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

Actually, I screwed up it should have been 120 hours (4 Jan to 8 Jan 20100

Just to add mine in to the mix... I have been a silent lurker on this thread for the past week and a half trying to decide what to do...this is SO frustrating!! I have been a Mac user for many years and LOVE Macs, but this is really ridiculous what is happening here...there are WAY too many of us w this issue! What makes it SO frustrating is that it is so random! I have been suffering the screen flickering and blackouts on my 2-week-old 27" quad core i7 from day 2. I have applied the firmware update, zapped the pram, etc. etc. Then two days ago after contacting Apple support (who told me over the phone that the graphics cards are the issue and have been updated in the latest models), I took it to a local Apple specialist who could just not replicate the problem, and thus could not do any fix!! (Of course, since it is so random!!) So, I brought it home, plugged it in and what do you know...flicker happy all over again! I managed to record a bit of it with my camera so I have proof now and hopefully that will be of some use. This weekend it is off to an Apple store instead of a specialist, to see what they can do. What is ESPECIALLY frustrating is that, apart from the screen flicker, this mac is FLAWLESS and works like a charm. The ideal scenario would be to get this one fixed and not replaced. Keeping my fingers crossed for us all!

I am a PC user, both at work and at home. I have been following discussions / forums on the new iMacs now for about a month and a half. I was all set to go out and spend $2500+ on a new iMac last Nov until I started reading about all the problems with them (arriving DOA, arriving with cracked displays, screen flicker, yellow tint). I have been tempted to just go out and buy a new HP Touchsmart for a $1000 and forget about the new iMac. I am not big about having to return stuff and I am sure there are a lot of people out there who feel the same way or are living with the problems their iMac may have. However, I am sure their is a bigger population that will look for alternatives unless Apple gets their act together and resolves the issues with the new iMac.

It's unfortunate that you pick this time & this particular Mac to switch to. I was a PC User all my life up until 3 years ago. I liked the functionality of my iPod & loved iTunes, so I was curious about the Mac but I was not ready to buy. After a lot of research, & watching a ton Mac Tech Podcasts, I decided to buy a Mac Mini, so I could use all my PC Peripherals. Monitor, Keyboard & Mouse. It was one of the best Technology decisions I have ever made. The stability & speed of that little Mac Mini impressed me so much, that I wondered why I waited so long. If your a major Gamer, then a PC is a better Choice but if your hobbies or your profession is Music, Photography, Movie Making & just Media in General, the Mac is for you. I'm not a PC Hater. Never had Viruses. I still own 2 PC's. But the experience using a Mac is a pleasurable one & a lot of fun. A lot of great Free Apps are available, as well. In 3 years i accumulated 5 Macs. Some of them are older Macs, but they all run flawlessly. The Mac made me enjoy being on my Computer more. I can't convince you. You have to see for yourself. I say, if you can wait a month, till this all resolves, that would be best. First Impressions are Lasting. The iMac I have works incredibly but the screen is defective. I know I'll get it replaced. I'm not Worried. Apple usually does the right thing. But it's your Choice of course. Happy New Year!

I have 2 i7 27' iMacs currently. The first I ordered, it randomly freezes with no apparent reason why despite my and Apple Tech support's best efforts to correct. A replacement computer just arrived today and it has this flicker problem even with all of the updates.. I've about had it with Apple and their promises

Received my replacement iMac today (27", 2.8GHz, i7, 8GB RAM, 2TB HD. Week 2 creation). So far everything is working great and everything looks flawless... so far.

No cracked screen.
No spinning@max fans.
No flickering.
No tearing.
No dead pixels (except for one dead iSight/camera pixel).
No yellowing (there is a very faint yellowing at bottom, but when I angle the screen there is a faint yellow at top and the bottom looks normal. It's nothing like the iMac I returned).
It stays awake after being woken up.
"caps lock" light works.
Everything is steady-as-she-goes at the moment (3 hours of use).

Will report any changes.

fingers crossed for you frenzied!!

god the seagate hdd's are loud compared to the wd ones!

why oh why are apple installing these crap quality hard disks??? my last ones drive was totally silent and im sure it performed faster.....

anyway no flickering as yet

OK, I am a gamer WOW!!
Apart from all the apparent problems with mine, the graphics in World of Warcraft are bad, texture failing left, right and centre. Mine is DOA, flickers back outs and yellow tinge not to mention the dead pixels, I am still waiting.... Not happy, the "Tech guy" comes back on Monday still 81 days without a properly working machine,... If I get a refund I lose money, how is this a better solution????????

MY NEW ONE FLICKERS!!!!!!!

only got the **** thing last night!!!

imac number 3 coming up i guess

Da-da dat, dat, dat... ...another one bites the dust!

first Apple computer purchase ever, 35 years old and had always been happy with Windows based machines. Still am actually, but just thought I'd give it a go and see what all the fuss is about. Also had the usual people in my ear with all the "Mac's are so much better" and the ever popular "It just works!".

Well guess what? It doesn't!

Got it last Sunday (3/1/10) and it ran flawlessly for 4 days. Thrusday I shut it down completely as I was heading away for the night. Come back 24 hours later and viola! Flicker.. ..blackout... ...flicker ...blackout.

After a bit of searching and readin I found out that Apple are using LG panels in these things! This made it all perfectly clear. As a High-End elecrronics industry professional, I know not to touch anything with those two letters stamped on it. Had I known in advance, I would never have left the store with it.

I took the unit back today and was met with:

Apple dude: "What's the problem?"

Me: "Well, it's a 27" iMac. You tell me!"

Apple dude: "Uhh, I'm not sure, can you tell me a bit more?"

Me: "C'mon man, don't you read the forums?"

Apple dude: "Oh yeah, have you tried the firmware update?"

Me: "Yeah man, all done. No dice"

Apple dude: "That's OK, leave it with us and we'll get someone to look at it within 24 hours, is that OK?"

Me: "Well, quite simply, no. I'd like either a refund or a new amchine, but only if you can GUARANTEE that it won't have the same fault"

Apple dude: "I can't guarantee that"

Me: "Cool, I'll just get a refund then"

I was really disappointed. I had really enjoyed the machine until this crap started. I'm just glad they took it back without asking too many questions. These people are MORE than aware that this fault is huge, but they continue to sell them in to save face, rather than remove them from the shelves and do a recall.

*Sorry Apple, but I think you've lost me.*

to be honest im starting to think theyve lost me!

if i could afford a macpro id get one but i cant!

this is not acceptable. you shouldnt be returning things more than twice to still be met with the same fault.

this is going to damage apple for the future, a lot of first time mac joiners are having the machines from ****, hardly the best experience for a newbie to the macworld

If you have't acted yet, do so now!

Unless this be your fate...

http://gizmodo.com/5436442/apple-has-thwarted-my-efforts-so-i-need-your-help

Bit rough.

this is my 2nd so far so next one will be the 3rd then patience will have expired......

Sparkie, Sorry to Hear. What Week Number?

week 49, was so busy in there i couldnt ask them for a newer one, but im going to ask them when i go back tomorrow for the newest one they have