Greyish Smudge marks behind the glass screen.

Ranjoharbi -

Your comments were already censored an hour ago. Hopefully, my comment will survive. You can contact me at justin.evans @ brytewerks.com. I will happily testify on your behalf. I've had my screen replaced FOUR TIMES. I'm a mechanical & systems engineer and work with these products every day; I know exactly what is creating the problem.

Most of the people on here have good intentions but they confuse what they observe with science; the problem is a poorly conceived air filtration system combined with high-humidity environments. Living in Florida, the tropics, summertime in the midwest or using a humidifier is the catalyst because dust particulates in the air contain enough excess moisture that they clump up behind the LCD panel and accumulate into what look like giant stains.

The solution for Apple is simple; a removable HEPA filter in the base of the iMac would filter out particulate down to 3 microns. One simply pops open the HEPA filter's cover, removes it, rinses it our or replaces it and the problem would not occur.

Instead of solving the problem Apple would rather censor this thread. It is the worst kind of incompetence. So, yes, I will gladly testify for you. Email me before this message gets deleted. You know the idiots who censor this thread will delete this very, very soon.

I've been part of this thread for nearly two years. I was one of the original people complaining about the problem (and originally thought it was a heat issue.) Each time my "screen goes bad" I've studied the problem in greater detail. Since I have AppleCare I demand they repair the system in my home and I thoroughly document the repair process. Its amazingly simple; they just remove the glass bezel, carefully remove the LCD panel and then replace both...without dusting the system or addressing the real problem. Inevitably, the dust spots return. I've wiped the dust with my fingers; it is clumpy due to moisture.

Apple loves to point a finger at you the customer. "Well, perhaps it is a lifestyle issue." Sorry, Apple, living in Wisconsin or Florida isn't a legit reason for you to dodge a basic engineering flaw!

People have blamed cigarette smoke, heat, pressing too hard on the LCD panel (which is just dumb; you're pushing against thick glass and can't affect the LCD panel at all with pressure) and a variety of other pet (and scientifically unsound) theories. It is so amazingly simple: its just the unfortunate collision of humidified dust and poor filtration. The reason Apple doesn't fix this is because they don't know how to properly isolate the problem and test. This isn't a conspiracy of geniuses...its a conspiracy of dunces. They aren't out to get us...they just don't know how to fix this. They designed a beautiful computer in a low-humidity environment and have never spent enough time on air filtration.

Email me.

If you have AppleCare your road to getting your system repaired is far, far easier than anyone else. Go to www.apple.com. Go to the repair section of the site. Speak to a human. Inform them you've read through your rights under AppleCare and you are requesting in-house repair. They MUST give this to you no matter how close you live to an Apple Store. They will lie and try to talk you out of doing an in-house repair; it costs them more and you get to watch the repair process. Stand up for yourself and demand the in-house care.

I learned about in-house repairs from this thread. Those comments have long since been redacted. So, its my turn to put them up. DEMAND YOUR RIGHTS. They are keeping a file on your situation so make them include this in the notes for the future: everytime this problem occurs you will insist on in-house repair. And every 2-3 times they must offer you a replacement unit for free. I don't know the exact number because it seems to vary.

Well said Humble Pie. I've had my LCD's replaced at home but one time they insisted I take it to an authorized Apple repair shop. Apple said they wanted it repaired in "a controlled environment". What a bunch of hogwash. When I took my iMac to the repair shop and told them that, they looked at me like I had 2 heads and then cracked a smile. They never heard such a thing. And the thing is this repair shop was a mess and dirty. So much for controlled environment. Never again. They will come to my house and I tell the guys that I'll see them again next time. I also had these guys come back once because when they replaced the glass, dust got on the inside and drove me more nuts then the smudges. I wonder if my previous ramblings of "make Apple fix it in your home" are still here in this thread.

"...the problem is a poorly conceived air filtration system combined with high-humidity environments. Living in Florida, the tropics, summertime in the midwest or using a humidifier is the catalyst because dust particulates in the air contain enough excess moisture that they clump up behind the LCD panel and accumulate into what look like giant stains."

Humble pie - while your assessment seems logical and correct, I believe it does not cover ALL cases. I've had my iMac 24" 2008 at in a controlled and air condoned (24/7 dry) environment. Still had the screen replaced 3 times in as many years under apple care. The last replacement resulted in a much lower max brightness. The point is that while "environmental factors", incl. humidity, could be to blame in some instances, I think that is not the ONLY explanation. There could be a multitude of reasons for our smudged screens, BUT which Apple should have tested and addressed, especially after so many generations of the otherwise stunning iMac.... With the 3 other lcd/led displays in the same location and on the same desktop, I've had zero issues.... A Mac mini will not do (have one hooked up to the TV, though) so eagerly awaiting the new Mac Pro and then pick a first 3rd party display. Now, funny thing is I've seen a number of smudged Cinema displays as well, 2 in apple retailers... Go figure!

Apple, Just fix this please.

After you fix it, offer a trade-in program for anyone with a smudged iMac... Ie, 50% off a new iMac if you bring in an iMac with a smudged screen ....???

