gidnitacs
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: Vertical line issue - How can we get Apple to address this?

Hi guys,

As can be seen in this forum (and a lot of other forums, as well), a lot of people are experiencing this problem on their 17" iMac G5 with iSight. Here are some pertinent details (which may be familiar to a lot of people but can be a primer for those who are just starting to experience the problem):

1. For most of us, these lines started appearing between 13-15 months after they purchased them. The lucky ones either had these failures occur during the first 12 months, or had APP.

2. The majority of these units can be traced to the Shanghai factory W8 (enter your S/N in this website to get the manufacturing information of your unit: http://www.chipmunk.nl/klantenservice/applemodel.html).

3. A similar issue occurred (or is occurring) with 17" PBs. From what I have read on the Apple PB forums, it seems that this has been a long standing issue and Apple has SUPPOSEDLY attempted to censor some of the posts discussing this. Note that these units can also be traced back to the same Shanghai factory.

4. The "iMac G5 Repair Extension Program for Video and Power Issues" which certain people have always been referring users to on posts discussing this type of problem obviously refers to a totally different issue (http://www.apple.com/support/imac/repairextensionprogram/) and is applicable only to first gen iMac G5s. I'm sure that everyone appreciates it but, at this point, it is quite clear that it is not the solution to our problem.

5. Based on the number of posts discussing this very same problem in the Apple forums, it is pretty obvious that these are not isolated issues. There are too many similarities (time of failure, how the numbers of line increase over time, manufacturing source, etc.)

6. Some people have suggested that unstable power sources may be the primary cause of the problem. However, based on the locations of the people with these problems who have posted in this forum, it seems unlikely. From what I can see, the problem happens whether you are from a highly industrialized country (where a stable power source can be expected) or a developing country (where power sources MAY be more unstable).

7. Apple has typically responded (to anyone who has taken the time to write or have their iMacs inspected) that this is not a known manufacturing defect issue. As such, the cost to repair this problem, which can go up to USD 500, will have to be borne by the owner.

8. Based on posts of some people who have had their units repaired, it is the LCD that has to be replaced. This is also supported by posts from people who have resorted to purchase a separate display as a workaround.

Now, the question is, *how do we get Apple to address this issue*? Do we all start writing Steve Jobs about it? Do we go to the press? Should we put up a website and Digg it to death? A spoof video on YouTube? MySpace? Or will we just suffer in silence? Suggestions anyone?

P.S. Suggestions that involve any sort of violence or industrial sabotage are not acceptable, please.

Note that Ale_Tog has put up a Flickr page where we can post photos of our poor iMacs. Just send the photo to ale_tog@hotmail.com with the subject "Dead pixels on iMac". No text, just the photo attachment. (+Ale_Tog, if you read this, I hope you don't mind me posting this here. Also, I suggest that we at least put the first 5 chars of the serial number, the factory information which can be retrieved on the link in #2 above, and which country the unit is based.+). I highly recommend that everyone send a photo to show that these are not isolated issues.

To get an idea on how many people are experiencing this problem, here are a list of posts in these forums, as well as others, discussing this issue (feel free to add to this):
http://i7.ebayimg.com/05/i/000/b2/75/2e8d_1.JPG
http://i16.ebayimg.com/06/i/000/b2/75/2ee5_1.JPG
http://i12.ebayimg.com/07/i/000/b2/75/2faf_1.JPG
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=974094
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=5146382&tstart=0
http://www.macusersg.org/forums/index.php?topic=40998.0
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=607522&tstart=180
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=463075&tstart=270
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=197560&tstart=360 (this is about dead pixels, but one person reported a whole line)
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=292889&tstart=390
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=293895&tstart=390
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=279138&tstart=420
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=197630&tstart=465
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=197745&tstart=510
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=197741&tstart=510
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=197641&tstart=585
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=4227335&#4227335
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=976574&#976574
http://discussions.apple.com/messageview.jspa?messageID=4369582&stqc=true
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=778470&tstart=0

Please start sending your suggestions. The more the many-ier!

