[olec]

Hey everbody!

finally i have decided to join the board! after months of just watching and
learning i figured it was time to post myself!
i am a 19 year old student from germany and currently waiting for
my brand new powerbook to arrive!
well,... the only thing i am (REALLY) worried about are dead pixels,
i know - a TFT screen would cost a gazillion dollars if the threw out the
ones with dead pixels but still - 1550 euro (edu) is an unheard of sum for me,
and i want this thingy to be perfect!!!

well,...i wonder how often dead pixels occur and how high the %tage for "perfect" screens is..

having said that i wanted to let you know what my mom said about the problem when i explained it to her:

"you know, in the middle east the people who make persian rugs by hand always put a little flaw into it.. - because only God is perfect"

awww... isnt that cute?

i still want a perfect powerbook tho...

[Brad]

Among the four screens I use regularly (my PowerBook, my g/f's iBook, and two PowerBooks at the office), I've seen a grand total of zero dead pixels.

I don't think there are any real statistics on deal pixels. Everything I've heard is purely anecdotal and, of course, you're going to hear a lot more horror stories than glory stories because the people with perfect screens are just quietly content.

[Random Hero]

I have one on my 1ghz TiBook that's stuck, and I would probably never have noticed if my friend hadn't pointed it out... grr.

I never notice it thought, in fact I had to look for it again while writing this.

[Brad]

Well, stuck pixels can often be unstuck by very gently massaging that area of the screen. Of course, your mileage may vary. I believe some of our members have had success with this trick.

Dead pixels, though, are just dead.

[kretara]

I have 3 PB's (Ti500, (2) 12" 1.33) and the screens on all 3 are perfect.

[johnq]

I might have dead pixels. But if they are there they are under the 50 or so specks and crumbs on my dirty screen.

Advice: Don't have a solid color desktop and don't spend time looking for dead pixels.

Enjoy the PB.

Yeah, I too have never had (or indeed seen) a dead pixel on any Mac's LCD.

[julesstoop]

Well my present (first_ Powerbook came about a year ago with a display which had no less than 80 (!) - not joking nor trolling - dead sub-pixels. None of them were entire pixel defects, all of them were so-called bright sub-pixels. Most of them were near the middle oof the screen.

My second (replacement) screen came with a ridiculously poor viewing angle and a string (like a hair) of darkened pixels (about 30 in total) near the right edge of the screen.

My third and present screen seems to be quite perfect: no dead pixels; huge viewing angle and incredible contrast (compared to the previous screen).

I must say that what I refered to as a ridiculously poor viewing angle is comparable with the viewing angle you get on a €800 wintel laptop.

[Bryson]

Damn, I saw "cute mom" and I thought this was about Jenny Macarthy or someone like that. Shame.

[Kickaha]

Oh good, I wasn't the only one...

I've had one stuck pixel in four PBs, and it automagically fixed itself quite nicely after about six months.

[torifile]

Originally Posted by Kickaha Oh good, I wasn't the only one... I've had one stuck pixel in four PBs, and it automagically fixed itself quite nicely after about six months.

Me three.

I've had at least 5 powerbooks and 2 ibooks and not one of them had a dead pixel.

[TerryG]

I own the first version of the iMac 800Mgz 15" FP, it has 0 dead pixels. When I ordered it I worried alot about that. Dead pixels are not only annoying to look at they also drop resale value like a rock. Who would buy a computer with dead pixels when they can get perfect ones? If companies won't back up a 0 dead pixel warrantee they should at least offer an extended extra cost warrantee to guarantee a perfect LCD screen.

[Luca]

Out of my former iBook screen, my dad's PowerBook screen, my dad's 17" LCD, my mom's 22" LCD, and my own 17" LCD, I have seen zero dead pixels. Strangely enough, I had a dead pixel on a CRT once. But never on an LCD. I've seen them but I think they're quite rare. That's almost six million pixels I've described and every one was perfect.

Actually, I forgot the old laptops I've owned. One PC laptop, one PowerBook 3400, two PowerBook 1400s, and two Wallstreets, all with 800x600 screens (except one Wallstreet had a 1024x768 screen). The 3400 had three stuck (not dead) pixels, or perhaps sub-pixels, but they were so small and light in color that I didn't notice them if I wasn't on a black background.

