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iPod touch Let's Find a Pattern With the Bad Screens

Thank you for compiling the results onionperson654. As you pointed out, the majority of the 100a version models are alright. This is leading me to believe that something is different (most likely the screen brand) which warrants a different build number.

The week so far has no effect. Both week 36 and 37 (the past two weeks) have problems. The same goes for the store as we're seeing both Apple Store and Best Buy issues.

What will be interesting is when we start seeing week 38 (this coming week). I'm sure Apple has taken notice to this problem and won't continue to manufacture units with the bad screen if there is a bad screen out there.

Keep the results coming guys!
 
just picked up mine today... week 37 100a best buy. screen is bad. its not absolutely terrible, but definately very noticable
 
Well, the last two posts sort of throw a wrench in things (and suggest that it may be a widespread proble, or just a bad ipod).

I've started a thread at ilounge to send people over here or do it there if they don't have a macrumors.com account. If people want to do the same on other forums (appleinsider, apple.com) it could speed up the process, although we might find nothing.

http://forums.ilounge.com/showthread.php?p=1143016#post1143016


Its also somewhat impressive (although not for quality control) that they manufactured these devices (or finished doing so) this week (the 9th-15th) and had them in America and sold so quickly.
 
Hmm, alright everything may be out the door with the version number. It appears if your iPod was never restored you have 100a. If you restored your iPod (I did) or the factory had to restore it, the version becomes 101a. At least that's what's being reported over in Apple forums.
 
Serial Prefix: 9C737F
Week: 37
Version: 3A100a
Neg Screen: Yes, not as bad as some but still noticeable
Location: Apple Store, Birmingham, Alabama

Side Note: Went by the apple store today and they said that it was very unlikely that they would exchange it.
 
Mines a week 37, 100a.

It seems ok most of the time. When looking strait on it, it looks abit messed up, but when at a slight angle, its fine. Doesn't bother me too much. Anybody have any pictures of what they are experiencing to compare to?
 
Luigi239 said:
Mines a week 37, 100a.

It seems ok most of the time. When looking strait on it, it looks abit messed up, but when at a slight angle, its fine. Doesn't bother me too much. Anybody have any pictures of what they are experiencing to compare to?
Click to expand...

Here's an extreme case, some aren't as bad:

6glrl3b.jpg
 
Serial Prefix: 9C7367Zxxxx
Week: 36
Version: 3A100a
Negative Blacks: Sometimes ... almost everything looks good except in a few cases. Letterbox lines are a negative black (I think), and black parts of photos in Safari are negative. I haven't looked at the same photos in the picture viewer, but black parts of photos in that (I looked at some fireworks shots) look fine. Generally adjusting the angle also helps (a little) when "negative" -- adjusting it so that it's more straight on or aimed with the top away from me.
Sound: Seems fine.
Purchased: Apple Store in Denver, CO.
 
I will go back and edit my original post, but my version is 1.1 (3A100a)

Cavemonkey- how is your screen now? Do you still think it is much better than before? And if so, is it acceptable/good/very good overall?

Right now, I find the screen unacceptable and if it doesn't change, I will be returning mine to Best Buy and probably picking up an Archos 605. There's a special deal for those for $239 plus tax/shipping.
 
onionperson654 said:
First, I've got to give a shout out to cavemonkey50 for this great idea and way to organize it.

I've organized the results from above in a summary:

name store week number quality
cavemonkey50----Apple---36--------101------bad
buffalo--------------------37--------100------good
dmize---------------------37--------100------good
telf22------------apple----36--------___------bad
EnTg888---------Apple----37--------101------bad
bushman1-----------------37--------___------bad
teerexx52--------Apple----37--------100------good
sprucegoose-----BestBuy--37--------101------bad
madmaxmedia----BestBuy--37-------- ___-----bad
WILLDOGS-------Apple-----37--------100-------good
graln1k----------BestBuy--37--------101------bad
gloss----------------------37-------100-------bad
DocVT----------BestBuy---36-------100-------good
dragonguy83----Apple-----36-------100--------bad? (just a little?)

It appears that week number and store have little to do with this (althogh of course we have too few samples).

We need to know if it was 100a or 101a from telf22, bushman1, and madmaxmedia...

To summarize the rest:

101a- 4 models- all bad
100a- 6 models- 5 good, one bad, one a little bad?


Well, we are far from conclusive, but there appears to be a pattern emerging, keep sending in numbers and quality (and store and week just to be sure)!
Click to expand...

sry, didnt under what the number thing was found, but it is 3A100A :) great thread btw...i might exchange but dont know if t will be any different.
 
Cavemonkey- how is your screen now? Do you still think it is much better than before? And if so, is it acceptable/good/very good overall?
Click to expand...

Well, it's currently back to the way it was (about 8 negative bars). So, any change was temporary. While the screen may be affected by heat or UV rays, it doesn't seem to be a permanent fix. I take back my original statement of the screen breaking in.

However, I still think there may be a possibility of a firmware update fixing the issue. If this issue is as widespread as it appears in the forums, Apple is going to do everything to prevent a mass exchange. Although, that firmware update may take a while, and I'm not planning on waiting past my 15 day return window to find out (yes, I know Apple will fix it outside of the window, but I don't want to deal with a repair).

So, ignore what I said before. While it definitely did improve temporarily, it's back to the same old crappy negative screen.
 
Okay, thanks.

I hope there is a solution. If there is, it has to be a pretty low-level change. The screen itself is clearly displaying black, the black just doesn't look good.
 
