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Indydenny

macrumors 6502
Jan 5, 2002
427
522
Midwest
Mine flickers steadily in any kind of light. But I must admit that I can't see it except for that particular link.

Should I return it immediately or wait for awhile to see what "fixes" might come along? Thanks
 

Ironic

macrumors 6502a
Oct 6, 2008
652
0
In my MBA!
Request. Test Image.
 

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StefanR.

Guest
Nov 8, 2008
44
0
I am very happy, spend 2500, in words: two-thousand-fife-hundred

no four finger swipe

flickering screen what gives me eye burning and headache

grey horizontal lines

since I bought it sooo cheap, all no problem to me.
 

tommi80

macrumors member
Nov 23, 2008
45
11
Mine flickers steadily in any kind of light. But I must admit that I can't see it except for that particular link.

Should I return it immediately or wait for awhile to see what "fixes" might come along? Thanks

I returned my two MBAs. I had trouble concentrating and I got headache when doing work with it.
 

n8236

macrumors 65816
Mar 1, 2006
1,065
32
Bad screen inverter, get it replaced. If not, turn off the auto-dim feature on your screen by going to Preference and Display.
 

frifra

macrumors 6502a
Nov 29, 2008
927
665
Thanks Ironic.

I was just wondering what are the grey/black lines (horizontal) which i can see on the picture?
 

robeddie

Suspended
Jul 21, 2003
1,777
1,731
Atlanta
Mine flickers steadily in any kind of light. But I must admit that I can't see it except for that particular link.

Should I return it immediately or wait for awhile to see what "fixes" might come along? Thanks

Same here. I've got a 1.86 SSD late 2008 model. I do see the flickering with this image. I also saw it on every macbook air in the perimeter Apple store. I did NOT see it on the macbook pro, but I DID see it on a macbook unit.

I just think various LCD's are produced differently, and it doesn't necessarily mean they're 'defective'.

Think about it, if you 'only' see the flickering on this test image, honestly why worry about it!?!!?

It kind of reminds me of the joke where the guy goes to the doctor and says 'doctor, it's hurt's when I do this', and the doctor says 'well, don't do that.'

As long as you otherwise enjoy the screen, which I do, why the heck are we worrying about whether one certain test image produces flicker?
 

alphaxono

macrumors member
Dec 4, 2008
37
0
I would love to ignore the flickering but in my case I get a big headache after 5 min.

Thanks Ironic for posting the file.

My MBA is in service but can anyone verify if the color profile does help?
 

ntrigue

macrumors 68040
Jul 30, 2007
3,805
4
My 1.86GHz w/SSD passed with flying colors.

I'm sorry to those having issues with their Apple products. In previous years we were able to buy Apple with much more confidence.

I purchased mine for $2049 on eBay and it is 100% flawless.
 

Ironic

macrumors 6502a
Oct 6, 2008
652
0
In my MBA!
Thanks Ironic.

I was just wondering what are the grey/black lines (horizontal) which i can see on the picture?
its the test picture, for flickering. I can take a picture of the forum screen, it has no lines but hard to take a pic. I have 15 profiles, if you need some,
 

StefanR.

Guest
Nov 8, 2008
44
0
Think about it, if you 'only' see the flickering on this test image, honestly why worry about it!?!!?


why? easy, most people get eye burning and headache after some time, even if you dont see the flickering. you dont see it, but the eyes have to "work" "focus" more....
 

robeddie

Suspended
Jul 21, 2003
1,777
1,731
Atlanta
why? easy, most people get eye burning and headache after some time, even if you dont see the flickering. you dont see it, but the eyes have to "work" "focus" more....


Perhaps. But I'm wondering ... could the 'flickering' simply be the result of the frequency of the monitor combined with that pattern?

I work in video production, for instance, and if someone you're interviewing has just the right pattern on his shirt, you'll get what is called a moire effect. Basically the same thing you're seeing in that pattern, i.e., the lines on the guys shirt appear to be jumping around ... 'flickering'.

