MacBook Pro 15" Grainy Matte Display

All I know is it's doing my head in.

I have several other TFT monitors and notebooks (PC) and I've never suffered painfull eyes and headaches with any of them.

Last time I suffered like this was doing close work on a CRT screen.

I even went and had my eyes tested to make sure it wasn't me. Everything ok in that department, so it must be the MBP screen.

I can't use it anymore. I like my eyes to work and my head not to ache.

Another thread deleted by Apple. It's almost impossible to reach a solution to this issue. Every post that try to analyze the situation is deleted. This is very bad.

Can anyone tell me if the issues of the display affects only the matte version and not the matte version as said by hardmac?
The display is not the same with the glossy surface?

macbook pro Mac OS X (10.4.8)

Hello:

I see the grain too. I don't own one, but I picked up on the grain right away on a display model at a store. I have owned many, many powerbooks over the years and have a good stock of experience upon which to compare the MBP C2D 15.4" screen to. The screen is EXACTLY LIKE THE POWERBOOK WALLSTREETS. The Wallstreet has a grainy screen too. It is really pronounced when placed beside a PowerBook G3 Pismo. The Wallstreet was the first Apple laptop to have an ATI 2D/3D graphics card: ATI Rage 4 mb. The graphics card in the Pismo is an ATI rage mobility (8 mb).

Nobody has ruled anything out, including the graphics card being the possible problem. Or, it could be just the matte screen/pixel density, or a combination of all of these.

Many people have explained that is possible that the problem is caused by the graphics card but that hypotesis have been removed from the forum.
It was only one of the solution, and maybe not the correct one (maybe), but who knows...

I returned my MacBook Pro today after making a big fuss in the store about the grain issue. To anyone I say take a look at a Sony Vaio FE Series screen and compare it to the MacBook Pro. The MacBook Pro's screen is not good. I previously returned a MacBook because the one fan it has was driving me crazy. I couldn't do anything processor intensive without the notebook sounding like it was going to take off.

Anyway. It's kind of sad that I ran out of options. Today I ordered a Lenovo ThinkPad that will be arriving tomorrow. I would like to use Apple products again; however, I am super picky with notebooks and their current line does not met my personal standards.

yes, this is common with the 15 " displays...both matt and glossy finish. just go to the apple store and compare them to the lower priced macbooks (black and white ones). you will notice they have a much better display without grain or spots. i have been to three of the apple stores to compare the issue and will be at two other stores tomorrow. the three stores i checked, had the problems on display and the employee pretended not to notice or not to be aware of the problem. however, when i pointed it out to some potiential buyers, they noticed it without a problem and walked away from the purchase. i have a mbp and my friend and we both see the problem clearly. some of the models are actually terrible and the amount of grain seems to vary from one to the other but it is clearly on all.

I wonder if apple has bothered to address this issue with any kind of statement. I have gone to three of the apple stores and the problem is clear on all 15 " displays, both matt and glossy finish. the problem isn't on the cheaper priced macbooks (black or white laptops). the apple employee pretend to not be aware of the issue or not notice it when you point it out. however, if you point it out to a potiential customer, they will notice is immediately and then walk away from the purchase. I go there just to help others not make the same mistake that i have made and many others. i am not sure why a company like apple would want to lie or hide information from a customer. the best thing to do is admit a problem and fix it and stop selling computers with a known problem. i expect much better from apple and they are making a bad name for themselves through this behavior. I had planned to buy more laptops for a small company i own, i have now put that on hold until this problem is discussed openly by apple and a fix provided.

i will be at two more apple stores on the east coast tomorrow and will check the displays and plan to use a HD cam to get some pictures or maybe my high res digital camera so we can show this issue to those wondering about it. the best thing to do it go see it for yourself in the store and then ask the apple store employee some questions. watch how they attempt to avoid it or make excusses or not even notice the issue. pretty sad

I never thought i would do this but I too am looking at other laptops as the current apple offer doesnt' meet my standards and apple is clearly avoiding the problem. if they would make a statement that they are aware of the issue and working to fix it, then i might have made a decision to buy them. i hate it as i have used apple products since they came out and i was a kid in high school. i expect much more from apple, as i feel most people do. what happened?

anyway, the issue is clear if you go to the apple store. it is on the matt and the gloss finish of the 15 inch and i didn't notice it on the 17 inch but it might be there. i will check two more stores tomorrow on the east coast. also, one can notice the lower priced macbook doesn't have the problem. so you pay more for a defective display.

Let us know how that goes.

I just got my 2nd LCD screen replacement and while the backlight is now consistent, the grain is extremely noticeable. And I think this is affecting the 'white quality' of my screens (seems oily and with a slight yellow tint all across).

My previous screen had hardly any grain and the whites were super crisp but the backlighting was horrendous on it.

Now I'm stuck again, into deciding if I could go on without my laptop for another 2 weeks to get another screen. At this point, I just wish I could get my money back and go with a DELL (I don't OSX is worth using with a poor screen).

How grainy is grainy? All screens have some grain to them. I did notice that the last 15" I had also had very bad grain, so much so I couldn't see the text very clearly.

Does your screen look washed out? Mine did and it was from the grain i think. Well at least you have not backlight.

Fardad, could you tell my please your week number?

Sure, the week number is 43 (dunno about the display though, they were both 9C60s).

There are no other problems whatsoever though. It's all display.

It's like there is grain. fine. But mine has like an extra layer of it in comparison.
It literally looks like there is sand/dust in the screen.

Actually a better way to describe it is like seeing fine "JPEG artifacts/compression".

The grainer the screen, the worse whites get I guess.

MBPC2D $2499 option. Mac OS X (10.4.8)

I'm looking at two lcd's as I type this (LG, and Viewsonic) it is more noticeable on the LG but it is bearable. Of the two displays the Viewsonic is the brightest.
The other day I went to take a look at the macbook pros--I opened up a blank white document and immediately noticed the grain. I was taken aback by the severity of it, it truly is as if there is a light layer of grime inside the screen.
I found the grain to be most troublesome when using white(ish) backgrounds, but bearable when in color. The Lcd's on the 17" looked better, though I really didn't get a chance to play with it.
The grain is definitely not software, though I can imagine software ameliorating the problem to a degree.