Colored vertical lines on PB 17" display

I have had my 17" PB G4 (of the W85 lot) since '05 and didn't start having an issue with the lines in the display until about six months ago. My flickering backlight has gotten increasingly worse over the last two years. I don't notice it as much since my laptop now stays parked on my home desk and I almost never need to move it. I have new CMY lines popping up all the time including two cyan ones in the last 24 hours.

I took my laptop into the Apple store a little over a month ago and the guy at the genius bar said that I could send the computer into Apple and they will fix everything for $315. Is this Apple's way of addressing the issue? Setting a flat rate to fix the problem they fail to address publicly? I really don't know. I just know it ****** me off because all of us have dumped thousands upon thousands of dollars on Apple products and they are not doing anything to assist.

The least they could do is issue a recall.

I have got the same issue on a Powerbook 15" with serial number starting W84... Has anyone had the problems with a 15" PB before. can i assume it is that stupid cable as well. I have about 30 lines appearing about every inch in bunches... When i bend the display some lines disappear! My inverter board blew about a year ago and i had it replaced... lines were still there, backlight worked again. The service center checked the normal screen connector cable and said its fine... they told me it was a logic board defect... now a year later i read all these posts and from what i have read and what happens to my computer the conclusion is near...

Thanks for any help!

I suppose I'm now a part of the club. I was given a Powerbook G4 in July that features the W85 serial number, and about two weeks after I got it the first little blue line popped up on the left side of my screen. Now we're in September and I'm up to twenty.

This was my first Mac, and I don't think I'll ever waste my money on them. If Apple can't own up to this, who says they'll fix anything else that happens to go wrong?

I've logged a complaint through the support submissions and intend to call them. I wish there was more we could do.

Unlucky to have purchased a 17" powerbook in 2005, falling in the serial numbers with this known vertical line issue. Apple acknowledged the problem, repaired at no cost, and told me to call back if it happens again and they would make it right again. One year and one day later the vertical lines began coming back, I called with previous repair number, and Apple refused to repair again. Not only do they not stand behind the product, they're not quite honest. Dell recalled and replaced the monitors out of same lot that has same vertical line issue as Apple lemons. Seems Dell would be a good answer to Apple next purchase.

Alas, I too am now a member of the dreaded VL Club. My G4 hails from Spring 2005, and begins with the unfortunate W85 serial number. What started with a single vertical line or two has in 6 or 8 months spread over half my screen. Today I went to a repair company recommended by Apple and was quoted about $800. to have it fixed! Then I made an appointment directly with the Apple Store.

Such a disgrace that Apple has until now whitewashed this issue and abused their loyal customers. Over the years my family & I have purchased seven Apple computers, and had every intention of continuing to do so. We've also recommended Macs over PCs to a great many people, some of whom followed our advise.

To be treated like garbage this way from a company we love - for Apple to ignore this problem - is so very disappointing. I was gratified to see the CBS television "Consumer Watch" expose about the vertical line issue. But why should only that one Apple customer in the tv show receive free restitution from Apple? I'm very glad she did, of course, but what about the rest of us? Do we not matter to Apple at all? Does Apple only do right by its customers when the spotlight of television shines upon them? Sadly, their silence is their answer.

Apple is very aware of this issue. Hundreds of complaints fill the forums regarding the Vertical Line problem, and, according to the CBS TV story, Apple had at one point actually removed those forums from their web-page! Apple also lost a legal procedure leveled against it in France about this same problem arising more recently in Imacs. In the ruling, the judge cited the numerous online complaints by disgruntled Apple G4 users - all with the same vertical line problem. Indeed, when I went to the Apple Store today (their 14th Street, NY location), even the salesman who welcomed me had the very same issue with his own Apple!

Here's the link to the CBS TV expose if you haven't seen it. It should be posted everywhere, for all to see. For shame to treat us this way, Apple. Where is your integrity?

http://cbs5.com/wrapper_consumer/seenon/consumer/apple.powerbook.g4.2.456305.htm l

PS - Check out all the videos on Youtube.com about the vertical line issue - both with the old G4s from 2005 and more recently with the Imacs. It's all over Youtube.

If Apple continues to ignore this issue and fails to own up to its responsibility of a clearly defective product that thousands of people have had problems with (nearly 3000 people signed the online petition to Apple), then I think we should just go to public forms like Youtube and air out the dirty laundry there. And post the link to the CBS story there too, in a place where Apple can't censor it.

By the way, if anyone hasn't signed the online petition to Apple, go to the MacWorld Community forum and you'll find the link there. (They won't let me post the link here directly.) Or write to me, and I'll pass it on.

Gees, I never imagined I'd be this upset by a company I care so much about. After all these years with Apple, I really feel betrayed, like a jilted lover.

My PowerBook also has a light blue vertical line down the screen, appeared a month or so ago and has remained.

Serial numbers also begins with W85 as some of you have mentioned, and was brought early 2005.

I never realised that so many people had the same problem.

Isn't it funny how as soon as the warranty finishes all the problem start to appear one by one.

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2180102&tstart=0 Is it worth fixing?

another vertical line showed up today.

third line showed up as i was typing second line had showed up...

vertical lines now cover about 1/2" area of screen. Apple says they will repair for 300+ dollars. this would be the second repair for this problem. first repair Apple did lasted a little over a year. warranty is for 90 days...i guess because they know their repair it wont last long. very disappointed in Apple for not standing behind this known problem, or their repairs to it.

Got Lines? I've got lines. I see I'm now a member of a growing club. My PowerBook G4 is also from Spring 2005 with serial # W85...

I started with one line about 3 months ago. Then 3 lines. Now 7 lines of varying widths and colors span my screen. The Apple Phone Rep. told me to try resetting my PRAM first. But this looks like it is most certainly a hardware / manufacturing problem, not a software or RAM issue. Anyone else try this?

Any news or updates about this problem?

Rats, I now have three solid vertical lines on my display with a fourth one starting to flicker. The serial number on my 17 inch PowerBook also starts with W85.

I really like my 17 inch PowerBook. Of course it's out of warranty. I'd love to get a replacement screen. Sell it to me at cost? Please? 😟

A new line appeared today. That's 8 vertical lines now.

I'm going to stop in the Apple Store and see what they have to say about repairing it. I plan on buying my wife a new iMac for Christmas, but now I'm a little more tentative about it. I'll have to wait and see what happens with my G4's problem.

I'll post up again soon if they provide any new information at the store.

As others have mentioned in this topic thread, Apple offers a "flat-rate" repair/refurb. service on older Mac products. The service is $329.
I took my G4 PowerBook 17" in to the Genius Bar last week. They told me that the PowerBook G4 is still eligible for this service so I'm going to take advantage of it. They ran a diagnostic and it turns out that, in addition to the lines on my screen, my harddrive condition reads, "Failing." He told me that if it needs a new harddrive, they'll install a new harddrive when they do the service.
Since last week, my screen has become very dark, almost unreadable. I'm sending it out for the service tomorrow.

Apple repaired the monitor on my G4 PowerBook, in fact it came back with a higher resolution monitor. It's now 1680 x 1050 (old one was 1440 x 900). And they installed a new 120 GB hard drive.
All for $311.

If anyone is having the same problem with the vertical lines on their screen, and you want to save your PowerBook, I would recommend taking it to your store's Genius Bar and take advantage of the flat-rate repair service while it's still available for the G4.