Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Ok so let me adjust my thoughts:

While I AGREE it sucks to have yellow tinges on your display, this is NOT something new! This is not this great new discovery as some of you make it out to be. Most importantly, you're not going to get a fix for it, ever. The iMac is too "cheap" for that to happen. You give me ANY screen and I will be able to find fault with it. Any screen. My point about "knowing" LCDs is that I'm familiar with their traits. Very familiar. I have had hundreds of them. None perfect. It's just the way it is.

You still didn't answer my posted questions above. You might want to go back and think about them carefully.

First, If there is no such a thing existing, Should Sony,Samsung,LG or Pioneer, have talked to the customers that "dont expect our LCD screen to be perfect, we will not accpet the return regarding to this" ?


Second, you said " Most importantly, you're not going to get a fix for it, ever. The iMac is too "cheap" for that to happen" So, if an iMac costs us about $5000, the uniform screen can happen or exist on the iMac screen ? This is confusing, since you keep telling us there is no such the thing.

Third, you said "You give me ANY screen and I will be able to find fault with it. Any screen" I reccomend you to go to any or all LCD manufacturers and talk to them like you said " Give me any LCDs of yours that you think it is perfect and have a uniform screen and I will be able to find fault with it " I can assure you that they will definitely prove you are wrong about this since there are uniform LCDs in their inventory.
 
What the fanboys on this thread fail to grasp is that not all of us buy expensive computers as toys or fashion accessories.
For any serious photographer, having a defective colour screen is unacceptable.
One of the attractions of the new iMacs is that they are supposed to use the more accurate IPS screens rather than the cheap TFT screens.
If the iMac screens can't provide accurate colour, they are useless for anyone working seriously with photographs.
There's two separate things going on here.

1) People with legitimate grievances, including professionals with slightly afflicted screens and 'regular folk' with seriously afflicted screens.

2) People who only spotted their 'tinge' due to reading something online or trying some online test that made something apparent that, in reality, wouldn't affect them in the slightest.

The quest for absolute perfection in mass produced devices is insanity. At the same time, we must appreciate that different people have different requirements, and also that Apple's claims regarding the quality of the screens are pretty irrefutable.
 
This thread makes me laugh. Seriously though, I understand everybody's point of view including the OP. I, myself have an iMac i7 on order but I make my own decisions on what's good and what's not. Macrumors makes you crazy just reading all the FUD on here sometimes. Some of the people here try to act almighty saying that if we don't bitch, Apple won't fix the issues.

Bitching HERE doesn't do it. Apple has a place for you to rant off to them but I'll bet hardly anyone goes to Apple's website and post their concerns.
People that are not having problems have just as much right to sing praise without being called a fanboy and people that are having problems need to be more humble and stop insulting the people that don't have issues.
The people that are having issues deserve equal respect but have no just cause to insult others that are fine with their purchase by calling them a fanboy. I have no idea why calling someone a Fanboy doesn't fall under name calling in the forum rules? It certainly seems insulting to me.
Some of you may have never had color issues with your past LCD's but don't pretend that those same LCD's have been perfect because that's not possible unless your spending upwards of $$$$$$$$$.

Another thing, some of you need to stop acting like you spent a kings ransom on an iMac. $2000??? That's ain't NOTHING. Companies like Dell and HP that sell bargain basement crap have gotten into your heads that they sell superior stuff for cheap and it makes Apple's stuff look like they are extorting money from their customers. If you feel that way don't buy from Apple. Computers used to START at $4000 on up. Now you can get a giant screen with a powerful processor and well built for like $2000, that ain't nothing! You'll end up spending that on an Xbox with a few games over a short time.

Again, if it's too much then don't buy.

Lastly, I find it interesting that someone would say they exchanged their iMac 9 times. Most retailers won't exchange past 5 times without refunding your money, so that story will be taken with a grain of salt.

