Screen Gradient, 3rd iMac

[Nordichund]

Really disappointed. Just received my 3rd 24" iMac and THERE IS STILL A GRADIENT PROBLEM. The left side is clearly brighter than the left side and there is backlight bleeding in the bottom left corner. This gradient is clearly noticeable to anyone who has never heard of the gradient problem.

There is also a slight buzzing sound when I dim the screen which stops when it is on full brightness.

I'm wondering if this might be more of a problem with the 2,8 Ghz iMacs.

To say that I'm somewhat upset is an understatement.

 

[mjagers1982]

Really disappointed. Just received my 3rd 24" iMac and THERE IS STILL A GRADIENT PROBLEM. The left side is clearly brighter than the left side and there is backlight bleeding in the bottom left corner. This gradient is clearly noticeable to anyone who has never heard of the gradient problem.

There is also a slight buzzing sound when I dim the screen which stops when it is on full brightness.

I'm wondering if this might be more of a problem with the 2,8 Ghz iMacs.

To say that I'm somewhat upset is an understatement.

This is exactly why I stopped after the first replacement... Apple should really sort this out before I will buy a new iMac... In the meanwhile using WinXP whicht isn't really a pleasure... :S

 

[jvette]

I purchased my Imac at the local Apple Store and it's perfect. I have had it for about a week now. Did you buy online? It could depend on where the stock is coming from.

 

[ryannel2003]

I can understand your frustration... but when you send machines back and forth with AppleCare, there is always a risk that you're going to get another machine that has the same issue or something else that hinders your use with the machine. If you have an Apple Store near you, you can always try trading your iMac there and if they let you, take the new one out of the box and see if it has the dreaded gradient issue.

 

[citron230]

i dont see it

i don't see this screen gradient issue. i have had my new iMac a couple of days now and tried it out at different settings and lighting conditions, and i just don't see it. i am totally happy with mine! =)

 

[hologram]

I don't mean to offend you, but is it possible that you're being far more critical than you have a right to be?

Of course I haven't seen your screens, so I can't say, but maybe your expectations are a little too high. When you say:

THERE IS STILL A GRADIENT PROBLEM

well, sure, why not? For the money we spend on these machines, we have no right to expect perfection, or there wouldn't be $3000+ monitors, or the market for them.

For you to get 3 completely unacceptable units in a row, you have to be one of the unluckiest people here! Or maybe you expect too much for the price you're paying.

Again, I'm not trying to offend you, but try it again, and if the 4th one isn't right you'll either have to lower your expectations or dig deeper into your wallet.

 

[Nordichund]

Did you buy online? It could depend on where the stock is coming from.

Yes I bought online, basically because I wanted a faster processor and larger HD. Where I live it takes an Apple retailer about 6 weeks to get a made to order machine. All three of my iMacs from the Online Store have taken from two to three weeks to ship to my door. That's why I ordered online.

The stock is coming directly from the factory in Shanghai and this model is a week 50, so it's virtually straight off the production line.

I think the best way to buy a current iMac would be to go to an Apple Store and test it there and then.

I just cannot believe my bad luck in this, thank goodness for Apple Support who have been absolutely brilliant.

 

[ceres]

Really disappointed. Just received my 3rd 24" iMac and THERE IS STILL A GRADIENT PROBLEM. The left side is clearly brighter than the left side and there is backlight bleeding in the bottom left corner. This gradient is clearly noticeable to anyone who has never heard of the gradient problem.

There is also a slight buzzing sound when I dim the screen which stops when it is on full brightness.

I'm wondering if this might be more of a problem with the 2,8 Ghz iMacs.

To say that I'm somewhat upset is an understatement.

You´ll have to accept the fact that display quality on the 24in AL iMac is down from what we have liked so much in the last gen. I have gone through the exact same motions as you have and checked out a dozen iMacs at local retail POS. A slight gradient is okay but I was looking at multiple problems at the same time. If are not satisfied with what you are looking at ( I wasn´t) return your machine for a refund and wait for the next hardware revision.

 

[Nordichund]

I don't mean to offend you, but is it possible that you're being far more critical than you have a right to be?

