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New Macbook Pro with light stripe toward top of displaye

F

frostrambler

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 14, 2007
122
75
NYC
Just picked up a new MBP at the 5th Avenue Apple Store. It seems fine, but if you look closely toward the top of the display, maybe 2mm below the edge of the LCD, the display in that area is slightly lighter than everywhere else. It forms a light line about 4-5 pixels across that runs across the displayer past the middle, but doesn't quite reach the left side.

Is this common with the new LED displays on the MBP? My old MBP was a RevA with the regular display and didnt have this line.

I am thinking of going back there to return it tonight, but I am wondering if they will give me a hassle if I ask for an exchange. What should I do?
 
Exchange it. I have never had the apple people argue with me when i have tried to exchange a defective product. When i exchanged my iTouch, there was just one white stuck pixel that was very hard to see, and the guy still gave me a new one on the spot.
 
Can you tell us which LCD model number it has? Under system preferences - displays - color - ColorLCD - click open profile and scroll down to #13 - the model number should be listed under 'Model'.

As for whether you should exchange it, I think the key is to assess the risks vs benefits. To me, small light leakage at the top is acceptable since it's usually where the menu bar is and is only visible when playing DVDs or when the menu bar is removed and there is a dark/black background. If the display is excellent otherwise, you may not want to risk getting another display with much worse problems: dead pixels, yellowing, uneven illumination etc.


Not only that, but if the machine hardware itself is perfect, you also risk getting one that has other issues. It's a little bit of a lottery, unfortunately.

I'm not trying to say that replacing it is a bad thing or that a replacement would be defective too, just that it's important to decide how bad the problem is....and then whether you can live happily with it, or not.

I'm sure they won't cause any problems with an exchange. The 5th Ave store is pretty good that way.
 
I went to the Apple store, they did not see the stripe, but I told the guy that I could definitely see it, and I had just bought it two hours ago. He told me he honestly could not see it, and told me he would ask some techs in the back of the store. He came back and told me they could not see it either but since I had just bought it, he would make an exception. :)

Just got home with MBP #2 and the display is PERFECT.

Now the second one has another TINY problem, but now I don't care. The metal on the top of the display (next to the grey plastic), bulges a slight bit, it also does the same thing on the bottom of the mbp in one spot too.

Honestly, its not perfect, but the LCD is, so I would rather not risk another exchange, because the LCD is great this time, so why risk it?

My old MBP also had bulging metal in random parts and it served me fine for two years.

Overall I am very happy, and the migration assistant got me in business within 20 min by ethernet.

I am a happy camper.
 
that's great to hear. It's a lottery and you won it! Seriously, there seems to always be something that isn't perfect on these machines - maybe because the extremely low tolerances in manufacturing. There's just no room for error in the building process. The macbook air is the most perfectly built apple laptop I've seen.

Glad you have a perfect display - that's is probably the single most important thing on the computer. I think you're right not to tempt your luck further by trying to get another one...

BTW, what is the display model/manufacturer?
 
PDE said:
that's great to hear. It's a lottery and you won it! Seriously, there seems to always be something that isn't perfect on these machines - maybe because the extremely low tolerances in manufacturing. There's just no room for error in the building process. The macbook air is the most perfectly built apple laptop I've seen.

BTW, what is the display model/manufacturer?
Click to expand...

the MBA is the most perfectly built?SOURCE please!:)
 
markrivers said:
the MBA is the most perfectly built?SOURCE please!:)
Click to expand...

As I wrote: "I've seen", which means I am the source. And I actually think most people who have them and have had other apple laptops would agree. They're really well-manufacturered with few of the build glitches you see on other apple laptops.

Not that it's scientific, but that's why I wrote "I've seen".
 
PDE said:
that's great to hear. It's a lottery and you won it! Seriously, there seems to always be something that isn't perfect on these machines - maybe because the extremely low tolerances in manufacturing. There's just no room for error in the building process. The macbook air is the most perfectly built apple laptop I've seen.

Glad you have a perfect display - that's is probably the single most important thing on the computer. I think you're right not to tempt your luck further by trying to get another one...

BTW, what is the display model/manufacturer?
Click to expand...

Manufacturer: 00000610
Model: 00009C81

I have noticed when its only one color some light baclight uneveness, but after leopard loads, it looks perfect, I even tried some light and dark movies and I can't see it. Only time I notice it is on the grey Apple screen. So yeah I am pretty damn happy.
 
frostrambler said:
Manufacturer: 00000610
Model: 00009C81

I have noticed when its only one color some light baclight uneveness, but after leopard loads, it looks perfect, I even tried some light and dark movies and I can't see it. Only time I notice it is on the grey Apple screen. So yeah I am pretty damn happy.
Click to expand...