That being said, I certainly hope that Apple does address this issue at hand, but some of you may have forgotten (or don't know) about the first iMac that had the horrible screen gradient or the 23" Cinema Display that turned pink and had a dark vertical band down the screen. Apple did nothing about them but come out with new models later. It IS Apple's responsibility but the LCD manufacturers are making crappy displays and if some of you want to ignore that then you are just hating on Apple just because you can. We are either gonna end up paying more for better displays or we settle for acceptable and save money.

Do any of you actually USE your computer? Do you act this anal when you buy a PC? Or do you do install the software on it and get to work?
 
Who the hell edits a picture a the bottom left hand corner of a 27 inch monitor? How many people on here complaining are actually "serious photographers"?
If someone is such a "serious photographer", I would hope they have better things to do than come on here and debate this stupid issue...like maybe returning your Imac and getting something that doesn't have a "tinge" soo that you can get back to your "serious photography".

Your reply is nonsensical.
How does any of it relate to the issue that the screens are unfit for the purpose of accurate colour editing?
Apple made a big deal about the superior IPS technology of the screens yet the screens are useless for accurate colour editing.
Why do you feel threatened by that fact and try to ridicule others for taking their equipment seriously?
If they are unwilling or unable to provide a screen fit for accurate colour work, they should save us all a lot of hassle and money and just stick a cheaper TFT screen in all the iMacs, lower the prices and state clearly that the iMac is a consumer product and not intended for any professional colour editing.
 
While I completely understand that some people have worse yellowing than the slight yellowing on my display, and while I completely understand that for some people even the slight yellowing I have is a dealbreaker, just wanted to agree with the general sentiment of this post. My dad was considering upgrading from a 23" Cinema Display to a new iMac and I was telling him about mine. He does a lot of photo work and was concerned about the yellowing. So I showed him the page on his computer to test for the yellowing just to explain what it looks like. Lo and behold, his 23" Cinema Display has the exact same yellowing issue. It happens in other displays and in plenty that haven't resulted in a righteous consumer uprising.

If I had to choose between the yellowing on my screen and 5 dead pixels, I would choose the yellowing 100 times out of 100. And 5 dead pixels would be considered an acceptable defect.

There definitely is a defect and Apple should be honest about that, just like they are about dead pixels. But it's just been blown way out of proportion (not as much here because this is the right place for it, but just check out today's Gizmodo post with a photoshopped exaggeration of what it looks like for an example).
 
Your reply is nonsensical.
How does any of it relate to the issue that the screens are unfit for the purpose of accurate colour editing?
Apple made a big deal about the superior IPS technology of the screens yet the screens are useless for accurate colour editing.
Why do you feel threatened by that fact and try to ridicule others for taking their equipment seriously?
If they are unwilling or unable to provide a screen fit for accurate colour work, they should save us all a lot of hassle and money and just stick a cheaper TFT screen in all the iMacs, lower the prices and state clearly that the iMac is a consumer product and not intended for any professional colour editing.

The screen is what, 98% accurate besides that bottom corner?

Deeming a screen useless because of that 2% that is "faulty" is dumb. Your response is pointless.
 
The screen is what, 98% accurate besides that bottom corner?
Deeming a screen useless because of that 2% that is "faulty" is dumb. Your response is pointless.

The screen might be OK for people like you, but for anyone who has to ensure colour accuracy in their photo editing or film grading, such a screen is useless.
 
I'm really bothered that I got called a fanboy. Oh well. Whatever.

There is NO question in my mind that this whole yellowing thing has been blown out of proportion. And for those that say their whatever-brand LCD is completely uniform, BS. BS. BS. There's no such thing. I've owned more LCDs than the average person, and I'm EXTREMELY picky. But I refuse to drive myself crazy over this sort of thing. Is my iMac flawless? Hell no! But am I a fanboy? NO WAY. Like I said in my first post, I found some dust under the glass even before I took it apart to install my SSD.

