slide a bit.

I'd rather have Apple as the underdog, offering excellent products to earn my business than the mega-market leader they've since become that simply expects me to accept whatever's in the box they hand me. Apple can pretend to be the company they were 10 years ago, but they're not. It's been my experience that once these tech companies hit the big time, it's we, the fans/users/whatever that end up getting the shaft.

Final perspective: I was absolutely geeked when I got my iPad on Day One last year. This time around, I felt no compelling reason to line sit, and when I finally did receive my shiny iPad 2, my overall feeling is one of "Meh, it's the same thing I already have with a camera and some sharper edges."

I'm actually wondering if I could have done better with something else, and THAT is a feeling I've NEVER had about any Apple product I've ever purchased.
 
Final perspective: I was absolutely geeked when I got my iPad on Day One last year. This time around, I felt no compelling reason to line sit, and when I finally did receive my shiny iPad 2, my overall feeling is one of "Meh, it's the same thing I already have with a camera and some sharper edges."

I'm actually wondering if I could have done better with something else, and THAT is a feeling I've NEVER had about any Apple product I've ever purchased.

I think unless you're in love with the new design then there are few truly compelling reasons to upgrade to the iPad 2. It's the iPhone 3g > 3gs scenario. Having now had my iPad 2 for a week I really like it (and had to have it) but I would actually advise against anyone bothering to upgrade if they already own an iPad 1.

Time will tell wether it's worth in in the long run, perhaps more advanced apps will finally draw a line between the two? But for now I'd keep your 1st gen iPads.
 
I have to say that I almost wondered the same but I received my iPad2 on Friday and it has no bad pixels, no bleeding or any of the issues people post about. The third digit of the serial is 6 for those who care (saw something about that on another post).

So just hold your luck, people getting them now might be lucky like me, who knows.
 
Very true.
Anybody Remeber the major issues they had with the laptop batteries a few years ago?

and the problematic firewire ports on iMacG4...and the leaking capacitors on the iMac G5...and the overheating and always rebooting 1st gen Intel iMac..

Apple products almost always had problem but because more people use them now, more issues become public..
 
and the problematic firewire ports on iMacG4...and the leaking capacitors on the iMac G5...and the overheating and always rebooting 1st gen Intel iMac..

Apple products almost always had problem but because more people use them now, more issues become public..

Well the people putting them together are on like $1 a day so what do people expect? I'd do a crappy job for that little money! :)
 
Well the people putting them together are on like $1 a day so what do people expect? I'd do a crappy job for that little money! :)

whether it is $1, $1M, or 1c/day, if you do not like your job, look elsewhere to get food to feed your family :D

$1 in China, by the way, might be a lot of money to them already ;)
 
Foxconn

Apple don't manufacture anything, its all made buy Foxconn as quickly and cheaply as humanly possible.

Ive returned everything i've ever bought from apple at least a couple of times, tbh I expect it. The reason I still buy it is no one makes such beautiful products with such a focus on design an materials.

I bought a whate iPhone 4 2 weeks ago.....first one back for dust under glass.

My first 2006 core2duo white iMac returned for a dead pixel (made in ireland as it goes)

If you want the operating system then your stuck with the poor QC on the hardware.....thats bee my experiance since I bought into the whole apple thing in 06.

My iPad 1 was returned for bleed....second one was and is spot on, i'm really glad I didn't get the new one as along with the bleed issues I think it looks a bit cheap and generic in its design.

Just my 10p worth
 
some people seem to be magnets for lemons... :)

that being said, i've been fairly happy with the QC on all my apple products. Part of the deal is to NEVER BUY GEN1 HARDWARE, which always have much higher failure rates. For example, a white macbook right now is so fleshed out it will perform like a tank. The new macbook airs? good luck with that. I'll look at them again in 5 years when they got the kinks worked out...
 
Personally, I would have returned the iPad when they told me that <4 dead pixels and cosmetic damage is acceptable. This is unnerving. That said, I've been through quite a few apple products and I've never had a customer service issue like that. My first white MacBook had the palm rest yellowing issue. They replaced the laptop with a base MacBook Pro after I spent a little time on the phone with customer service. I guess if I were the OP, I would consider a little time on the phone with Apple.
 
The only issue I had with mine was a little bit of glue residue on the back, but it wiped right off.

Guess I'm one of the lucky ones.
 
Well, I've just exchanged my first iPad 2 for a replacement, due to a cluster of 6 bad pixels, and I have to stay that for the first time since purchasing my first MacBook in 2006, I'm completely disappointed with Apple's build quality on the iPad 2.

Bummer...
Just wondering how you knew you had 6 bad pixels? I have been having problems with my iPad2 also lately...
 
First time I've ever had to return anything to Apple is with iPad 2 (twice, second time a refund) and the experience was nowhere near as wonderful as so many paint it to be.

They did not exactly bend over backwards to be helpful and did everything to avoid giving me a replacement and then refund despite both units having severe bleed and splits around the bezel (i.e. the glass and alu separating).

I can fully understand the OP's disappointment. It just seems to be one thing after another at the moment and it feels like standards are slipping dramatically.

The whole tech industry is littered with companies who are quick on the take and slow on the support. We need Apple to stick to their ideals and not go mainstream. That's the bastard's way of doing things and I thought Steve wanted more than that.
 
Both of my iPad 2's were perfect.
I had a 16gig wifi that i returned for a 64 gig 3G.
 
I dunno, perhaps I've put Apple on too high a pedestal with the quality of their fit and finish. Just a few short years ago, their products were sublime with regards to quality.
Here's an article from ars technica ... written back in 2004 -- blasting Apple for quality control issues (both hardware and software).

Speaking specifically to fit and finish, going back to 2001, the Titanium Powerbooks were known for their hinges breaking.

some people seem to be magnets for lemons... :)
Very true. There are users here (like iGary) that simply defy odds (and any logical explanation) when it comes to their consistent luck receiving bad Apple product after bad Apple product.
 
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