17" iMac G5 1.9ghz with iSight, Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Posted on Sep 23, 2007 5:56 AM

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gidnitacs

Q: Vertical line issue - How can we get Apple to address this?

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  • by tintinlad,

    tintinlad tintinlad Oct 7, 2008 11:19 PM in response to millystar
    Level 1 (20 points)
    Oct 7, 2008 11:19 PM in response to millystar
    Hi
    Apple (in France)has given me repair on the problem while out of waranty (bought in late 2005 with no applecare). A year ago they refused, last month they accepted so... worth asking again maybe.

  • by redpol,

    redpol redpol Oct 8, 2008 2:15 PM in response to gidnitacs
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 8, 2008 2:15 PM in response to gidnitacs
    I started with these lines 18 months after I bought my imac. LCD was replaced two weeks ago and today a new vertical blue line can be seen on my poor Imac. lucky me! In my country warranty period is 2 years and apple will replace LCD again

  • by DRMG,

    DRMG DRMG Oct 9, 2008 5:08 AM in response to redpol
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 9, 2008 5:08 AM in response to redpol
    Just Great,

    Woke up this morning to a pink vertical line running down my iMac G5 and from your discussions, it's going to get worse. I've been a Mac user since 1988 and now own over 8 Macs for home and office... I have 3 17" iMacs for my office so sounds like I'm going to have more problems as they were bought at the same time with "W860..." manufacturing codes. So much for dependability. How does Apple think it will increase market share with this kind of support. Hope to hear some positive news on this front.

    Zgums

  • by maggiez4,

    maggiez4 maggiez4 Oct 9, 2008 5:20 AM in response to maggiez4
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 9, 2008 5:20 AM in response to maggiez4
    A quick update: I went into the local Apple store. I talked to an employee who was working the floor. He seemed to be already familiar with the problem, and told me that I should have bought Apple care. He said it would be about $500-600 to repair.

  • by TaraFinlay,

    TaraFinlay TaraFinlay Oct 14, 2008 5:23 AM in response to gidnitacs
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 14, 2008 5:23 AM in response to gidnitacs
    Hi,
    Writing on behalf of a coworker who developed one vertical line last week. Her serial number is W854* as well. Where do I go on Apple's site for her to register her complaint directly to apple?
    Thanks,
    Tara

  • by 7stripes,

    7stripes 7stripes Oct 21, 2008 2:55 PM in response to gidnitacs
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 21, 2008 2:55 PM in response to gidnitacs
    Hi, As the 7th. vertical line has just shown up on my screen I finally went the the trouble of calling Mac and got no satisfaction. I have been a virtually trouble free mac user for 25 years. When I called support they wanted all my info. and when I didn't get any satisfaction I thought I would comment on this forum. I was rejected for security reasons when I tried to register using the info I had given Mac. I had no problem registering using my wife's name and a different email address. Mac must be frightened of this issue. Maybe they plan to get out of the computer business. With a product like this and no backup who can blame them. Thanks for sharing your concern and providing a place to register mine.

  • by InsertEdit,

    InsertEdit InsertEdit Oct 23, 2008 10:10 AM in response to 7stripes
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 23, 2008 10:10 AM in response to 7stripes
    Add another iMac to the pile of screen failures. I bought this for a client a little over a year and a half ago. It's been hardly used at all, I know this for a fact as they're not computer people but needed something for emailing their grandchildren.

    From everything I've read, this IS a serious problem that Apple should address. I have two Apple computers and am seriously considering alternatives when I buy future computer products. You shouldn't have to worry about hardware failing so soon. Not cool Apple...way to alienate those who support you.

