Q: display anomalies

Actually I have been have great success with snow leopard and would recommend it, 21h 48min of perfect uptime, a record and counting.

Dunno everyone seems to have different experiences.

I know it will come back though...

Just got a new Dell in the mail. No more problems, and I have a computer that actually works. Hopefully they will fix this soon so I can use my macbook again for the stuff that I bought it (video editing, etc.) but until then I have an awesome computer that doesn't crash every ten minutes. If they don't offer a free replacement (which even microsoft did with the red ring on the xbox 360) then I'll never be buying another Apple laptop.

Mayday, mayday, mayday... overheating, fans spinning high... left fan failing... down to 1,287 rpm... 1,012... 1,000... 975... i'm going dow

...just crawled out of the MBP wreckage...

MBP grounded, total mess... i think it'll end up on the scrap heap...

I'm now flying my Mother's no-name clunker running Ubuntu 8.04... hey, it works!

I hope to get a loaner Apple system from a friend so i can carry on working (files are in Apple or Adobe format)... but at least i can fly the net in this ol' crate and keep in touch...

Actually, i was about to posts re: the Dell post, i've been looking into them myself, great prices vs specs compared to Apple hardware... looking into OSX86 project... to be continued!

Over an' out...

Well, I have been to the service center and they said they may need to replace the logic board and it will cost me SGD$1300+ with an additional SGD$100 for diagnostic costs! For crying out loud! It is only a graphics card issue!

I was hoping for some kind of work around for I am not plonking down money on another MBP until the new core7 MBP arrives (if it ever does). ARGH!!!!

I am having exactly the same problem as everyone else. Lines of pixels, artifacts, constant crashes. I hope Apple does the right thing eventually.

I'm having the exact same problem but with my imac. I have the same video card ATI Radeon X1600 and it's definitely heat related. I'm outside the US and we don't have Apple Stores here. I first took it to one authorized repair place that was completely unhelpful. I called Applecare, they gave me some suggestions and I took it to another company that seems more promising.
The exact issues I'm experiencing are horizontal pixelated lines, graphical distortion when playing games (Sims 3 particularly), and sometimes the screen goes black. I tried smcfancontrol but it's a temporary fix so I decided to take of care this before my Applecare runs out next month. Techtools Deluxe also sometimes gives a Video RAM fail message.

Examples of what I've been seeing:
http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/49892/CIMG0053.jpg
http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/49892/CIMG0054.jpg
http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/49892/CIMG0055.jpg

I'll update when I hear back from the techs.

Well I think my Macbook is officially dead.
I have been having the horrible lines and lockups for months.
Today I got a bad lockup and restarted. A minute after I restarted, the screen just blacked-out and the computer shut down. I attempted to power it back on but nothing happened. The light on the front will light for a few seconds and then it powers off. No matter what I do, it refuses to power on. I've tried with and without the power adapter and using multiple outlets. Nothing.
It was embarrassing enough that I would get the lines, artifacts, and lockups.
Now I have to acknowledge the fact that I blew 2 grand on a "high-end" laptop that crapped out on me in a few years with normal use.

Thanks apple. I guess I'm a fool for buying into the hype. I won't be fooled a second time.

And here comes one more me too post.
Same lines and distortions on my Core 2 Duo MBP. The problem persisted from Leopard to Snow Leopard. Since my MBP is already out of warranty I was even desperate enough to check the thermal paste, but the problem is not heat related, since often the errors happen even with nothing but Safari running.

This is my fourth Mac but it will be my last one, since bad service can be purchased cheaper than 2000€

another VICTIM of DEFECTIVE apple macbook pro w/ ATI X1600 graphics card.
.......still no words from Apple "sigh"

http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/5826/p1000476.jpg
http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/649/p1000477s.jpg

That looks exactly like mine. 2nd logic board for me. I spent a lot of time on the phone with apple, they refuse to acknowledge that there is an issue with the video chip, so I have pay for another board if I want my mac back. It's ridiculous- I hope the law firm that is investigating this i making some headway. Has anyone gotten any updates from them?

Here's my latest...

I finally got a donated machine from a good friend, an old G5 iMac (hey, it works!)... So contacted the Apple rep i'd been corresponding with to say i could now drop my ailing MacBook Pro off to the Apple service centre for extended diagnosis... Anyway, the rep called me back but basically said that Apple would only cover cost for diagnosis IF there was a problem found, if not i'd have to pay the service centre fee. If a problem WAS found then Apple might offer some kind of 'discount' for the service and repair depending on what was found, if i didn't accept this (as yet unknown) offer from Apple then i'd have to cover the diagnosis fees (as yet unknown). I also had the battery die on me almost over night... I was offered a discount coupon ($45AUD) off a new battery (still would have to pay $150AUD). I said until i knew the machine was fixed and working properly i was reluctent to pay out any more money. Anyway, after all this i said to the rep again that i truly believe these to be premature failures resulting from either poor product design, poor or substandard components or component configuration, and poor product assembly. This is not the quality of an Apple product as expected based on company standing or product advertisement and that i did not feel i should have to pay to have it put in a condition that would meet product quality and performance expectation.

So, i'm now left with a dead MBP (but a working iMac G5)... i still feel extremely disappointed with this situation as an Apple customer... but what can i do... i haven't heard any thing more from them but may be these folks will be able to get a reasonable conclusion to the matter... http://www.sfmslaw.com/pages/cases.php?id=752

Over n' out, John0

I finally got a logic board replacement after a competent tech looked at it and duplicated the problem by watching video.
What's this I hear about a law firm investigating the issue? This has class action potential that may include everyone that bought an iMac or MBP with this graphics card.

I've had my MBP (not the unibody) for a month now since I got it repaired last month. Without any warning, I noticed this background static noise coming out of the internal speakers. I hear it also when I use headphones. I hear the same static noise when I record audio using GarageBand. I looked at the system preferences, but I can't see anything that helps.

Sometimes, when I mute and unmute the system sound I hear this high pitch noise in place of the static background. When I mute and unmute again, the static sound returns.

Using the headphones, when there's no sound coming out, the static continues, and then it stops.

Is this a software or hardware problem?

Any suggestions would be very much appreciated.

Thank you in advance.

hi joyce - my totally un-expert opinion is that that sounds like a hardware issue. the easy way to settle it is to start up from your system disk and see if the problem persists - if so, most likely its a hardware issue.

BUT - let me just remind you (and everyone else) that this particular forum thread is *very specific* in its scope: MacBook Pro's w/the ATI graphics card and the resulting display problems... not trying to be mean - just trying to keep us on point.

FYI - i have heard nothing from sfmslaw for some time, i will try contacting them again this coming week to see about the status of things. as for the mailing list, the numbers are (slowly) growing, but we still have less than 50 people signed up. so anyone who hasn't already done so should send me a quick email with MBP ATI in the subject - that way if (when?!?) something does happen we can all be informed instantly.
ok - that's all for now. i'm still managing to use my MBP - only as a result of the long list of measures i have outlined before.... i can even get away with using it to watch streaming video - for a little while at least. :/
cheers,
bennett