Apple's LCD Pixel Policy (Correction)

Oh yeah, overwhelmingly negative for the last article, but does anyone care about this one? Nooooooo....

I think a lot of people care about this. Consumers want to know what they are buying...and if it isn't perfect - to what degree can Apple make it right.

Originally posted by carletonmusic
I think a lot of people care about this. Consumers want to know what they are buying...and if it isn't perfect - to what degree can Apple make it right.

Note how many comments are on it...I guess it is Saturday night, and not everyone's Saturday consisted chiefly of grocery shopping...

I imagine Apple's policy shift reflects their relative bargaining position with their supplier(s). Now that LCDs are produced by a large number of companies at a variety of price levels, Apple is in a better position to play one off against the other to get better terms.

Or they could have just had an attack of conscience. Nah. Follow the money.

It's good to know that Apple has actually increased their standards to help ensure that their customers end up with a product they are satisfied with. It's probably almost needed, too, since the number of monitors switching to LCD as the common technology means more LCDs on the market and if a majority have just a few dead pixels, I can't see many happy customers then.

oh well... i guess it's good to hear that their replacement policy is much more forgiving now. dead pixels could sure get annoying.

Of course, the policy only applies to monitors still in the warranty.

I know that is obvious and all, but one week after the warranty on my 17" Studio Display expired, it developed a vertical green stripe of pixels on the right-hand side of the screen (obviously just a couple of connections going bad or shorting out or something). And since the warranty had expired a week previously (they refuse to give case-by-case warranty extensions, since that's what AppleCare is for), Apple refused to do anything about it except to offer to repair it for $450.

The funny thing is that I've totally gotten used to it being there, and it almost never bugs me. Actually, sometimes I use it as a vertical guideline. :D

From what I can see, Apple's LCD monitors are among the most expensive I can buy here in Europe.
I have learnt that prices are so high for this stuff because there are so many monitors which after testing go straight back into recycling -

Anyway, when I will go out and take the 23'' home and it is not right there will not be any consideration - they will give me new one or they will not see my bizz again.

My LCD TV developed a one-pixel phenomenon, and Philips offered me an exchange immediately - if Apple would not act in a similar fashion, then that would severely disturb our otherwise splendid relationship.

I will certainly sound off and thank Apple for this !

I posted at apple.com several times , on how I rubbed my flat-panel iMac's blue shiner away.

I can imagine the disappointment of someone who puts thousands into a 23" HD only to find that they are supposed to do photoshop work with a bright dot in the nostril of some gorgeous face : I had this with Lauren B. when I played Casablanca in my superdrive.

But with the bigger displays, a plastic screen protects the LCD and one cannot rub away these flaws -- opening it up would kill the warranty . So I would be between a rock and a hard place.

I would never risk that much $ on a policy that isn't completely satisfactory.

I suggested a kind of insurance plan with "slightly defective" LCD's going , at a discount, for institutional ( or private for that matter) end users who are not as picky as they would be with a personal display at home.

I'd be willing to pay an extra $100 if someone will buy it for $100 less , who does not mind the flaws.

THANK YOU AGAIN APPLE .

---gooddog

I'm wondering if this "amendment" has anything to do with people walking into the apple store and bitching about their devices. I’m also wondering how widespread dead pixels are in LCD’s. What’s the ration of perfect to near perfect displays? Hmm.

Someone mentioned in the other thread that this isn't limited to just Apple. Honestly that doesn't matter. In the mind of the person who purchased the device the only thing that matters is that they spent X on a new system and it isn't perfect. I can understand Apple doing all they can to keep their customers with what? 2.5% market share. They need to have people happy with their Mac experience and having people come back and complain about a dead pixel and having Apple reps say sorry your SOL would leave a bad taste in just about anyone’s mouth. Esp someone who may have just switched.

That leads to another question. Does anyone think switchers might get preferential treatment in a situation like this? :confused: