Greyish Smudge marks behind the glass screen.

I had a 21 inch 2007 iMac for several years and had zero issues with it and it worked great. I only got rid of it because I moved out of country and just took my Macbook. Then I bought this because I got rid of my Macbook and figured I would have a desktop and just use my iPad around the house. If I can just get the issues fixed to stay fixed I would be a happy camper. I don't want to get rid of this one just yet because all of the new ones do not have the disk drive.

Aloha all,

Joining the bandwagon here! Bought a Macbook Pro (love it!) and Thunderbolt display for digital art projects. Used the monitor for 6 months and just noticed the appearence of smudges. Have an appointment with phone support tomorrow. Hope they back the guarantee I payed for on such expensive equipment.

Another iMac joining or rather rejoining the bandwagon. My iMac has had 4 failed LCD panels. The last one the 4th after 8 mos. AppleCare covered with a lot of trouble the first three. The current response now is that maybe I should buy a new iMac since this is old now and spend the extra $1500 on another failing product.

That sounds really crazy Ranand!!!

What were the problems with them?? Dirt or something else what were the simptoms???

(so ApleCare is nice but if it is a fundamental design problem nobody can really make enything...)

This strory is really a disaster for all of us (including Apple)

I think this is really a design problem. I also tend to think that desktop is not so important anymore for apple they just make waaay too much money with iOs devices... (which is OK just don't forget the desktop crowd)

Each time it was a failed LCD panel. The geniuses told me repeatedly that I smoked, which I don't, have high humidity (23% very dry) dust which is nothing abnormal for the Sony and Dell displays don't die like these do. Mine always fails from the top right. It is where I was told the power supply sits. Apple customer service exec and AppleCare told me to get a new one but honestly don't want this product. Looks nice but is designed to fail.

Oh does geniuses :-)

The power supply I think is down (at least it is in my 27" imac) the top righ is the place of the DVD

Was the same problem allways the same? Did it come immediately when they changed the LCD or just after some time? Was it always on or just after some time if you turned on the mac?

My problem was a dying HD that caused my smudge which was NOT DUST but HEAT RELATED!!!

I have a new HD in and the problem gone.

You might have the same problem something is heating up in the machine and that could cause LCD problems and it comes back even if they change the LCD.

rockjano

It happens after 8 months or so. Apple runs the warranty service down and when the machine fails their response is to redo the same failed repeat replacement. Good luck to you I do hope the replacement works. I am going to dump this lemon.

So 30 years later after Jobs had said that the intent of Apple was to create personal computers that are made and best serviced by Apple completely to ensure that the consumer gets the best experience, Apple responds to categorically state that they have no intent or repairing the defect that constantly has occured from the date of purchase till present. Also despite their tier 2 tech having promised a replacement despite the duration that promise has been revoked.

Apple can change their minds but they should return the extended warranty payment and the inherent value of the warranty within this iMac if they had no intent of providing a working part. And why provide replacements at some times and not others for out of warranty. Or how about this make a all in personal computer that has a real likelihood of more than 6 months before display failure. Dont beta test on the unsuspecting!

So I'm curious now as I have had a few iMac's with these screen smudge issues, all were replaced, then I eventually graduated to a Mac Pro tower and seperate cinema display, that also had the smudge issues appear and the unit was serviced, twice.

Does this issue also appear with the newer Thunderbolt displays? I'm wondering if Apple had changed the configuration of the fans inside the unit, possibly making it a sealed unit now to prevent dust getting inside the LCD screen. Does anyone have a seperate Thunderbolt display and has it exhibited signs of smudges?

Sadly I use my Macbook Pro more now than I use my Mac Pro tower and monitor for fear of the monitor acting up again and it's now off applecare in a few days.

I have had a thuderbolt display for 2 years. Just got nasty clouding in the center of my screen today. Fixed it in just a few minutes by removing outer screen and wiping off inside. Didn't need suction cups, I was able to pry cover off using a fingernail to the side of the screen!😁

I have a mid 2011 thunderbolt display. I too suffered from the dark cloudy burn in. Luckily I have Apple care. I took my 27" iMac into Apple, and a genious techican stated immediately that I needed a new LCD. A 600 dollar repair, covered by Apple care.

Now my concern is that this issue did not evolve for some 10 months after initial purchase. I do hope I do not suffer the same issues in the future.

That video is appropriate but not entirely practical without the time.

Apple with billions in their bank making millions in interest can spend more for foil tape and take a 30 cents hit in profit. The video shows the inherent flaw which is designed in Calfornia and clearly examples around the world.

I did it two times with mine. 27" iMac about 4 and a half years old.

I got gray smudge like water stains. (it move over time from the right side of the screen into the middle right area.)

Cleaned it first I was extremely cautious it took me 4 hours to take apart the LCD unit. It was NOT easy. Next day I had a terrible muscle pain in my back :-)

Cleaned it (there was not much dirt inside), retaped it put it back and after some minutes the problem is the same. I figured that I only cleaned it dry so I took it apart again and now cleaned it with window cleaner.

Assembled it again after some minutes of heating up the problem is the same!!!! .. Than I cried a little and thought I just have to live with it. (I asked Apple but they don't replace the LCD because the iMac is over 3 years)

After two weeks my HD just died in about two days time. I took out the HD and put a SSD in to the place of the DVD drive (I bought a holding tray from E-Bay).

Whoala all the strong water stain type of smudge just DISAPPEARED!!! Totally gone. I did not believe my eyes.

Probably my dying HD heated up and that caused the problem. I got a new HD (same type Seagate 1Tb) in it's place and NO problem since...

So certain problems can be HEAT related, there is just too much stuff inside the iMac.

Just my 2 cents...

rockjano

just currios, have you've ever had your imacs box opened and cleaned. I hear lots of people say they live in a dust free enviroment, but we all say that to the point our mothers come visit or we open our electronic divices and blow a pile of dust off our fans. 😐

i find all this interesting as I live in the desert southwest and my grey smuges turned out to be humidity after the leaving the computer off for several days durring a rainy spell. prior to the smuges evaporating i read about the dust and had my unit opened and cleaned. just saying, try and keep your units and clean and dry like the operating specification suggest.

2009 27" imac here bruning bright

Hey, drose

I had the same experience as you. Called Cuepertino and politley but firmly let them know the screen stain was unacceptable, even though my iMac was out of warranty.

To their credit, they did replace the screen. To their detriment, the replacement screen got a stain as well. This one takes up about 2/3 of the LCD. The only bright side is that is fades a bit after the iMac has been running. If you don't know it's there, it sometimes is hard to spot. ****, I know it's there and I sometime can't see it.

Thing is, that is totally unacceptable. Apple has been marketing itself for 30 years as the best and brightest in home computing, and charging a premium while they're at it. Their top-of-the-line consumer computer's LCD should not be this defective after barely a year in service.

Best of luck to you. Unfortnuately, my experience and most others on this thread indicates you will get the staining back. Not "if", but "when".