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Thin Horizontal Lines on Rev 2 MBA?

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tommi80

macrumors member
Nov 23, 2008
45
11
an Apple engineer called me...

Hey,

I've just got a call from an Apple Engineer on behalf of Steve Jobs (really, that's what he said ;-) ).
He told me that they will inspect my two returned MBAs and asked me about the problems i had with them (headache, flickering, grey lines...)

They've also read this thread here (I noticed it in my reclamation mail) and they promised me to give me feedback soon...

so.. lets hope the answer is not again "in specs" ;-)

Tom.
 
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h1d

macrumors regular
Nov 30, 2008
237
0
Thank god our posts (and all other places/blogs that wrote about it) got their attention at last. But that aside, 2.5k isnt' really supposed to have this sort of thing... come on Apple, you can do it :)

Bloody hell it better not be 'Within Specs', because if that is so, I'm sure many will put Apple's defective production as 'Within Expectation' and would consider less chance of buying... Certainly lost 1k out of me for going Rev A SSD instead of B. We're yet the better ones still 'waiting' for the fix, instead of average users going 'wtf, this is Apple!? I'm back to Dell' kind of flocks.
 
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StefanR.

Guest
Nov 8, 2008
44
0
I believe that there are Air´s around without lines, my first one had no lines. the lines in the second one have been very very subtle. nearly not visible.

I doubt that there are Air´s around without a flickering screen, today i saw a Air from a friend (he got it today) faint lines and flickering screen, also no 4 finger swipe. even if you dont see the flickering on your screen, this is what creates the headache and eye burning.
 
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Lumpydog

macrumors 6502
Aug 3, 2007
373
108
StefanR. said:
even if you dont see the flickering on your screen, this is what creates the headache and eye burning.
Click to expand...

I think you're right about this - my personal opinion is that the LED backlight is strobing - kind of like a flourescent light. For some reason, on the new airs, the LED's strobe at a slower rate than the old. This is probably causing both the lines and the headaches.

I wonder if anyone here understands LED technology enough to weigh in.

I also wonder if the LED backlight's settings can be controlled via the firmware...
 
D

davnee

macrumors newbie
Dec 2, 2008
9
0
Spoke with Applecare today. Apple is going to attempt to replace my screen. Anybody else have them take this approach or is this new?
 
frifra

frifra

macrumors 6502a
Nov 29, 2008
927
665
- Odd question: Would a MBA Rev. A Screen work on a Rev.B ?

- Did anyone manage to produce the same results as Omaragra, when HE ;) connected an external display to the MBA?

- What happens if you shut off the sensor for the sreen brightness and connect an external monitor?

- Was anyone able to see any lines when the MBA is off?

- I really dont know, what it could be, but could BLACKLIGHT be of any help?
 
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Lumpydog

macrumors 6502
Aug 3, 2007
373
108
Lumpydog said:
I think you're right about this - my personal opinion is that the LED backlight is strobing - kind of like a flourescent light. For some reason, on the new airs, the LED's strobe at a slower rate than the old. This is probably causing both the lines and the headaches.

I wonder if anyone here understands LED technology enough to weigh in.

I also wonder if the LED backlight's settings can be controlled via the firmware...
Click to expand...

Here are a few interesting web pages with information about LED backlit LCDs and flicker. I wonder if the new Rev B Air's backlights is not getting enough current?

http://www.pacificdisplay.com/lcd_backlights.htm (see the section titled "Maximum Backlight Brightness)

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=214744 (This discusses a laptop with potentially simiar issues)
 
tubbymac

tubbymac

macrumors 65816
Nov 6, 2008
1,074
1
I did a test today and instead of going to my local Apple store I picked one at random in the city. I'm in Canada for reference.

Spent half an hour examining a Macbook Air 1.8 with 128 ssd with the sole purpose of trying to find the horizontal screen lines and the flickering. Bent screen to extreme viewing angles, looked at it from as far horizontally as possible, the works. Tried as many color combinations as possible on the screen, test patterns from web sites, and went so far as to try photographing the screen using my iPhone camera from various close up angles.

Trust me, I tried hard to find the problem and just couldn't see it. Four finger swipe was working on this model, and no screen issues could be found. The workers there probably thought I was crazy, and at this point, I would be inclined to agree.

But that's my experience as of today. The only thing I could find fault with was the slower animation frame rate of the dock magnification compared to the Macbook Pro which is silky smooth.
 
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09872738

Cancelled
Feb 12, 2005
1,270
2,125
First reports on MBAs shipped in Austria / Germany report no problems.

I consider a visit to the Apple Store in Munich (opens this saturday) next week. We´ll see....
 
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tommi80

macrumors member
Nov 23, 2008
45
11
09872738 said:
First reports on MBAs shipped in Austria / Germany report no problems.

I consider a visit to the Apple Store in Munich (opens this saturday) next week. We´ll see....
Click to expand...

That sounds really good :) Are they only "linefree"? Or flicker free and headache free too?

I'm from Vienna and I am looking forward to getting a "good" MBA as soon as possible.
 
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LeonX

macrumors member
Aug 21, 2008
44
1
09872738 said:
First reports on MBAs shipped in Austria / Germany report no problems.

I consider a visit to the Apple Store in Munich (opens this saturday) next week. We´ll see....
Click to expand...

As I said before, I checked the first one on display in Hamburg, it had the horizontal line issue as well as missing 4-finger-swipe.
 
frifra

frifra

macrumors 6502a
Nov 29, 2008
927
665
Does it really matter where the MBAs are without any problems? Are they not all coming from China?
 
0

09872738

Cancelled
Feb 12, 2005
1,270
2,125
frifra said:
Does it really matter where the MBAs are without any problems? Are they not all coming from China?
Click to expand...

Nobody really knows. Europe in general, especially germany are sometimes considered as difficult markets and therefore QC is harder (cars!).
 
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h1d

macrumors regular
Nov 30, 2008
237
0
Someone said about lines appearing in MBA picked up in Tokyo, so I guess everyone would have a chance. :cool:
 
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LeonX

macrumors member
Aug 21, 2008
44
1
hamburg? Saturn! i would love to know if you realize the lines on that specific model...
 
HLdan

HLdan

macrumors 603
Aug 22, 2007
6,383
0
YAWN.... This thread is getting tired. Now horizontal lines are in Tokyo....blah blah blah....Let it go. This thread needs to be closed. We got the point H1d. :rolleyes: You keep harping on it.
 
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al3ph

macrumors newbie
Nov 14, 2008
8
0
HLdan said:
YAWN.... This thread is getting tired. Now horizontal lines are in Tokyo....blah blah blah....Let it go. This thread needs to be closed. We got the point H1d. :rolleyes: You keep harping on it.
Click to expand...

Tsk.. If it bores you so much, why don`t you go troll on some other thread..
 
GoCubsGo

GoCubsGo

macrumors Nehalem
Feb 19, 2005
35,742
155
tommi80 said:
make sure that the device you are looking at is a 2nd generation (Rev. B) MacBook Air. The first one didnt have these issues.
Click to expand...
Seriously don't be stupid. Of course a rev b. Apple store Crabtree also has 2 Ssd models on display with no lines. You people are off your rockers.
 
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lincolnchee

macrumors member
Sep 13, 2008
66
0
Singapore
jessica. said:
Seriously don't be stupid. Of course a rev b. Apple store Crabtree also has 2 Ssd models on display with no lines. You people are off your rockers.
Click to expand...

Well... If you look at the poll, you will notice that there are quite a number of defective units, so it is pointless to go further.. Let's not argue on this and wait for Apple's response.
 
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