Bought new iMac 20" Faded Screen

Just want to add anothere voice to this thread:

I bought my iMac 20 but did not pay attention to the gradient problem until the 14 days were expired... The interesting thing is I went to the apple store afterwards and brought back my machine to show it to the genius. I had chosen a solid background, opened iTunes where you can see the white and blue bars fading to white. Even in front of the obvious, the first 2 guys refused to acknowledge the problem, and that they had never heard of anybody complaining about that before... (gimme a break guys, I showed them this post). A 3rd guy came and explained to me how sorry he was but this is the technology of the screen, that if I look in the store, they are all the same, that the best you can do is calibrate as best as you can (although it will never be perfect) and play on contrast...

Bottomline: anyway, I am stuck with my machine..

A 3rd guy came and explained to me how sorry he was but this is the technology of the screen....

He was absolutely correct.

Bottomline: anyway, I am stuck with my machine..

I am stuck with my machine is a state of mind.

Capaho,

You seem to be the only one here who doesn't mind Apple pulling a Dell move with the new iMacs by cutting corners to save money while not offering a display that's up to par with the previous model.

This is uncharacteristic of what Apple is supposed to stand for: Quality.

Next thing you know, the tech support will be 100% from India.

I just sent mine back within the 14 days b/c the display was so bad. The LCDs used at gas stations are of better quality.

You seem to be the only one here who doesn't mind Apple pulling a Dell move with the new iMacs by cutting corners to save money while not offering a display that's up to par with the previous model.
This is uncharacteristic of what Apple is supposed to stand for: Quality.

Not to mention that it's a bait and switch. Many people ordered sight unseen online based on what Apple had produced in the past only to find themselves unpleasantly surprised. Apple not only failed to inform anyone that they moved to cheaper displays but changed how they wrote their specs to make it sound very generic, so their 6-bit TN screen has the exact same description as their 8-bit 24" screens so no one would suspect a big change.

Just marketing is what capaho would say.

You seem to be the only one here who doesn't mind Apple pulling a Dell move with the new iMacs by cutting corners to save money while not offering a display that's up to par with the previous model.

Considering that sales of the 20" iMacs are reportedly quite brisk, it would appear that I am not the only one who doesn't mind the TN panels. As for Apple's previous models, keep in mind that the 17" iMacs as well as some MacBook models had TN panels, so this is not new for Apple.

Just marketing is what capaho would say.

Sad but true. It's quite logical for users of the previous generation 20" iMacs to have expected the same S-IPS panel instead of a TN panel. I'm sure it was a marketing decision to get creative with the way the displays in the new 20" iMacs were described in order to minimize any potential negative impact on sales. From that standpoint, the lack of technical disclosure was misleading and inexcusable.

I am amazed at the illogic of claiming that since sales are brisk, the monitors must be good.

The people posting here are almost all like me - they bought the **** thing without realizing it has a less capable monitor than they expected.

People who bought tickets for recent Britney Spears concerts similarly got less than they expected. That they bought tickets based on past information doesn't mean she gives good concerts now.

Sad but true. It's quite logical for users of the previous generation 20" iMacs to have expected the same S-IPS panel instead of a TN panel. I'm sure it was a marketing decision to get creative with the way the displays in the new 20" iMacs were described in order to minimize any potential negative impact on sales. From that standpoint, the lack of technical disclosure was misleading and inexcusable.

It's fraud, plain and simple, the old bait and switch technique, and a deliberate coverup of the crime so sales wouldn't be hurt.

Now, I didn't buy one. I came in here to check up on the new iMacs and when I read about the screens became quite alarmed, and I was all set to like the new gloss, as I said on my blog. So I went to 3 different Apple stores to check them out and was bitterly disappointed to see such low quality from a company I have liked and respected for 18 years.

So I bought the last generation, white iMacs with the idea that I might never buy another Mac because they are no longer worth the money. But I really feel for those who ordered sight unseen from Apple web site or from another online vendor, I almost did that myself and was almost royally screwed because I trusted Apple to make a good product.

As I've said many times I went all over town looking at TN screens from other companies and every single one was far better than the iMacs. Even if Apple went for the cheaper screen they still could have put in a good one but they failed to do even that. You have only looked at used TN panels but the technology has improved dramatically in a short time, as these things always do. It's possible to find reasonably priced TN panels where it's hard to tell that they are not 8-bit panels. In some the dithering is so sophisticated that they are essentially 10 bit panels, but Apple chose a really terrible one and then hid the fact they did it.

Now I expect this thread to disappear. Not much more to say anyway.

I am amazed at the illogic of claiming that since sales are brisk, the monitors must be good.

That isn't quite what I said. It has been reported elsewhere that the 20" models are selling well and that there are few returns. If that's true, there is nothing illogical in the idea that most of the people who bought them are satisfied with them, as is certainly true in my case.

The people posting here are almost all like me - they bought the ** thing without realizing it has a less capable monitor than they expected.

That point I can understand, as I've stated before. There is no excuse for Apple's lack of disclosure on the display downgrade from the previous generation 20" iMacs, especially in relation to previous iMac owners who bought them online expecting the same type of display as before.

People who bought tickets for recent Britney Spears concerts similarly got less than they expected. That they bought tickets based on past information doesn't mean she gives good concerts now.

All I can say about that is that anyone who buys Britney Spears concert tickets now deserves whatever they get, considering how well publicized her follies of late have been (I'm sure there's an analogy in there, somewhere).

Kevin Horn wrote:

It's fraud, plain and simple ...

Exactly! And it's not just failing to "meet expectations" of those familiar with
previous models. The fraud was pro-active from day #1 -- and it continues:

\- In August, Apple's CEO promised "even better ... upgraded" -- fraud

\- The screen "photos" on Apple's web site aren't photos at all -- fraud

\- The 160° x 160° viewing angle specs are a laughable fantasy -- fraud

\- The ad copy on the web site: "from every seat in the house" -- fraud

\- The "not aware of any problem" scripts issued to phone reps -- fraud

\- Weasel-worded developer note edits concealing the downgrade -- fraud

... IMO, that last item is the most revealing (and disgusting!) of all,

Looby

The Looby wrote:

Kevin Horn wrote:

It's fraud, plain and simple ...

Exactly! And it's not just failing to "meet expectations" of those familiar with
previous models. The fraud was pro-active from day #1 -- and it continues:

\- In August, Apple's CEO promised "even better ... upgraded" -- fraud

\- The screen "photos" on Apple's web site aren't photos at all -- fraud

\- The 160° x 160° viewing angle specs are a laughable fantasy -- fraud

\- The ad copy on the web site: "from every seat in the house" -- fraud

\- The "not aware of any problem" scripts issued to phone reps -- fraud

\- Weasel-worded developer note edits concealing the downgrade -- fraud

... IMO, that last item is the most revealing (and disgusting!) of all,

Looby

A career in comedy surely awaits for you both. Great posts. I'm incredibly glad I got my 24". The case design, processing power and yes, the glossy display are clearly an upgrade over the white, huge-chinned wonder that was the previous model. Having spent some time trying out the 20", I know I would have been very happy with that as well. Your responses to the people who actually own and like the new iMacs are incredibly patronising, and other people have already commented on [the paucity of your arguments|http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=6066020#6066020]. Still if Apple is happy to let you whine away on here, and you have nothing better to do (funny that, given your "professional" status...) then keep it up.

Kevin Horn wrote:
Now I expect this thread to disappear. Not much more to say anyway.

I know you two wanted to have the last word in a schoolyard argument sort of way, but do you have to make it so obvious?