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

Close
gidnitacs

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

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

first Previous Page 17 of 30 last Next

  • by BigToon,

    BigToon BigToon Aug 9, 2009 8:58 PM in response to gidnitacs
    Level 1 (40 points)
    Aug 9, 2009 8:58 PM in response to gidnitacs
    My iMac is barely a month old, and I've experienced vertical lines 3 times already. Originally, I tried doing a screen grab, but I found that once I restarted and was able to get the screen to revert back to normal, the screen grab itself also now looked normal (odd). Tonight it happened again, so I took a few photos. The lines are not totally obvious, but the splotchyness caused by them is.

    http://www.twitpic.com/dd2gn

    Message was edited by: BigToon

  • by The Dude Abides,

    The Dude Abides The Dude Abides Aug 9, 2009 9:06 PM in response to BigToon
    Level 4 (1,835 points)
    Aug 9, 2009 9:06 PM in response to BigToon
    Your Mac is a month old? Warranty time. This thread is about older (years older), out-of-warranty machines that suddenly began to have display issues all stemming from one factory.

    Take your machine back and ask for it to be replaced/repaired.

  • by BigToon,

    BigToon BigToon Aug 9, 2009 9:15 PM in response to The Dude Abides
    Level 1 (40 points)
    Aug 9, 2009 9:15 PM in response to The Dude Abides
    Ah; my apologizes, I thought the thread extended on to current models. I will try to get a replacement. Recreating the problem at the Genius bar may prove problematic, as it seems to only happen sporadically when waking from sleep. At any rate, thank you for the heads up.

  • by The Dude Abides,

    The Dude Abides The Dude Abides Aug 9, 2009 10:25 PM in response to BigToon
    Level 4 (1,835 points)
    Aug 9, 2009 10:25 PM in response to BigToon
    Good luck.

  • by AlbaMac,

    AlbaMac AlbaMac Aug 10, 2009 4:20 PM in response to gidnitacs
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 10, 2009 4:20 PM in response to gidnitacs
    iMac G5 1.9Ghz iSight. Solid white line top to bottom - just started. Strangely, I've got a customer (work in tech support) whose identical machine failed similarly earlier in the year - called up and they issued a repair code without argument. Now that mine has failed, called up and was almost shouted off the phone yesterday by a "Sherman Tank" rep who, basically, laughed at me for asking for a free repair on a 3+ years old machine. Mine was made in Shanghai, has a W84.... number - he denied there was even an issue and that these forums (and, presumably all tech news articles all over the world on this issue) was bunkum - the work of a few disgruntled troublemaking posters posting again and again! Seriously - this went on for ages! "You should never believe everything you read on the internet" were his actual words! I only called up for help with my computer, mate, not life advice!

    I've seen this issue so much that I find it hard to comprehend the manufacturer disowning it, denying it even. I pointed out that in EU countries where customers have legal recourse under consumer protection, machines are routinely fixed or free out of warranty. Were they different, somehow more worthy machines in these countries, than mine? He faffed on about "different build specs" etc which I know to be utter rubbish. I gave up.

    We have no Apple Stores in this country, not a genius in the country. We don't even have Apple NZ - just a website subsidiary of Apple AU and a shower of resellers that act with utter impunity and snobbery - making no effort at customer satisfaction. Everyone hates them but they're the only game in town - no point asking them about it!

    I'm slutted.

    I'm taking it apart tonight, testing all capacitors on Logic board, taking a look for possible corroded contacts on the back then looking for a replacement screen. Some models of previous 17" "gooseneck" iMacs have a screen that can slot right in and, them being one of the least popular models ever, the market is flooded with cheap ones - if anyone has the stomach for a replacment!!

  • by The Dude Abides,

    The Dude Abides The Dude Abides Aug 10, 2009 5:27 PM in response to AlbaMac
    Level 4 (1,835 points)
    Aug 10, 2009 5:27 PM in response to AlbaMac
    Can you contact Apple at some other location? Because they are fixing this most everywhere. Sorry for your difficulty.

  • by AlbaMac,

    AlbaMac AlbaMac Aug 10, 2009 5:52 PM in response to The Dude Abides
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 10, 2009 5:52 PM in response to The Dude Abides
    The support number from NZ is an 00800 number - takes you to Apple support in the US. I am going to try some people's advice above and try phoning back, maybe get someone who's less of a c*ck next time. I think if he had politely, sympathetically told me it was a no go, I'd have just let it go. He's made me more determined to make the unit work. what I'm concerned about is that I've had a few customers with this who have had repeated replacement LCDs. Is it worth putting a new screen in only to have it fail again, at several hundy a pop? A gamble?