I think that's a completely new model of display, one that hasn't been talked about before. WOuld you mind doing one more thing? Download switchresx here http://www.madrau.com/html/SRX/DL.shtml, click the export DDC option, open the file it creats and post the information the DDC doc?

I'm really curious what the new display is...sounds promising though.
 
DDC block report generated by SwitchResX for display
Color LCD

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F
-----------------------------------------------------
0 | 00 FF FF FF FF FF FF 00 06 10 81 9C 00 00 00 00
1 | 01 11 01 02 80 21 15 78 0A 9C 60 99 58 51 8E 26
2 | 12 50 54 00 00 00 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01 01
3 | 01 01 01 01 01 01 D2 25 A0 38 51 84 17 30 40 20
4 | 33 00 4C CF 10 00 00 18 00 00 00 01 00 06 10 30
5 | 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 0A 20 00 00 00 FE 00 4C
6 | 50 31 35 34 57 50 32 2D 54 4C 41 33 00 00 00 FE
7 | 00 43 6F 6C 6F 72 20 4C 43 44 0A 20 20 20 00 F4

-----------------------------------------------------
Valid DDC block: checksum passed

EDID Version........1.2
Manufacturer........APP
Product Code........33180 (819C) (9C81)
Serial Number.......0

Manufactured........Week 1 of year 2007
Max H Size..........33 cm
Max V Size..........21 cm
Gamma...............2.20

DPMS Supported Features:
------------------------


Display type:
-------------
RGB color display


Input signal & sync:
--------------------
Digital

Color info:
------------
Red x = 0.600 Green x = 0.319 Blue x = 0.149 White x = 0.312
Red y = 0.345 Green y = 0.555 Blue y = 0.072 White y = 0.328

Established Timings:
--------------------

Manufacturer Reserved Timings:
------------------------------

Standard Timing Identification:
-------------------------------

Monitor Description blocks:
---------------------------
Descriptor #0 is Timing definition:
Mode = 1440 x 900 @ 60Hz
Pixel Clock.............96.82 MHz Non-Interlaced

Horizontal Vertical
Active..................1440 pixels 900 lines
Front Porch............. 64 pixels 3 lines
Sync Width.............. 32 pixels 3 lines
Back Porch.............. 216 pixels 17 lines
Blanking................ 312 pixels 23 lines
Total...................1752 pixels 923 lines
Scan Rate............... 55.26 kHz 59.87 Hz

Image Size.............. 332 mm 207 mm
Border.................. 0 pixels 0 lines

Sync: Digital separate with
* Negative vertical polarity
* Negative horizontal polarity

Descriptor #1 is Manufacturer specific data (not interpreted here)

Descriptor #2 is ASCII data:
LP154WP2-TLA3
Descriptor #3 is ASCII data:
Color LCD
 
I've never seen a TRULY perfect laptop display, depending on how you define "perfect". Anyone who thinks theirs is 100% perfect should try using it on battery power at 75% brightness under strong fluorescent office lights. Under these conditions, suddenly a gorgeous display can become repulsive.

I finally just had to resign myself to the fact that if I wanted to own a MacBook Pro, I was going to have to settle for the least imperfect screen I could find. My current MBP screen is acceptably imperfect.
 
xpovos said:
I've never seen a TRULY perfect laptop display, depending on how you define "perfect". Anyone who thinks theirs is 100% perfect should try using it on battery power at 75% brightness under strong fluorescent office lights. Under these conditions, suddenly a gorgeous display can become repulsive.

I finally just had to resign myself to the fact that if I wanted to own a MacBook Pro, I was going to have to settle for the least imperfect screen I could find. My current MBP screen is acceptably imperfect.
Click to expand...

I agree. My SR MBP screen is imperfect which still sortov bugs. I have a tiny bubble on the bottom left corner of my screen. I cant be bothered returning it as it isnt exactly preventing me from doing work.
 
frostrambler said:
I bet you that was the fix for the yellow tint in the old SR MBPs?
Click to expand...

I just got my new penryn and it has the same display - with no yellowing at all. :) It does have light bleed on top and bottom though. Better that than yellow tint.
 
I called apple customer service. They told me to remove the batt and power cord. then hold the power button down for 12 sec. Then after that put the batt back. Then start the mbp BUT hold down p+r+alt+command until chime sounds . According to the guy this restart yr power management system. Seems to work. I haven't had the problem, since. Well I did just call this morning about this issue. and it doesn't happen often.
 
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