iMac screen appears to have smudges under the glass along the top of the screen. They are not on the surface and it doesn't matter what wallpaper is in place. Anyone else had this happen?
iMac (21.5-inch Mid 2011), Mac OS X (10.7.5)
pheedmemac wrote:
I use iKlear which Apple sells. It is very good and supposed to protect your screen. xoxo 🙂
No.
iKlear has had very mixed and unpredictable results on users' iMac front panel screens. My thinking/theory is (on older iMacs with removable front panels and perhaps the new iMac models, as well, but there is no way to check for this) is that the front panel glass on older models is not glass, at all, but a very thin, but strong, optically clear polycarbonite (plastic) material.
It doesn't feel like glass to the touch and is too light in weight, in my opinion, to be a glass panel.
The newer laminated screen iMacs may, in fact, be glass, now, but why risk damage when a warm barely dampened microfibre cloth can easlity do the trick.
I used to use iKlear on my iPads and I use a similar product on all my iPads, now, that is, also used to clean eyeglass lenses and have had no issues with it all of the time I have been using it. But, I know the iPad HAS an actual glass panel.
When this cleaner is not handy, like when I am out and about with my iPad or other iDevices, a fine weave microfibre cloth slightly dampened with fairly warm water does the trick every time, it just takes a little longer to clean the iDevice's screen this way, as opposed to solutions, like iKlear.
For the iMac (and even for your flat screen TV screens) a large microfiber cloth, damp dry and warm feeling will do a very good job of cleaning your screen.
Stay away from iKlear and any name brand of glass cleaner!
Especially those with any type of ammonia in them!!!
Very bad for any type of computer screen or flat screen TV.
A very warm water damp dry microfibre cloth will do the job of cleaning an iMac's screen very nicely!
Good Luck to You!
I agree with the statement that what you are seeing is very likely static dust that has collected on the inner surface of the transparent protective cover of your screen. However, FWIW, I found it to truly be glass on my 2010 i-Mac.
Thanks. I was rethinking iKlear after writing that. My thinking being that it could be a bit like anti-fog coating on optical lenses -or a polymer wax which never fully sets so can't be buffed. Greasy-film-like = distortion. My iMac brand new direct from Apple last Dec. I ordered every upgrade possible for the 27" 5k except the ram which I put to 32g myself. I always get Apple Care. I'm noticing when the screen is black it is getting grey foggy vertical stripes across the entire display ...they are a little under 1" wide -evenly spaced but not entirely even on their vertical path.
Cheers -I'll get Apple to take a look. xoxo 🙂
It's likely dust and/or fingerprints in between inner surface of the front glass and the screen. The front glass of this model iMac is held in place with magnets. The glass can be removed, allowing both the screen and the glass to be cleaned. So it's also possible to make a bigger mess, including finger prints that weren't there to begin with.
The first few moments of this OtherWorldComputing (www.macsales.com) YouTube hard drive installation video in a mid-2011 21.5" iMac shows one method (but not the only method) of removing the glass using suction cups. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLC4iEC2fgw
The " glass" front of your iMac is really not glass, at all, but an optically clear polycarbonite (plastic) that a black border painted or possibly "printed" on the backside (to hide the strong magnets that hold this cover on) that has a metal frame glued to the back to which this frame is held in place with very strong magnets.
You use one or two small suction cups or a suction cup from a windshield mounted mobile GPS mount or purchase a small commercial glass cup, that is used to handle bare glass, to get the polycarbonite frame off.
The reason I mention the material is polycarbonite is that you should NOT be using ANY type of retail/commercial window glass cleaners on this front glass or on the LCD screen.
Polycarbonite easily scratches and clouds when using ANY conventional glass cleaning solutions.
You need to use a lint-free, microfiber style cloth dampened in warm water (completely wring the water out of the microfiber cloth to the point cloth is just warm and damp with NO water dripping at all from the cloth) and use this to get the screen and glass don't screen clean.
I use iKlear which Apple sells. It is very good and supposed to protect your screen. xoxo 🙂
MichelPM could not have described the cleaning process better. Apple do not recommend you use any 'cleaner', whatever may be sold in some shops.
As new as your Mac is, yes, getting Apple to review / address is the best course of action.
iMac screen appears to have smudges under the glass. They are not on the surface and it doesn't matter what wallpaper is in place.