If that's the case, with a certain pattern (thinner, closer lines perhaps) you you may also be able to produce a 'flickering' effect with a Macbook pro... or any other LCD screen for that matter. Just find the 'right' pattern that sync's with it just right.

It simply doesn't make sense to me that, if that flicker is always there, (and it is QUITE noticable on that pattern) why wouldn't I notice it AT ALL on ANY other background????

Flame me for being skepical if you will, but that's my take.
 

alphaxono

macrumors member
Dec 4, 2008
37
0
I've seen that on TV.

Sounds logical but does not explain why I don't see the image flickering on my Macbook or why I get a headache from looking at the MBA screen.
 

frifra

macrumors 6502a
Nov 29, 2008
927
665
Perhaps. But I'm wondering ... could the 'flickering' simply be the result of the frequency of the monitor combined with that pattern?

I work in video production, for instance, and if someone you're interviewing has just the right pattern on his shirt, you'll get what is called a moire effect. Basically the same thing you're seeing in that pattern, i.e., the lines on the guys shirt appear to be jumping around ... 'flickering'.

If that's the case, with a certain pattern (thinner, closer lines perhaps) you you may also be able to produce a 'flickering' effect with a Macbook pro... or any other LCD screen for that matter. Just find the 'right' pattern that sync's with it just right.

It simply doesn't make sense to me that, if that flicker is always there, (and it is QUITE noticable on that pattern) why wouldn't I notice it AT ALL on ANY other background????

Flame me for being skepical if you will, but that's my take.

Somehow you might be right. But this picture or test image was not created for the MBA, it was already used to show that there is a problem with the former MBP? or Powerbook? displays. Further I can see the flicker as well on a total light green screen, just not as much as on the test image. And if I change the resolution and the size of the pic, the lines in the picture change, but the flicker stays. And if people get headaches and burning eyes, it might show as well, that there is some flickering.
But the flicker is in my view not that much a hardware issue, or lets say I more believe that this can be fixed through software.
The problem are the faint lines (kind of grey dirty screen), which really seem to be a hardware issue, not fixable through software.
 

alphaxono

macrumors member
Dec 4, 2008
37
0
I've read somewhere that people had horizontal line issues with the Macbook Pro as well. Apple is getting ready to issue an OS Update before Christmas with over "100 bugfixes" according to Appleinsider.

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/08/12/08/over_100_fixes_coming_in_mac_os_x_10_5_6_update.html

A couple of the fixes are regarding Display issues. So hopefully this is not a hardware defect but a software defect.

But this does not explain why many users are reporting screens with no lines.
On the other hand out of 3 people at the Apple store 2 could see the lines when I showed them the problem and one guy could not see it.
 

robeddie

Suspended
Jul 21, 2003
1,777
1,731
Atlanta
I've seen that on TV.

Sounds logical but does not explain why I don't see the image flickering on my Macbook or why I get a headache from looking at the MBA screen.

Guessing, and that's all I have ... is that the macbook screen runs on a slightly different frequency , has a slightly different pixel density than that of the Macbook Air. Like I said in my previous post, I'm guessing you could create a 'flickering' effect with any LCD screen, using a pattern that had thinner/thicker lines etc., it would be a slightly different pattern for different LCD's. It just so happens this pattern is one that causes the 'moire' effect with this current MBA screen.

As far as headaches - again I could only guess. But causes other than the supposed 'flickering' could include...

- the MBA screen is so much brighter and more vivid than other laptop screens you've used, and you're not used to it

- you are simply spending more time than ever on your notebook since you got you're brand new $2700 macbook air (including taxes)

<or> maybe the headaches are caused by,

- vexing constantly over what 'may' be wrong with that Macbook Air you spent 2,700 hard earn dollars on (including taxes).

- an undiagnosed brain tumor.

Really, the possibilities are endless. In the case of that last guess, I think all others would join me in hoping that it is, in fact, a flickering screen.
 
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