Colored vertical lines on PB 17" display

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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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Answer 1

Dec 25, 2017 5:39 PM in response to mike Savage

I too am having the same problem. In fact I have had nothing but problems with Mac in recent years. I now have too many lines on my screen to count. I haven't checked my serial number yet, I will as soon as I go home but I did purchase it circa 2005.

I cannot believe that Apple has not taken any responsibility. I can see here from the many, MANY other posts that this is a worldwide problem. After being a Mac person for more than 18 years I am seriously considering a PC and not another apple product. I have had less problems with the Dell system I purchased for my kids and web testing.

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Answer 2

stannard

Level 1

33 points

May 21, 2007 8:02 PM in response to mike Savage

Hi Mike and welcome to the VL club. Unfortunately it will only get worse.

Apple have not man'd up and acknowledged this problem and they won't unless enough people contact them directly and complain.

I have discovered that simply calling your local Apple Care centre to get a case number is not enough (you should do this anyway to register your problem) if you are outside the US. Offices outside the US are not obliged and have no mechanism to report these kinds of findings to the head (US) office.

SO. You must also contact Apple Care US DIRECTLY to be counted as one of the many. If you, and everyone else out there with this problem do this, we MAY be lucky and get a recall.

Cheers.

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Answer 3

mike Savage Author

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May 21, 2007 10:04 PM in response to stannard

Thanks Stannard.
I appreciate the tip and will definitely call the US Apple(don't)care.
Fingers crossed : )

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Answer 4

MDator

Level 1

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May 31, 2007 8:59 PM in response to mike Savage

A blue vertical line just showed up on my Powerbook G4 today. It was purchased in JUL 05. Serial number also starting with W85.....I'm in Korea and the Apple Care out here won't help me. Can someone please post a link for Apple Care US? I went to the support page at:

http://www.apple.com/support/powerbook/

but could'nt find a link to email my problem to someone directly. Much help appreciated!

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Answer 5

stannard

Level 1

33 points

Jun 1, 2007 6:11 AM in response to mike Savage

Hi MDator,

Unfortunately Apple doesn't provide a specific venue for feedback on their older Powerbooks. We have been using this link: http://www.apple.com/contact/feedback.html and selecting General Comments in the Category pull down menu.

You can also try calling customer relations in the US... not sure of the number but I'm sure it can be found on the site.

If we all contact them with this problem we have a better chance of a solution.

Cheers.

P

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Answer 6

a brody

Level 10

85,296 points

Jun 1, 2007 6:54 AM in response to mike Savage

Just letting you know, not all W8 Powerbooks are affected. Mine isn't.

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Answer 7

kingmack

Level 1

0 points

Jun 1, 2007 12:10 PM in response to a brody

No one has said they are all affected, that would be foolish. It might be a good idea to include your PowerBook on the list of models you own, so that others know you own one. Up until now I was not sure if you did or not. It is probably just an oversight on your part. If I was happy with my top end laptop it would certainly feature on my product list prior to an Apple TV and Samsung TXP-3064W, but then that is me.

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Answer 8

a brody

Level 10

85,296 points

Jun 1, 2007 1:00 PM in response to kingmack

I may be shortly in the process of selling it, so I might not have every answer for you. But my point is, this problem is as widespread as you are making it out to be. And until enough people call AppleCare to give them the idea it is more widespread, it is going to be very hard to see any sort of response.

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Answer 9

kingmack

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Jun 1, 2007 1:40 PM in response to a brody

Thanks for the support!

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Answer 10

Jun 2, 2007 2:26 PM in response to mike Savage

hi mike and MDator, welcome to the pb17lines club, there's hundreds of us in the same boat. sorry to hear about your difficulties, dudes.

I may be shortly in the process of selling it

hey a brody, hope you're one of the lucky ones. does your s/n begin W8----? when was yours built?

[ Edited by Host ]

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

pretty sure they aint, and i'd love it if someone could prove me wrong - if so please reply below.

Can someone please post a link for Apple Care US?

Mac OS X (10.4.8) powerbook 17" 1.67ghz g4 messed up screen

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Answer 11

a brody

Level 10

85,296 points

Jun 2, 2007 7:23 AM in response to tomtomclub

The chipmunk website is unsafe to use, and a potential security leak for possible theft of warranty coverage and identity theft. Do not use that website.

My machine was built just before January 2005 and is a W8 serial number.
AppleCare can be contacted through these numbers:

http://www.apple.com/contact/phone_contacts.html

You should contact the number nearest you as AppleCare is worldwide.

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Answer 12

stannard

Level 1

33 points

Jun 2, 2007 7:51 PM in response to a brody

You should contact the number nearest you as AppleCare is worldwide.

Yes you should contact the number closes to you to get a case number.

But then if you are outside the US you must contact the US people directly because the local people WILL NOT do it for you.

If you don't contact US directly your voice will not be heard.

Brody, you should know this!

PB 17" 1.6 Mac OS X (10.4.2)

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Answer 13

Jun 2, 2007 9:33 PM in response to mike Savage

Same here and getting worse by the day. For those of us w/o Applecare, and assuming they aren't going to address anytime soon, has anyone looked into repair costs?

Used to love my PB but it's becoming more and more hideous by the day... 😟

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Answer 14

MDator

Level 1

0 points

Jun 3, 2007 3:35 AM in response to novellarl

Repair costs anywhere from $400-$900 USD. I've heard of a case where someone had their screen repaired, but the same problem occured 90 days later--outside repair warranty!

I really hope Apple does a recall on defective G4 screens. I've been an intense supporter of Apple products, recommending them to all of my friends and collegues. In the last 2 years I've purchased:

G4 17" Powerbook
Black Macbook
30Gig IPod Video
4G 40 Gig Ipod
(2) IPod Shuffles....

I've got a Compaq Laptop that I purchased over 10 years ago. Although it's archaic by today's standards, all of the hardware still works as it should!

My Powerbook is less then 2 years old, and the screen's showing signs of decay..........

Please restore my faith Apple!

Powerbook G4 1.67 17" Mac OS X (10.4.9)

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Answer 15

a brody

Level 10

85,296 points

Jun 3, 2007 5:12 AM in response to MDator

Please restore my faith Apple!

You are lucky with your Compaq. Many don't last more than a year.

And mosts Macs last longer than 6 years.

It just is a matter of luck. If you want them to restore your faith, call them up, and tell them you have this problem. The more who do, the more likely they'll do something about it. Their number is on:
http://www.apple.com/contact/phone_contacts.html
This is a user to user board.

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