So out of about 9 million pixels, I've seen three bad ones. You'll probably be fine. There is NEVER a guarantee though. You just can't be 100% sure that it'll be perfect.

[Brad]

Originally Posted by Luca Strangely enough, I had a dead pixel on a CRT once.

Since CRTs don't have pixels the same way that LCDs do, this was much more likely a speck of dirt on the inside of the glass blocking the light.

[SonOfSylvanus]

Originally Posted by torifile Me three. I've had at least 5 powerbooks and 2 ibooks and not one of them had a dead pixel.

Me four

My experiences:

- Initial PowerBook G4 1.25GHz (Rev. A, September 2003)—2 dead pixels, 0 stuck pixels. I managed to get a replacement sent to me within Apple's 14-day no quibble returns policy (I'm in the UK—this does not apply in the US I believe), so no problem! Also, this unit was developing the 'white spots' defect by the time I packaged it off.

- Replacement (current) Powerbook (October 2003)—0 dead or stuck pixels; very very slight dark patch in centre-bottom of screen. It took me 3 months to decide that this was an actual defect and not a figment of my imagination. I don't care because it is unnoticable in all but low ambient light—low backlight circumstances.

- Initial Apple Cinema Display 20"—0 dead or stuck pixels. I returned this within the 14-day returns period due to a pink hue defect and sent-off for a replacement.

- Replacement (current) Cinema Display—0 dead or stuck pixels. However, this unit still exhibits the pink hue defect and will be returned within my 1-year AppleCare warranty period, as soon as I can find the time to take it to the Apple Store.

As you can see, dead pixels haven't really been at the root of my Apple quality-control issues...

[thegelding]

cute mom




g

[BlueRabbit]

My 12" PB's screen is perfect.

[Kyros]

ibook and powerbook - both fine. Although my very old Apple CRT (beige) has 2 lines of dead pixels. Even though they are 2 entire lines, they are not very noticeable, and I only see them when I actively look for them. You will be fine, don't worry.

[Kickaha]

I recall that one tube used by Apple in their CRTs had 'dead lines', which weren't really dead - they're a shadow caused by two wires that stretch across the inside of the tube to provide an internal electrical field that sharpens the image. And yeah, you had to look for them.

[FFL]

the venerable Trinitron CRT!
I remember explaining to many a customer that "they are all that way, that's the way they are made." Sony Monitors were the same way.

Strangely enough, I'm using a Sony Trinitron right now. The two vertical lines are almost exactly 1/4 and 3/4 of the way down from the top of the screen.

[LudwigVan]

Originally Posted by FFL the venerable Trinitron CRT! I remember explaining to many a customer that "they are all that way, that's the way they are made." Sony Monitors were the same way. Strangely enough, I'm using a Sony Trinitron right now. The two vertical lines are almost exactly 1/4 and 3/4 of the way down from the top of the screen.

Ditto here.

And I can see them with pretty much any colored background but for dark (black, brown, etc.)...again, if I'm looking for them. Since I tend to view the bottom of my screen more than the top, I tend to see the lower line much more often.

[olec]

IT HAS ARRIVED!!!!!

OH MY!!

about 15 minnutes ago the tnt guys dropped it off.. (na he didnt drop it )
problem is,.. i have to go to school now.. dayum
opened the box, first impression: its perfect, and heeeavy...
wow, i didnt think it would be that heavy ..well,.. i guess thats what healthy babygirls weight!

im so happy..

still i have to wait till i get back an start it up... i am TERRIFIED about the dead pixels still..

oh my.. im so nervous...

hold your fingers crossed for a total mac-virgin about to get laid ...!!

[ghoti]

Don't worry, it's not gonna hurt ;)

[olec]

yeah i know.. well,.. im the guy if you know what im sayn!!

hmm,... just noticed that (in my state of pure joy) i refered to my new PB as both my new "healthy babygirl" and said i was about to get laid by it,...

that makes me look strange but i think you guys understand what i feel right now..

[olec]

OK!!

i am typing this message with my new apple powerbook!
it is great... i really dont know what to say..

the screen is perfect - actually there is only one MINOR problem:

the ESC buttom is SLIGHTLY bent... i dont know how to discribe it,.. it just doesnt look like all the other ones...
but this is just an really small issue and i will not send away this perfect-screen PB beause of this,...


i am so happy!