In any case, this yellowing is not something new and I GUARANTEE you Apple won't "fix it." Color casts on LCDs are something I've learned to deal with over the years. I suggest a lot of you get used to it, or quite simply - buy a different computer since an iMac clearly isn't for you.

For those that care, off the top of my head - products with a color cast of some sort:

1.) Nintendo DS/DSi - various DSs - some with green tints, some yellow.
2.) Sony PSP - green tinge to bottom of screen.
3.) 17" 2007 MacBook Pro. Slightly pinkish tint to the top left.
4.) Apple iPhone/3G/3GS - all my iPhones look different from my wife's iPhones.
5.) Dell 2407WFP. Non-uniform blacks.
6.) MANY Samsung LCD TVs with clouds/patchiness to the backlight - slight yellow tinge on a few of them.
7.) Apple Cinema Displays - slight pink tinge to my 23" ACD and slight yellowing on both of my 24" LED Cinema Displays.


Blah blah blah. You get the idea. :)

You are correct in saying that the majority of screens do have some sort of color variance, however, the yellow tint issue with the new iMacs is genuine. Apple representatives have acknowledged the problem to me repeatedly during calls.

I have gone through 3 iMac replacements and 1 display replacement. All had a yellow tint. Aside from my own, I have examined many store display iMacs and found some of them to have no color issues whatsoever. The whole point of Apple advertising these iMacs as having "The Ultimate Display" is that they do not suffer from the same uniformity issues as other monitors. Anything less is false advertising.
 
You are correct in saying that the majority of screens do have some sort of color variance, however, the yellow tint issue with the new iMacs is genuine. Apple representatives have acknowledged the problem to me repeatedly during calls.

I have gone through 3 iMac replacements and 1 display replacement. All had a yellow tint. Aside from my own, I have examined many store display iMacs and found some of them to have no color issues whatsoever. The whole point of Apple advertising these iMacs as having "The Ultimate Display" is that they do not suffer from the same uniformity issues as other monitors. Anything less is false advertising.

I'm not questioning the voracity of the statement that iMacs have yellow tinges. Mine does. I'd be willing to be every single one does.
 
It IS Apple's responsibility but the LCD manufacturers are making crappy displays and if some of you want to ignore that then you are just hating on Apple just because you can.

If the manufacturers are making crappy displays Apple's QC should spot this and address the situation. The fault is entirely with Apple as they have the ultimate say over quality and what leaves the factory.

But there's no caveat on the Apple adverts explaining that colours may not be uniform.

As for paying more, maybe that's not a bad thing. Though money seems not to be an issue for you. $2000 nothing? I guess with your attitude to money you don't seem to care. For those that value $2000 I can understand why they want a perfect* screen


* or a screen that certainly meets Apple's claims....
Apple.com said:
IPS technology.

The iMac display is designed to look great from almost any angle. A technology called in-plane switching (IPS) makes this possible. Whether you’re sitting in front of the display or standing off to the side, you’ll get a perfect picture with superb colour consistency and no loss of detail

Something that is yellow at the bottom isn't colour consistant.
 
I'm not questioning the voracity of the statement that iMacs have yellow tinges. Mine does. I'd be willing to be every single one does.

Here we go again with the ol' "mine does, so I guess everyone's does" logic. However, I happen know that statement lacks veracity because my own i7 has no such tinge.

It's a widespread problem but not universal.
 
Something that is yellow at the bottom isn't colour consistant.



I agree. My first one was like that, so they exchanged it.
My new one is immaculate and a delight to look at. Wonderful screen. Couldn't wish for better. 10/10 to Apple not only for the product, but for the great service that allowed me to keep the first unit until the perfect one arrived.
 
Here we go again with the ol' "mine does, so I guess everyone's does" logic. However, I happen know that statement lacks veracity because my own i7 has no such tinge.

It's a widespread problem but not universal.

Oops. I meant veracity, not voracity. LOL! I still maintain no screen is perfect. I know a LOAD of people who'd never care about the tinge.
 