  • by tintinlad,

    tintinlad tintinlad Aug 10, 2009 10:25 PM in response to AlbaMac
    Level 1 (20 points)
    Aug 10, 2009 10:25 PM in response to AlbaMac
    Hello Albamac
    My defective screen has been replaced by Apple 3 times (the Imac is wearing now its 4th). The replacements happened within 6 weeks of the initial decision by Apple (France) to repair the machine: so if you do yourself the repair... yes it could lead to more troubles.

    Otherwise I would definitively try again and again, playing dumb (if needed) until you get a descent person who will do the necessary steps.
    I myself was refused the repair and it got me very upset with "Apple" (i'm a mac lover for years). A year later I tried again and played a bit dumb (I didnt told them that this problem was spread all over the planet, that they could find all the evidences on the web etc...) I said that a year after "the"refusl I was now in the situation where only a sixth of the screen was usable (without lines) and before throwing the computer away I was just calling again to see if their policy on the matter had changed.
    Well I got a completely reversal with full excuses... Was it my arguments, the person on the phone, the new guidelines of Apple France (and God knows that here in France they are very bad with customer service compared with us or uk), I dont know what made it happen . So I told myself "good boy" for having tried again... Since, Apple France has repaired many machines (according to forums) but again sometimes a person willl meet a "NO" and that seems to have to do with whom your speaking or so for this or that reason...

    So again my advice keep calling every week if needed!

  • by AlbaMac,

    AlbaMac AlbaMac Aug 20, 2009 8:40 PM in response to tintinlad
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Aug 20, 2009 8:40 PM in response to tintinlad
    Wow! After my last horrible experience I was ready to give up but, thanks to you cats in here and your encouragement, today I phoned up Apple again and spoke to the lovely Cora who took me through a couple of rudimentary steps then gave me a case no to take in to a service center to have it checked. If it's the hardware issue (which of course it is) then it's a free repair she said!! Awesome. My faith is restored.

  • by The Dude Abides,

    The Dude Abides The Dude Abides Aug 20, 2009 9:13 PM in response to AlbaMac
    Level 4 (1,835 points)
    Aug 20, 2009 9:13 PM in response to AlbaMac

  • by MyrkridianRhapsody,

    MyrkridianRhapsody MyrkridianRhapsody Aug 25, 2009 12:42 PM in response to gidnitacs
    Level 2 (470 points)
    Aug 25, 2009 12:42 PM in response to gidnitacs
    Wow so I just found this thread... I have a G5 17" iSight iMac... has three permanent vertical lines down the screen. I have tried everything except hardware replacements... here's the screen shot-

    http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y93/thisismymind/untitled.jpg

    So if I set up a Genius bar appointment they'll fix it for free? I'm in Chicago

  • by The Dude Abides,

    The Dude Abides The Dude Abides Aug 25, 2009 1:58 PM in response to MyrkridianRhapsody
    Level 4 (1,835 points)
    Aug 25, 2009 1:58 PM in response to MyrkridianRhapsody
    Follow what we suggest. Exactly.

  • by MyrkridianRhapsody,

    MyrkridianRhapsody MyrkridianRhapsody Aug 25, 2009 2:27 PM in response to The Dude Abides
    Level 2 (470 points)
    Aug 25, 2009 2:27 PM in response to The Dude Abides
    There's so much in these threads... I've been reading through the 17 pages (ugh) and I think all I need to do is (1) confirm my SN starts with W8 and (2) call the US support number on the Apple website and tell them the problem and ask for a free replacement?

    Can someone confirm these are the steps I need to take?

  • by The Dude Abides,

    The Dude Abides The Dude Abides Aug 25, 2009 2:33 PM in response to MyrkridianRhapsody
    Level 4 (1,835 points)
    Aug 25, 2009 2:33 PM in response to MyrkridianRhapsody
    Just read my posts, then.

  • by MyrkridianRhapsody,

    MyrkridianRhapsody MyrkridianRhapsody Aug 25, 2009 3:34 PM in response to The Dude Abides
    Level 2 (470 points)
    Aug 25, 2009 3:34 PM in response to The Dude Abides
    Read all of your posts... you said your serial was "W8545...". Mine is W8546...". Does that mean it's covered? I'll call tonight...
first Previous Page 17 of 30 last Next