Q: New iMac 27inch screen flickering/tearing/shutoff

Yes Janou........most of us here have that problem, it goes right along with the flickering.

Pick a page, any page, and you will likely see the problem addressed frequently.

I would tell you "welcome to the forum", but since you are here, it only means you have the same problem a lot of us have, and there is currently no solution.

Contact the source where you purchased the iMac, tell them about your problem, get a case #, and they will agree to either replace, or repair the unit.

Stall for time, it is probably still best to wait a while longer before attempting either a replacement or repair, until the issue is better understood, and a fix is determined.

"Pick A Page, Any Page" L.O.L.
It's good to see a good sense of humor over all over our problems.
I guess it makes us feel good that we are not alone. Thanks for making me laugh! That's the Attitude! We'll get them fixed eventually but we all hate that this happened to us. We are all in the same boat!

So maybe this is a dumb question. I just ordered, 2 days ago, my first Mac ever (iMac 27" i7 core). Should I cancel my order or roll the dice?

I'm so jazzed about moving to a new platform and marvel at Apple's quality but wonder if I made the correct decision...

Thanks,

Hi side-burn!

Well, YES I would cancel. I actually canceled my order 1 months ago.
And i'm going to wait with the purchase until Apple get's it right once and for all.

Message was edited by: J~G

Hi Janou!

First of all Windows 7 isn't Officially supported by Apple to be used under BootCamp yet.

Apple where supposed to release an software update to Snow Leopard late in December, but it hasn't yet been released.

Welcome to the Discussions group. Hope it's also welcome to the world according to Apple!

If you have a problem or concern with your new iMac, you have 14 days in which to return it. After that you have a one year warranty and 90 days telephone support. If you buy )or bought) AppleCare, you extend the warranty and phone support up to three years. Apple is very supportive about problems so that should not be a concern. I don't see cause for alarm so I would stay the course and we all hope you are very happy with your new machine.

pazuita wrote:
Contact the source where you purchased the iMac, tell them about your problem, get a case #, and they will agree to either replace, or repair the unit.

Stall for time, it is probably still best to wait a while longer before attempting either a replacement or repair, until the issue is better understood, and a fix is determined.

I just got back from the Apple Store tonight... the Apple Store genius suggested that I just return the flickering iMac 27" i7 and they will ship out an equivalently configured unit ASAP. Prior to bringing it in, I made some sample videos while it was flickering so that whoever examined it could easily witness the flickering/blacking out issues. I was told that my replacement unit "will not have the problem". She said that replacement units get extra testing to ensure they are problem free. She also said that my defective unit will be used to isolate the issue... so it sounds like they may not have solved it entirely yet.

Finally, she said my unit was included in a narrow range of serial numbers that are being considered for replacement due to this problem (mine is a "W8947..."). Previously, Apple Support (over the phone) said the local Apple Store would do a warranty repair on the power inverter, with no mention of replacement. At the moment I'd rather have the replacement than the repair, because getting the replacement also resets the warranty.

Will do, thanks for the advice. Now all I have to do while I wait is memorize the keyboard shortcuts and find cool background images :P

I don't know that I would advise you to cancel your order and wait.

The fact is that the flickering is not that big a deal.

It is an irritation, and a bit frustrating, but it does not affect data, and the machine is a screamer, a lot faster than my last dual 3.06.

If gaming is all you do, it is probably best to wait until the fix is in, however, if you actually have a life, and use the machine in the real world, it is incredible, and well worth putting up with a few flickers now and then.

Apple will fix it sooner or later, and the odds of you getting a flickering machine are slim, since the problem does not affect all machines. Even if it does flicker, you still have Apple's warranty and customer service behind you.

pazuita wrote:

If gaming is all you do, it is probably best to wait until the fix is in, however, if you actually have a life, and use the machine in the real world, it is incredible, and well worth putting up with a few flickers now and then.

What's your problem with gamers? This is the second time I've seen you take an unprovoked shot at them. I've yet to use my iMac for gaming (IMHO the graphics subsystem isn't very well-suited for that -- you'd get better graphics performance with a gaming PC), but I certainly don't pooh-pooh those who do game. Different strokes for different folks, man! I also don't know why you'd imply that gamers "don't have a life." It might be hard to believe, but I bet there are folks who use their iMacs both for gaming and who "use the machine in the real world."

Jon, I really don't want to burst your bubble, but......

"I was told that my replacement unit "will not have the problem""........

I heard the same words before I sent my week 47, and received my week 51 a little over a week ago. Guess what......it still flickers.

The truth is that there is no way to test for this problem other than using the unit, and staring at the screen for days, maybe weeks until it flickers.
No company would spend the man hours doing that, even if they could afford to. The replacement units may get extra testing, but that won't necessarily rule out the flickering since they don't know what causes it, and have no way of economically testing for it.

Since there is not an Apple Store within three hours of me, I didn't really have the option of repair, and the only reason I opted for replacement at this point was that the i7 also had a defective optical drive.
I still believe it's best to stall for time, and wait until the cause is determined, and cure released before swapping, or repairing a unit.

Schwa72 wrote...


"What's your problem with gamers? This is the second time I've seen you take an unprovoked shot at them. I've yet to use my iMac for gaming (IMHO the graphics subsystem isn't very well-suited for that -- you'd get better graphics performance with a gaming PC), but I certainly don't pooh-pooh those who do game. Different strokes for different folks, man! I also don't know why you'd imply that gamers "don't have a life." It might be hard to believe, but I bet there are folks who use their iMacs both for gaming and who "use the machine in the real world.

--------

"Gamers are just a different species of geek......we all know it......some near subhuman, kinda like skaters, don't tell me you're one of those too."

We all know those people who live in their mom's basement, habitually unemployed, living off of chips and twinkies, and the only ambition they have in life is a faster gpu, and the next game revision.

They have no real life

Man up and grow a pair.

I should add that I said in that post "IF GAMING IS ALL YOU DO".....kinda made it clear that it was not directed at occasional gamers.

Hi everyone my name is Rick and I recently purchased an Imac 27" I7 with 8 megs of ram. I was lucky to find the model I wanted at B&H Video in Manhattan. I was aware of the issues with the video and screen but I don't let that deter me.
This is a great machine and it finally was designed with power and a beautiful screen. I've always been a power user and have purchased several Apple computers since 1994. Finally I purchased an Imac because of the specs. Now to the point: I get the machine home and I opened the box afraid of what I may find and to my surprise it was perfect. I turned it on and I uploaded all the new software and updates including the video firmware. I must say it is a beautiful machine and everything was good the first day. The second day it started, the flicker and the blackouts.
I began reading all the info I could on the issue and decided to hold on for a couple of days before calling apple. I decided to shut it down for one minute and started it back up and to my surprise it did not flicker for 8 hours it was on. The next day the same thing happened and I shut it down for a minute and started it again and the issue stopped. The same thing again today. Makes me wonder..
Any ideas?

I would contact Apple and tell them what's happening. Tell them where you bought it, and that you want to return it as DOA. Then get the case information. Take the machine back to B&H and give them the info. Tell them Apple approved the return of the machine. Then either order a new one from B&H, or better yet get a refund and reorder directly from Apple. Ordering from Apple will make it easier for you to return the second i7 if you get another one with problems.

That is what I would do
Good luck....