dxgriffiths wrote:
Guys, one thing I did notice after applying the second update is that the image quality seemed to be different.
In particular, when dragging a window around (say, Safari or Finder) the thick grey title bar would noticeably change to almost a meshy look, as if there were thousands of tiny crosshatching lines on it. When the window stopped moving, it'd go back to being smooth grey again.
I tested this several times and knew that it was a fresh development. In general the screen just also seemed less responsive as if the screen was being painted less often.
Can anyone with the second update confirm whether or not you see these slight artefacts with the grey areas moving around onscreen? It'd be interested to see whether it was just on my iMac or if others can see it too.
I realise that no rush technology fix is likely to be magic and that Apple conceivably "turned down the awesome" on their display firmware to stop it from flickering... But given that the screen also now doesn't look or feel as good that makes me feel a bit bad.
What I'm trying to say is, in the rush to celebrate not having flickers have you actually looked closely to see ifthe screen really looks as good as it did? I do believe mine lost a certain degree of smoothness and the meshy greys were very noticeable, since I rearrange my windows a lot and they basically turned etchasketchy in a way I've never seen before.
Hello DXGriffiths,
I find it very interesting that you should bring that up, because on February 1st, I asked similar questions in the yellow tinge thread. I pondered what kind of negative effect these firmware updates might have on the overall performance of our iMacs.
Following is a copy of my original post there:
===== Begin Quote =====
Here is a question for those of you who may be more technically savvy than myself.
Assuming that Apple is able to create a firmware fix for the screen flicker and/or the yellow tinge, and assuming that this fix is some kind of post processing mechanism, considering the size of these LCD screens, do you think that the fix might have a negative effect on some of the other processes which are involved in drawing the screen? More specifically, I am wondering if borrowing from Peter to pay Paul might:
1. put added stress on the LCD panel.
2. slow down screen-drawing, even if it imperceptible to the human eye.
3. in the long run, shorten the life of the LCD panel.
As I said, I am far from a technical wiz, but if, for example, the approach that Apple takes were to be something like trying to recalibrate every single defective pixel or sub pixel that is not displaying the proper color -- the yellow tinge -- so that we see white as white, and not as dirty white or yellow, it seems to me that it would place a heavy burden on the processors, as well as on the LCD panel itself.
Alright you techno giants . . . go ahead and tell me that I don't know what I am talking about. I probably don't. 🙂 🙂
===== End Quote =====
And now we have a second person -- Skypeable -- making similar comments to your own, DXGriffiths.
That is now two people who have noticed a deterioration in the quality of -- or performance of -- their machine. Are these two people just imagining things, or is what I dreaded/suspected actually coming to pass?
Thankfully, I have yet to install the display update; and based on comments from these two people -- DXGriffiths and Skypeable -- I am now even more inclined to not install the second update.
I haven't experienced a single flicker since January 21st when I first received this machine -- 19 days -- so why bother with it? Of course, my concern is that in some upcoming update, Apple might possibly surreptitiously slip in the display update unbeknownst to us, if they are convinced that everyone should have it installed. After all, it appears that the latest machines already have
BOTH updates pre-installed, right? So by their actions, Apple is basically saying "You really need these two updates, whether you realize it or not." The newest iMac owners have no choice in the matter.
Adios democracy! Hello techno-dictatorship! 🙂 🙂