Oops. I meant veracity, not voracity. LOL! I still maintain no screen is perfect. I know a LOAD of people who'd never care about the tinge.

I agree that no screen is perfect, no matter what the price. However, I am also familiar with what the yellow tinge is and mine is not affected by it. Does my i7 have a perfect screen with absolute color uniformity corner to corner? No, obviously not. There is a minor gradient. There is not, however, yellow tinge.

I also have slight backlight bleed in the lower right but it is extremely minimal compared to the mid-2007 24" I was using before the i7.

I'm glad you're pleased with your i7 as well. :)
 
The whole point of Apple advertising these iMacs as having "The Ultimate Display" is that they do not suffer from the same uniformity issues as other monitors. Anything less is false advertising.

The iMac does have the ultimate Apple display. When they bring out a new one, THAT will become the ultimate display, regardless of quality, and the iMac will then have the penultimate display.
The word ultimate refers to the latest or last in a sequence. There is no false advertising whatsoever in Apple's claim.
 
Multiple uses of the word Ultimate

Answers.com said:
1. Being last in a series, process, or progression: "As the ultimate arbiter of the Constitution, the Supreme Court occupies a central place in our scheme of government" (Richard A. Epstein).
2. Fundamental; elemental: an ultimate truth.
3.
a. Of the greatest possible size or significance; maximum: Has the ultimate diamond been found?
b. Representing or exhibiting the greatest possible development or sophistication: the ultimate bicycle.
c. Utmost; extreme: the ultimate insult.

4. Being most distant or remote; farthest. See synonyms at last1.
5. Eventual: hoped for ultimate victory.

n.

1. The basic or fundamental fact, element, or principle.
2. The final point; the conclusion.
3. The greatest extreme; the maximum: actions that represented the ultimate in political expediency.

The way Apple advertise the iMac it's certainly not Ultimate as your interpreting
 
It's frightening how many perfectly within-normal-tolerance computers must have been returned along with a few genuinely sub-par units, because of that "yellow" test that was planted here. The effects of that thread, combined with the promptings and goadings of a few anti-Apple moles throughout other threads, must be way beyond the instigators' dreams.
The same test (and resulting mass panic) could have been aimed at any model of consumer computer, anytime.

Apple must be taking a beating with the new imac's . I can't even imagine what percentage of Imacs have been returned. Maybe 20%? good news for smart consumers who buy refurbs.
 
Apple's QC issues are really pissing me off. I think they have gotten better recently until this iMac, though. Remember the SR MacBook Pros? Same problem.
 
OP
When I spoke with Apple tech support about my yellow stained iMac LCD screen their reply was "we are aware of this issue and will contact you in 3 weeks to facilitate an LCD panel exchange". (It's only been 4 days - no news on that front yet)

If this is a normal 'within spec' variance afflicting so many iMacs, why are Apple techs now instructed to address it as a known issue that is actively being dealt with? If this was a normal phenomenon wouldn't Apple's reply be as such? (and politely tell us to suck it up and get over it?).

cheers
 
OP
When I spoke with Apple tech support about my yellow stained iMac LCD screen their reply was "we are aware of this issue and will contact you in 3 weeks to facilitate an LCD panel exchange". (It's only been 4 days - no news on that front yet)

If this is a normal 'within spec' variance afflicting so many iMacs, why are Apple techs now instructed to address it as a known issue that is actively being dealt with? If this was a normal phenomenon wouldn't Apple's reply be as such? (and politely tell us to suck it up and get over it?).

cheers

If they're aware of the issue with a few people, they're aware of it. That doesn't mean that it's an epidemic like these message-boards would have you believe. And the 3-week think I truly believe is just a shortage of parts, and that the fix is just a replacement with another screen. Whether it has a greater or lesser degree of yellow is just the luck of the draw.

Mark my words, this is NOTHING new.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.