This thread is seriously bumming me out. I haven't gotten my 'Touch yet but, I am really worried that I'll get a crappy screen and be in here with you people about how crappy the screens are.

Does anyone care to compare it to a 5G iPod?
 
real db for this?

Guys, I am a professional web developer and I could throw up a webpage real quick for everyone to enter there information if that would help (im sure tons of you are prof web developers so I dont say that as me bragging).

would htat help at all, I have a domain that I have allowed some people to play on that i wouldnt mind hosting this sort of traffic on for a bit.

please let me know if you like this idea, i could have it within the next thirty minutes if that would help.

pm me or just let me know here!

Thanks,
Arisian
 
Arisian said:
Guys, I am a professional web developer and I could throw up a webpage real quick for everyone to enter there information if that would help (im sure tons of you are prof web developers so I dont say that as me bragging).

would htat help at all, I have a domain that I have allowed some people to play on that i wouldnt mind hosting this sort of traffic on for a bit.

please let me know if you like this idea, i could have it within the next thirty minutes if that would help.

pm me or just let me know here!

Thanks,
Arisian
Click to expand...

It would be pretty cool to be able to track this sort of thing, so by all means go for it.
 
Yeah, it doesn't look too good now. On the other hand, I doubt Apple would let this continue.

I'd suggest that anyone buying an iPod Touch cover their bases.

---Don't buy from an Apple store. That's a sad statement, but they may just be stubborn and refuse to take it back, or give you another bad one. If you can, buy it from Best Buy or somewhere (when availible) that has a 30+ day return policy (plus, you can make sure hacks work, etc.)

---Consider waiting, even though it hurts.

---If you have pre-ordered (sorry), contact them and maybe try to cancel (if you can buy elsewhere in your area). If not, make sure to write (at least) a detailed complaint even before you recieve it in the mail, about both the time it took to ship and the screen problem. Then, you have a pretty good excuse to ship it back without any fees.

---Be ready to complain, get agreements in writing, and alltogether back youself up, because if this develops into an even bigger thing, you'll want to be able to take your money and go out and buy an Archos 605 (only partially kidding). Sure, they charge for an internet browser, but their 800x480 screen is sweet, every single time.
 
Hellfire91 said:
Serial Prefix: 9C737F
Week: 37
Version: 3A100a
Neg Screen: Yes, not as bad as some but still noticeable
Location: Apple Store, Birmingham, Alabama

Side Note: Went by the apple store today and they said that it was very unlikely that they would exchange it.
Click to expand...

Mine is the same week and version. Also from birmingham store (drove 2hrs from Auburn :rolleyes:)

When did you get yours? I got mine around 7ish pm Friday.

Its only noticeable in very dark videos and not horrible, but yes def. noticeable and slightly annoying now that i'm looking for it. Hopefully its a software fix cuz i really don't want to drive all the way back up there for them not to exchange it.
 
I'm actually strongly considering the 605, believe it or not. I already have a Shuffle, so I'm thinking that the 605 might suit me better as a movie player, even if it's not portable for music.

There's a special, you can get the 30GB model for $239. That's just dirt cheap, even if you end up buying the browser or say H.264/AAC plugin.

And I would definitely recommend buying from Best Buy if you can, just to be on the safe side.
 
serial prefix: 9C73724
week: 37
version: 3A100a
Negative Screen: Yes
Location: Apple store
 
cavemonkey50 said:
Hmm, alright everything may be out the door with the version number. It appears if your iPod was never restored you have 100a. If you restored your iPod (I did) or the factory had to restore it, the version becomes 101a. At least that's what's being reported over in Apple forums.
Click to expand...

Yeah, probably no need to make the website, Arisian, although thanks for the offer.

madmaxmedia said:
I'm actually strongly considering the 605, believe it or not. I already have a Shuffle, so I'm thinking that the 605 might suit me better as a movie player, even if it's not portable for music.

There's a special, you can get the 30GB model for $239. That's just dirt cheap, even if you end up buying the browser or say H.264/AAC plugin.

And I would definitely recommend buying from Best Buy if you can, just to be on the safe side.
Click to expand...

$239, really, I'd ask where from, but I'm pretty set on a Touch (unless on day 89 of my 90 day Costco return policy they still haven't fixed the video) after all this hype.

About the size of the Archos 605, a couple of weeks ago (while getting ready for a non-WI-FI ipod touch) I realized that its about the size of a 2/3 of a pack of 4x6 notecards, and tried it in my pocket, and it is definetly portable (unless those stupid buttons suck), so don't count it out as a pocketable device. I guess Archos is taking advantage of Apple's negligance. If they kicked up the advertising and opened up the software to other developers (they already have way more codecs support than the ipod touch or iphone) they could try to actually compete head-to-head.
 
csmitty said:
Mine is the same week and version. Also from birmingham store (drove 2hrs from Auburn :rolleyes:)

When did you get yours? I got mine around 7ish pm Friday.

Its only noticeable in very dark videos and not horrible, but yes def. noticeable and slightly annoying now that i'm looking for it. Hopefully its a software fix cuz i really don't want to drive all the way back up there for them not to exchange it.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I was really pissed off when they told me they probably wouldn't even exchange it (much less return it), even though the screen was clearly showing the washed out/shimmering blacks.

I got mine at around 4:30pm Friday (about an hour after they got them), so we probably got them from the same batch.

If they still refuse to exchange it i'll probably try to contest it with American Express or something.
 
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