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

I don't think you can call it a failure in this case, at least, not as far as Apple is concerned. Apple apparently did replace two machines that had no more than three dead pixels between them.

Dino.. mine is Week 51.
So not 100% perfect (some niggling problems) but i wouldn't say i had 'THE' flicker problem anymore. Just a different backlight flicker haha.

Yeah, right but what else can they do when there's so much attention on it? I had a lady sheepishly say over the phone when my second replacement came with 2 damaged pixels, "oh, well, that's actually in spec... but it doesn't say that." For real? At that point I actually felt lucky to be experiencing other issues.

But I'm talking about the broader failure of this launch, to provide customers with computers that meet the expectations Apple itself set for them. I think anytime you find yourself sending out multiple broken machines, suffering from multiple defects, whilst still touting fake Photoshopped images of iMacs looking great from extreme wide angles and calling it an "Ultimate Display", is a failure. On many levels.

Hi all, apart from my normal probs and still waiting till Tuesday fingers crossed for the swap.
I also have noticed the dimming (for lack of a better word) the screen picture seems ok, but then it darkens a touch and then goes to brighter/normal.
I searched around today, forgive my naivety, to find dead pixels in isight(which I hardly use)
Is To Cover The Lens With Your Black Cloth.
I found 10 white ones and 4 blue ones
plus the dead one on the normal screen test and two blurry marks on the screen.

Mine's a week 53 and I have the flickering !

Looks to be a isolated late '09 incident, current overall official reports are non-existant. I would say that the reason Apple has not commented on the issue was because steps were taken, troublehot and there is no longer an issue.

There still could be defective units in circulation and by a quick internet search, it looks to be around 3000 to 5000 people who have "experienced" this. Being that a demand for over 3 million units in Q4 alone, some consumers could be on the bad end of relaxed quality control.

Also, 3000 to 5000 post on random forums isnt a very reliable source. If there was a mass hardware failure, im sure a major news network would report on the issue. Much of what you see on forums like these, are people that feed off the lawsuit a Mac user filed in October but was thrown out in a court of law.

Some faithful users of other brands sometimes try to keep a fire going, much like the PS3/Xbox war in 2007. both companys had issues both upon release and throughout their lifespan. I would say "a grain of salt" I for one, will be replacing my 24 inch for the 27 inch.

I, too, wondered about this....partly because I remember having this issue WAAAY back (in the 90s!) with my apple colour display (CRT) which would go through "underwater"-type wavy images at times, with no relation to what activity the computer was busy with. And of course, could not be replicated in service because once it was moved to the repair shop, it did not suffer the same interference. It turned out to be interference from a neighbouring apartment dweller's electrics , and once I moved the location of the computer/desk, the problem virtually vanished.

I know this is a different problem, ...

Hi skullcat,

it's not a different problem. The hall-effect starts in combination with other electric appliances. I said from the beginning that for me all new iMacs are defective. It could be that they are very sensitive to magnetic fields ... my opinion.

Thank you skullcat for your information!

BTW There were some people reporting that they had bad flickering at home. When they brought the machine to the Apple-Techs the problem was not seen. They brought the machine home and there started the flickermonster again.

agent88, I don't think your message is very helpful. Why would you register just to post in a thread about a computer you haven't even bought yet? I know for a fact that faulty machines are still arriving because I just got one on Monday, direct from the factory in Shanghai. And I'm not the only one.

Lets hope its not going to be an iLemonTablet.

Yea dxgriffiths,

for me it's no longer important if it is widespread or not. Fact is, that there are to much people out there with expensive iLemons and no information what to with them. Fact is, that the story still goes on. I have a right to know, if I can invest my money in a good machine or in a sort of lottery.

APPLE!!! This is not accebtable. Inform us or stop the production, but please ... DO SOMETHING!!!

BTW the information, that we can bring our iMacs back and they will be repaired, is not enough for me, because nobody understood until now, what the fix is. So this information is not enough!!!

I agree, my post will not help you, an individual that has purchased a defective unit. But I have to disagree that this issue is "growing"

It is unfortunate that you are one of the unlucky consumers that have to deal with the only downside to the growing demand for this product, quality control.

This is what am going to do when I replace old faithful, I want to see the unit run, inspect the unit... there is a display model at our Base Exchange that has been running since November. there are no returns in the discount section for this model and there store is always sold out. My co-worker has a 27inch, He has never said anything about any "screen flickering" and hes an addicted warcraft gamer...

Also, I would advise you to not purchase anything in from China.

Hi agent88,

you're right, the situation is a little bit better.

But if the issue is not growing, what was the fix? The firmware update helped to 70%. Screen and screen-cable replacement helped, but we already have reports, not in all cases. Maybe they gave advises to handle the transport in a better and more prudent way. O.k., all can help, but what is the cause of the screen problems and what is the ultimative fix???

can someone please let me know if the cable replacement fixes the brightness/yellow tinge issues apart from the flickering?