    Here's my screen shot of the white bar of death, in addition to the about mac and video card info. I ran both hardware test and techtool, both came back negative for video ram errors. *** Apple?!!

    http://www.hdcut.com/images/RosenblattsImac.jpg
    http://www.hdcut.com/images/Videocard.jpg
    http://www.hdcut.com/images/AboutMac.jpg

  • by DRMG,

    DRMG DRMG Oct 29, 2008 6:04 PM in response to redpol
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 29, 2008 6:04 PM in response to redpol
    The Oct 9th post was right on. Now I have a new blue vertical line to go with the purple line- fraternal twins... Waiting for triplets. What happens when the screen gets full and it spontaneously combusts.

    Little humor for a serious Apple issue. Waiting for an Apple response.

  • by MastaKwaa,

    MastaKwaa MastaKwaa Oct 29, 2008 8:00 PM in response to gidnitacs
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Oct 29, 2008 8:00 PM in response to gidnitacs
    I created an account specifically to post about this issue. I have an iMac G5.1 17" with iSight and have just recently gotten a single yellow vertical line about 3/4 the way across the screen. I've been pushing Apple products on my friends and family for quite some time now, and have recently gotten the iPhone. It makes me sick to my stomach to think that something like this would go so blatantly neglected by the customer service dept at Apple. My iMac serial number is W87#####... which makes it just outside the supported range Obviously the issue extends well beyond the range of serial numbers they have decided to support. Anyone gotten any good answers about this from Apple? I'm about to post a complaint soon and want to know before I do.

    Thanks!

  • by funnybear,

    funnybear funnybear Nov 2, 2008 3:36 AM in response to gidnitacs
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 2, 2008 3:36 AM in response to gidnitacs
    no solutions!!! my imac g5 17" isight has more than 90 vertical lines. in italy the apple sotre ask me more than 600 euros to fix it!!!! unbelievable.
    i posted already lot of posts regarding it. my serial is W8547****.

    no way..
    this is the what we deserve. i have more 3 macs now. this is the only regret i have. no chance to fix it.

  • by tintinlad,

    tintinlad tintinlad Nov 5, 2008 10:12 PM in response to funnybear
    Level 1 (20 points)
    Nov 5, 2008 10:12 PM in response to funnybear
    Funnybear, I was more or less in your situation... After a refusal 1 year ago, recently Apple customer service (France) agreed to do the repair free of charge.

  • by funnybear,

    funnybear funnybear Nov 6, 2008 12:10 AM in response to tintinlad
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 6, 2008 12:10 AM in response to tintinlad
    do u have any idea on how they will do the repair free of charge? i mean.. they did the repair according to a letter of agreement, a local memoranda or what else? if they provide u this service maybe apple said them something.. maybe i can use the same procedure..
    i'm really frustrated.
    i dont know how to save my money.
    and at the beginning i said: i will do this effort but i'm sure it will be a great computer

  • by tintinlad,

    tintinlad tintinlad Nov 6, 2008 12:25 AM in response to funnybear
    Level 1 (20 points)
    Nov 6, 2008 12:25 AM in response to funnybear
    The repair is done in a Apple service center by tech people. I got a id number and that is enough they dont charge me.

    ps: funnybear I have send you a private email on you .mac adress

  • by BadAppleg5,

    BadAppleg5 BadAppleg5 Nov 9, 2008 12:05 PM in response to aplpai
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 9, 2008 12:05 PM in response to aplpai
    I too am adding my disgust to the list after finding my iMac G5 is defective, and finding Apple is not willing to acknowledge or help without paying $700.

    Like many Apple fans, I believe that iMacs costing 5 times more than a PC should last just as long if not twice as long as a PC. My problem started in 13th month.
    Apple says logic broad.
    I agree their success has led to arrogance and the situation that we now face with these machines.
    We do deserve to be treated better by a company that we supported. I for one am FED UP with Apple's poor product reliability!!

    The good news, after getting appointed to local school districts technology committee, we are switching to Dell (over 2000 iMacs) Maybe, just maybe, Apple will wake-up.
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