Of course I haven't seen your screens, so I can't say, but maybe your expectations are a little too high. When you say:



well, sure, why not? For the money we spend on these machines, we have no right to expect perfection, or there wouldn't be $3000+ monitors, or the market for them.

For you to get 3 completely unacceptable units in a row, you have to be one of the unluckiest people here! Or maybe you expect too much for the price you're paying.

Again, I'm not trying to offend you, but try it again, and if the 4th one isn't right you'll either have to lower your expectations or dig deeper into your wallet.

Well the first screen was terrible, patches of ugly yellow tint spread all over it and serious backlight bleeding.

The 2nd I had decided to keep, since the screen was a lot better, but when I called up tech support about another issue the technician told me I needed a new iMac.

The screen on the third does not have any of the dark patches clearly seen on the other two, though the backlight bleeding does annoy me. So the iMac screens seem to be improving. Not only that I have now talked to quite a few Apple Customer Service representatives who have admitted that there has been a problem with the screen on some of the iMacs.

I will be honest and say it's not the screen that's upsetting me most, it's the buzzing or more like an irritating humming sound when I dim the screen from anything less than full brightness that's really annoying me.

About waiting for the next upgrade which might come in a couple of weeks or a months, the only problem is that I need an Apple machine now for an important project I am currently working on. Frustrating to say the least.

 

[Macerture]

Wow.. I should feel lucky. My 24" iMac is absolutely stunning. It was purchased from the Mac Store at Best Buy. Maybe it's a batch problem? Mine was manufactured sometime in June from what I can tell and had the Leopard drop-in disc..

 

[Rustman]

Well, I can see the slight gradient issue in my 24" Alu iMac, with the yellowing around the edges and the bleeding light from the edges, but frankly I would rather use this than my comparable Windows setup (for power) and plug in my 24" Dell monitor for more accurate work should I desire it.

I have every intention of sticking with this despite its weakness in the screen and then sell it on when Apple come out with a decent update.

Maybe I'll lose about £300 selling it on, but I'm sure I'll use it for more than 300 hours by then. I know there's plenty of video games where I don't get that sort of value for money from.

 

[Chris415]

I dont know what to say. I guess try again. But the fact that you are tracking the week it was produced to the point it reaches your door is slightly suspicious of someone who is being possibly too picky. Just my opinion, I hope you get it figured out, cause these machines are great

 

[GradientMac]

Was there a problem with the 20' ones? Mine doesn't have a screen gradient, but I'm just curious.

<3

 

[Nordichund]

I dont know what to say. I guess try again. But the fact that you are tracking the week it was produced to the point it reaches your door is slightly suspicious of someone who is being possibly too picky. Just my opinion, I hope you get it figured out, cause these machines are great

I don't know about being picky, but basically this 2,8 ghz 500hd 24" iMac cost me about 18 400 Norwegian kroner which is over 3000 USD (they are much more expensive in Europe). So for that price I should expect something of quality screen wise. I have also learned a great deal about iMacs during the last three months, where they are built, the serial number tells you which week they were built etc. etc.

Anyway I called up Apple's local tech support and went through the problems, they advised me to take it in to an Apple retail store. I then talked to my contact at Customer Support who put me through to a senior technician based in Cork, Ireland. After going through the issues with him for over an hour, which included me sending him a picture of my screen with the backlight bleeding (which really looks awful when watching DVDs or gaming), he then gave me the choice of a new replacement or having Apple's people fix it locally. I chose the latter, because at least whoever fixes it will be able to quality control it before sending it back to me. Apple have now arranged to pick up my machine from my home on Monday evening and hopefully when I get it back I will be able to enjoy the true Apple experience.

I agree the iMacs are great machines, but I disagree that some people seem to accept less than high standards from their Apple products. According to all the people I have spoken to at Apple tech, Apple Customer Support and even those selling Apple products in the stores, they all say that Apple means quality and that their machines should reflect the high standards expected. If not, then the product should be returned so they can fix it.

Again, in my experience there is nothing wrong with Apple's very high standard of customer and product support.