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

I think the only reason some people are not returning is that they are hoping it is a software/drive issue, myself included. I'll be calling Apple tonight to arrange my exchange. The blacking out was really bad last night. If my next unit is not 100% perfect, I am going back to my home built PC and will be a Windows user until Apple gets its QC issues resolved.

tennisbold wrote:
I bought mine at Humac, Copenhagen and today they told me to hand it in at their workshop tomorrow. They couldnt guarantee me they will replace it with a new one, because they were not aware of this being a common problem with the new iMacs. Thus, they encouraged me to make videos and detailed error descriptions for them to work with.
If they replace it, I'm afraid the replacement as in your case will still flicker. Maybe even worse than the iMac I already have...so getting the money back must be the last resort if the replacement seem to be faulty as well.

If you bought a faulty product you are entitled to a replacement not a repair. I really hate when companies think they can fix it and that makes it the same. Computers scar just the same as people etc. Remember that broken foot you had as a youth, well it will cause you pain in later life, especially in the winter!

I am flickering and "9 42", bought in the UK.

lordrobert wrote:
I am also considering to complain to what we call "Verbraucherschutz" (consumer protection) in Germany.

That is a wise move. I am going to contact trading standards if I haven't heard anything within the next 7 days from the agent that is dealing with my issue at Apple.

Just had a thought. This is his e-mail address. If more people contact the same Apple support guy he will have more to work with. His details are:

osullivan.d@euro.apple.com

His name is David.

I managed to get a few picture of the screen split with the static so have e-mailed them today as well as the systems files that I captured with a little utility that he sent me to use when the flickering started.

SERIAL: 942 - UK

My i7 iMac arrived before schedule on Monday 23rd Nov. - Exactly 10 days after ordering it online.
Running it practically 24/7 since and so far so good.
Build 947 - for what it's worth...
BTW; No broken glass, no HD noise, no overheating, no dead pixels and no flickering
Fingers crossed it will stay that way.

Apple is aware there may be a problem.

This condition affects a very small minority of the i7's, and Apple is trying to determine the cause.

I have traded emails with the corporate office, and am currently working with several of the techs in an attempt to recreate the problem, but no luck so far.

Apple takes any complaints very seriously, and even a minor issue will receive the appropriate attention, once it has been determined what the problem is.

Right now, no one knows whether this problem is hardware, or software related, and until that is established, there is no solution.
Apple is currently replacing these units as problems arise, however, I have chosen to keep mine a while longer in an effort to find the cause.
The supervisors I have spoken with are currently leaning toward the side of the issue being a hardware problem, but have not yet determined the nature of that problem. Until they are able to make that determination, there is no way to avoid repeating it.

Simply swapping one unit for another will not solve anything, until it is determined that it is a hardware problem that is not correctable with a firmware update, or a software issue, that is even easier to correct.

If any of you can find a way to recreate this problem, then pleases post it here, from my viewpoint, it is completely random, and so far, I have had no luck in repeating either the flicker, the black screen, or the menu shift, even though all three problems have ocurred, very briefly, once or twice a day.

Apple has suggested keeping a digital camera nearby so that if you suffer the split screen, or menu shift, to take a pic and use it as a reference when you do contact them about the problem.

I do not work for Apple, nor am I a spokesman for them, but I think we all agree (with the exception of the blue trolls) that we all want to see this problem resolved. By ignoring the trolls, and working together a little, we may find a quicker solution.

The best approach, rather than just complaining, is to list your problem, the first four digits of your serial # and machine model.

Beyond that, the most important thing is to find a way to consistently recreate the problem.

Have a little faith in Apple, the issue will be resolved soon, as they have always done in the past. Their warranties and service and support are still the industries best.

Patrick Seguin wrote:
I think the only reason some people are not returning is that they are hoping it is a software/drive issue, myself included. I'll be calling Apple tonight to arrange my exchange. The blacking out was really bad last night. If my next unit is not 100% perfect, I am going back to my home built PC and will be a Windows user until Apple gets its QC issues resolved.

Remember, a crap Mac is still better than a good PC - what's worse, the odd flicker or Windows?

pazuita wrote:
Apple is aware there may be a problem.

This condition affects a very small minority of the i7's, and Apple is trying to determine the cause.

I have traded emails with the corporate office, and am currently working with several of the techs in an attempt to recreate the problem, but no luck so far.

Apple takes any complaints very seriously, and even a minor issue will receive the appropriate attention, once it has been determined what the problem is.

Right now, no one knows whether this problem is hardware, or software related, and until that is established, there is no solution.
Apple is currently replacing these units as problems arise, however, I have chosen to keep mine a while longer in an effort to find the cause.
The supervisors I have spoken with are currently leaning toward the side of the issue being a hardware problem, but have not yet determined the nature of that problem. Until they are able to make that determination, there is no way to avoid repeating it.

