Colored vertical lines on PB 17" display

There is a lot of documentation on various websites and discussion boards about 17" Powerbooks with displays that break down after about 15 months of use.

I am unfortunate enough to own a 17" powerbook assembled in April 2005 in China - serial number beginning with W8. I believe this is the same time-period and factory location where hundreds (if not thousands) of identical machines were assembled that are now having the same colored-lines-in-the-display defect as my machine.

All these machines assembled at the same time, at the same place, using the same batch of LCD screens, are experiencing the same defect after the same amount of use.
Something stinks, and it smells like a manufacturing problem to me.

Does anyone know if Apple has man'd up and acknowledged the problem yet?





17" Powerbook G4 1.67 Mac OS X (10.4.9)

Posted on May 21, 2007 5:36 PM

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414 replies

May 30, 2008 6:23 AM in response to manymoods

hello,
well, I am suscribed to this thread, and I wanted to enter by clicking the link and after the login some message appear...like,,, "you are noy authorized to enter in this disscusion" or something like that. but I start from the bigining in the apple forum and it was possible (keeping my nickname, so I was logged in). Anyhow, anybody knows other safe blog to comunicate betwen us without editors dictators ? I know about other sites but not a huge forum like this.

Jun 2, 2008 5:59 AM in response to apple_cancelled_me

i've ONLY got 11 lines so far - but they seem to strobe - they may even be contributory factors to regular headaches i've been getting recently - i'm really angry with apple - even with educational discount this machine cost me nearly 2000 GBP - i am a graphic designer and now this machine is useless for the work i bought it for - However, i may have the last laugh - I am a graphic design lecturer at a prestigious art school in england and because of Apple not owning up to this issue they have lost out on the sale of a whole room full of macs (25 high end machines) which after my recommendation and will now be kitted out with PCs. There are two other rooms to be kitted out soon and (if i don't get satisfaction soon) - i will recommend that they will also be installed with PC machines. Apple DO know about this issue (they are definitely aware of this thread) and they are hoping that the longer they leave it the more likely the problem will go away - well all i can say is i don't like being ripped off and i will be delighted to add to the potential sales they have already lost from my institution (currently 75K) - and with a potential 150K lost in the future - great business sense losers!!!

Jun 2, 2008 9:48 AM in response to apple know what's wrong

i may have found something, maybe somebody else can confirm this:

a few weeks ago i replaced my vertical-colored powerbook with a 17" macbook pro.
since then the powerbook has been installed on my desk, running for some hours a few days a week. it has never been closed or moved away from its current place. and guess what? no new defect line has appeared.

i'd say if you don't use the powerbook as a "portable" computer, the screen may not get any further damage. but then, why did i buy a laptop? i can hardly remember...

this is ridiculous. buy a car, don't drive it, and it may live forever. ha!

Jun 2, 2008 10:18 AM in response to tuscan

to Tuscan, sorry, I cannot confirm that.

In two years I move my laptop 5 times, (you know, PB 17" is big and heavy) I bought a laptop because I live temporarily in japan, so I can bring it to my hometown when I leave... but in the last four months, (and I never move it) my lines were increased 4 times, now I have 43 lines and one blinking.

by the way, anybody of you are in japan? Do I think we are two? I heard about somebody in nagoya...

I amthinking in buying a new screen but ONLY if apple gives me more than three months of warranty...
well Mr. Apple, you know you sold a defective computer, and there's no "extra repair program" (or how it calls... I don't know) At least give us a new screen (we pay) BUT give us a full warranty JUST ONLY FOR THE NEW SCREEN WE WILL PAY? maybe is a good way to continue believing you, Mr Apple.

I watched a video in which a woman changed the screen and she got again the problem...

Jul 3, 2008 9:15 PM in response to mike Savage

another one bites the dust.

serial begins with W85

1.67 GHz 14" Powerbook G4 purchased early August of 2005.

just got a 1px yellow line on the left side of my screen.

BUT, here's the thing. the lcd and logic board was replaced around October of 2005 due to an 'accident' that I encountered (someone knocked over a can of soda onto the laptop, which leaked into the monitor and seeped into the keyboard).

Nevertheless, I HAVE AN ANNOYING LINE going down my screen, and so help me God if I'm not in the mood if/when more lines appear.

Has ANYONE figured out a way to be heard, because this is ridiculous. This was the top of the line model that costed $3,000+. Is the only resolve to file a claim? Anyone find a particular name to contact?

Aug 9, 2008 1:34 PM in response to homemadefading

Hi people, I have exactly the same problem you describe but it rather happened suddenly that my whole screen turned into a messy pattern of miscolored lines. (no I didn't drop it before 😉 )

My s/n starts with v7. Is it still possible that our problem has the same origin?

Does one of you know an official email address of apple where we all could email our problems at one place to force apple to react?

Aug 10, 2008 7:18 PM in response to Konstantin

I'm not sure if I'm experiencing this problem yet (knock on wood) but I have a Powerbook G4 and my serial number does start with W85 and I've been having display problems recently where the screen gets streaky with colors for no reason at all. Is this how the lines start? And if so how much does it cost to repair, b/c I'm also experiencing random sleep cycles with my mac and I figure that will cost a pretty penny to fix so I'm starting to wonder if I should just start saving up for a new mac rather than try and fix its sleeping problems and wait for the display to go.

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Colored vertical lines on PB 17" display

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