Thanks for your support Humble Pie, it's great to know that someone out there actually understands what is causing these problems and knows how to fix it.
I hope Apple are watching and taking on board your advice.

Hopefully sometime in the near future Apple will honour their customers with a full refund or carry out a general recall and modify all the machines affected.
Until then, I'll dream on. 🙂

Hi I too have an iMac 27 and have had 3 screens replaced during my extended Applecare warrantee. I suspected that the problem was dust! Now that I'm off the dole, I'd like to prevent the problem. Do you have any source for the HEPPA filter you mentioned? I would like to try that prophelactic proceedure. Pete

I purchased an iMac 21.5" in August of 2010. It had given me some problem initially but recently my LCD screen started smudging and the colors diffused. Took it to a local apple service station and they said that you have to replace the LCD panel which costs half the cost of the computer.

The DVD R/W drive also is broken down. I must have used it only 7 to 8 times in my lifetime.

I have ready many posts and it seems that this problem has been faced by many especially in the computers manufactured around 2010.

Is apple considering giving freel LCDs for the manufacturing or design defect? Anybody...

Hi Upendra9, unfortunately Apple is doing nothing for anyone unless they have Apple Care, from what I am following. Your problem seems to be different from what most people are experiencing. Colours are not being diffused as you say. The grey smudges are a result of a manufacturing problem but it looks like we are on our own and just have to live with it.

Can you imagine a hospital looking at MRI scans or X-rays and trying to determine if the person has a spot on their lung or it's just a smudge caused by this issue? This is simply uneceptable!

Please, Apple...do something!

Dear Apple,

my second iMac shows the exact same signs as described here. The funny thing is, that the same problem occured with the iMacs before 2011. In addition, other generations seem to be affcted by the problem too.

I do not understand, how the former most valuable company cannot handle a simple design issue in all these years. I cannot shake off the feeling, that this issue is either intended or ignored.

Apple displays itself as a premium brand. So far, Samsung has disappointed me far less than Apple. The fact that without additional warranties you are being treated as "noise" shows me that you do not really care about your less profitable customers.

It is things like this that are behind massive fall in share price over the last year. Apple is outing itself to be a cheap manufacturer of products, assembled in factories that no american would set foot in. So what we get is dust coated in and marketed as gold.

My decision is final. I will never again pay any money to your company. I am sick of paying an absurd premium for quality, that is average at best. The issue with the iMac was the last straw. I already started the process of changing my IT infrastrucutre next to encouraging people to stay away from Apple products.

The smoke is gone and what is left is the truth about quality of apple products. And your marketing machinery will not convince me otherwise.

So, maybe you are starting to get a sense of why your share price is crumbling, and your market shares drop.

I purchased my Mid-2010 iMac in September 2010 and started to notice the dreaded grey smudging in the top corners and across the bottom of the screen earlier this year. I didn't purchase AppleCare so I assumed that because my 1 year warranty was long gone I would have to pay for any repairs. I was about to follow one of the tutorials and attempt to split the screen and clean it myself...

However, after reading about the UK Sale of Goods Act 1979 - this states that the goods must be of 'satisfactory quality' and 'fit for purpose' for the entirety of a 'reasonable lifespan', up to a maximum of six years - I thought I would try my luck at the Genius Bar. I'm happy to say that I've just returned from the Meadowhall Apple Store, Sheffield ..where they agreed to replace the LCD panel free of charge! I didn't even have to mention the Sale of Goods Act - there is a Quality Program (RS83) for this issue and they didn't even question the age of the machine, which is now 1 month short of three years old!

The repair would normally cost £275 + £24 labour. All in all, I received fantastic customer service and I'm very happy with the outcome.

@pedrocm

Your screen looks exactly like mine does. I'm in the same situation that it is tough for me to be without my computer for another week while Apple fixes my defective merchandise AGAIN. I've taken screen shots of my screen (with an all white background) as a test and when I open those pics on my iPhone the smudge marks are not there. This means it is either dead pixels or contamination between the LCD and the screen protector. Whatever it is, it is total B.S.

Apple should change there tagline to:

"Mac. It just works (for us after we have your cash, suckers)."

@migs97a

With all the components Apple is cramming into that small form factor I'd imagine your screen will get worse and worse.

Looks to me like Apple just wants to make computers that look cool on movies and tv shows (where the logo gets blocked out half the time anyways so anyone that's not into tech will just think it's only a monitor). Way to go Ives!

My son showed me today that there is a triangular area in the lower right portion of the screen on his mid-2010 27" iMac. The 3-year mark was up just one month ago. Sunlight has never touched the screen, and he has been meticulous in caring for it.

If Apple won't make an accommodation for me after I have been with them since 1978 and have bought well over two dozen Macs, I'll never buy another Apple product. There is clearly a design flaw present.

This morning 7 September I but booked an appointment with the genius bar in Basingstoke , England. It turns out it is a known issue of particulates being drawn in through unsealed edges between the screens. Because apple acknowledge this as a quality control oversight (lets say) they have placed this on a QUALITY PROGRAM, meaning they will replace the LCD screen free of charge (£365) even if it is out of warranty but within some 3 year period of purchase date.

Sorted - one more happy and still loyal UK customer - MASSIVE GOLD STAR TO APPLE.