Simply swapping one unit for another will not solve anything, until it is determined that it is a hardware problem that is not correctable with a firmware update, or a software issue, that is even easier to correct.

If any of you can find a way to recreate this problem, then pleases post it here, from my viewpoint, it is completely random, and so far, I have had no luck in repeating either the flicker, the black screen, or the menu shift, even though all three problems have ocurred, very briefly, once or twice a day.

Apple has suggested keeping a digital camera nearby so that if you suffer the split screen, or menu shift, to take a pic and use it as a reference when you do contact them about the problem.

I do not work for Apple, nor am I a spokesman for them, but I think we all agree (with the exception of the blue trolls) that we all want to see this problem resolved. By ignoring the trolls, and working together a little, we may find a quicker solution.

The best approach, rather than just complaining, is to list your problem, the first four digits of your serial # and machine model.

Beyond that, the most important thing is to find a way to consistently recreate the problem.

Have a little faith in Apple, the issue will be resolved soon, as they have always done in the past. Their warranties and service and support are still the industries best.

Crap! If what you say is true, then I should've kept my original iMac -- it was perfect other than the flicker. I'm extremely concerned that my replacement machine (if and when it ever arrives) will have the flicker and some other issue (hard drive racket, dead pixels, yellow screen, etc).

I like this systematic approach. Maybe we can help Apple along. We all bought this computer for a number of resaons. First of all it's bloody beautiful and it runs perfectly apart from the flickering, so maybe we can contribute a little bit rather than complaining about how much it ***** buying an expensive computer which doesnt work properly out of the box.

iMac 27" 3.06 Core 2 Duo 4Gb Radeon 4670
Serial # 8942 bought in Denmark
Preloaded MAC OS X 10.6.2

My flicker problem is not as severe as I have seen on some iMacs on Youtube. Flickering has occured about 4-5 times over a 2 week period. Twice it began while I was watching a movie in full screen. I have never seen the dock jump to the top area of the screen like some people have. I have had 3 or 4 blackouts.

Count me in too for flickering problems. I just dropped mine off at the store and of course it didn't display any issues with the genius. He said that they'll hold on to it and run it through more tests. They obviously know about the problem as he was able to describe the problem with out me telling him the specifics. We'll see what they opt to do when they call me back later.

Based on this discussion forum, we've heard cases of flickering and screen issues across multiple batch serials...

Reported cases of flickering in iMac's with the batch serials:
939
941
942
945
946

So far, no flickering with batch serial:
947

–––––––

Personal experience update. I returned my 1st iMac (941) today and asked for a new one with (947 or 948) batch id's. I was able to grab a 947 and so far no issues. The 941 started with issues right out of the box. The AirPort and flash drivers seem to all work well, no yellow tint at the bottom of the screen, and best of all – no flickering. So far at least. The guys at the Apple store in NYC seem to be leaning towards a possible power issue… but as expected, no one is for sure.

I'll keep playing with the c2d 947, and let you know if I hit any snags. Good luck.

This is great information so far. I just ordered an i7 27" iMac on Sunday so I hope they fix the problems before they ship mine out. The flickering and blackouts remind me of my on going problem with my 23" Cinema display, even after replacing the power brick the problem came back several months later.

I hate to burst your bubble but Windows 7 is a rock solid operating system. Without Windows the corporate world would cease to function. Snow Leopard is fine as a plaything for less sophisticated users, however without the option to install Windows 7 on a Mac, very few upper echelon individuals would consider the purchase of a Mac computer.

Obviously, the build quality of the new iMac is pathetic.

My issues aren't with screen flickers (yet), but with a 4" wide red vertical bar that's about 3" in from the left side of the screen and is pixalated and jittery. Some times its nearly undetectable, other times its...well, a 4" wide red bar from top to bottom of the screen. What's even more odd is when its really noticeable, if you stagger two programs over the area, it will only show on the window that's in focus, the window behind it will not show the bar. This leads me to believe its a driver/software issue.

i forgot to mention that as soon as you hit the power button and the white screen shows, the red bar will show......even before its into the OS.



I received the computer yesterday,iMac 27" 8gb ram, i5. sn8947

Anyone have the phone number for applecare?

Thanks,
TonyD

Message was edited by: TonyDio

I suppose the fact that we are trying to simply learn what is causing the issue because in the end, Apple will make it right. I guess some people just love to get off topic LOL AGAIN this thread is about the flickering issue on 27 inch imacs...not about the stock market or which operating system we prefer, or who makes more money, or employment, retirement, the health care bill, Sarah Palin, Steve Jobs, Ballmer....LOL