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what is wrong with the MackBook display?

4K views 29 replies 16 participants last post by  green_ears 
#1 ·
My wife just bought a Black MacBook and the display has now crack for no apparent reason. Such cases have been popping up all over the internet and they all seem to be associated with the MacBook. I truly believe there is a design flaw in this computer. The display seems to crack for no reason or under normal wear and tare that every laptop I have ever used has handle perfectly fine. Apple wants me to pay them almost the full cost of the computer itself to get it fix and I refuse. they claim to have no knowledge of other complaints pertaining to this matter though I know many other people have in-fact complained and are taking them to small claims court. It is also suspicious that the only locked forums on this board pertain to this very defect. I would like to hear more of your stories and perhaps group together in order to address apple as a group rather than individuals. I have set up and e-mail account for this purpose and ask that anyone who has had this problem or knows someone who has this problem to contact me. I would like your story, who you have contacted at apple and when, if the problem was resolve, case number if applicable and your computer serial number to see if maybe I can tell if these computer are from a similar lot. I know this is weird and I don't like to give out information to strangers either but I believe we will have more power as a group. I DON'T want your SSN, date of birth etc. just your story pertaining to this problem and if you are uncomfortable just me a way to contact you and we can talk. The email address is:

crackeddisplay@hotmail.com

thank you all in advance.
-Mike
 
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#2 ·
My display cracked under limited pressure. I've had many LCDs that have endured far more without breaking.

Also, I recently purchased a MacBook that has a cracked LCD as well.

I do believe that these screens are weaker and more prone to breakage than normal. The glossy glass is easily cracked.
 
#3 ·
I'm guessing the OP forgot to remove the line in bold below from a cut and paste. I don't recall locked "forums" (or threads e.g.) here about any such topic. The plea may be genuine, nonetheless...


My wife just bought a Black MacBook and the display has now crack for no apparent reason. Such cases have been popping up all over the internet and they all seem to be associated with the MacBook. I truly believe there is a design flaw in this computer. The display seems to crack for no reason or under normal wear and tare that every laptop I have ever used has handle perfectly fine. Apple wants me to pay them almost the full cost of the computer itself to get it fix and I refuse. they claim to have no knowledge of other complaints pertaining to this matter though I know many other people have in-fact complained and are taking them to small claims court. It is also suspicious that the only locked forums on this board pertain to this very defect. I would like to hear more of your stories and perhaps group together in order to address apple as a group rather than individuals. I have set up and e-mail account for this purpose and ask that anyone who has had this problem or knows someone who has this problem to contact me. I would like your story, who you have contacted at apple and when, if the problem was resolve, case number if applicable and your computer serial number to see if maybe I can tell if these computer are from a similar lot. I know this is weird and I don't like to give out information to strangers either but I believe we will have more power as a group. I DON'T want your SSN, date of birth etc. just your story pertaining to this problem and if you are uncomfortable just me a way to contact you and we can talk. The email address is:

crackeddisplay@hotmail.com

thank you all in advance.
-Mike
 
#8 ·
Wait so what does this mean for all of you? Please dont tell me you're out money on a brand new notebook even during warranty periods. The repair of an LCD is pretty much the price of a new notebook so it would be insane if it was not covered :( I just googled and there are a lot of cases like this so its not like apple can say its user error...its all over the web.
 
#9 ·
I just googled and there are a lot of cases like this so its not like apple can say its user error...its all over the web.
At what rate? Apple sells millions of MacBooks. I've been using, servicing, and selling Macs for many, many years. To say "there is a design flaw" based on personal experiences and a google search is pretty arrogant.

I've head all the stories. "It just happened!". Bologna! It doesn't just happen.

Batteries melt down? You betcha!
Motherboards have a design flaw? Absolutely.
Screens just crack? No sirree.

What we have here is a case of "I did something wrong, but don't want to admit it, so I'm going to blame someone else."
 
#10 ·
Screens just crack? No sirree.
Totally 100% wrong. I worked for an engineering firm and we designed and built custom control centers for robotic and automated manufacturing stations. Part of that was installing 'bare' LCD panels into the systems, they are very delicate when not encased. So an LCD that cracks from say a light twisting motion or pressure is very possible. This could happen if they've sealed it with too tight a tolerance in the lid assembly on the MB, or maybe they got a weak batch in the mix.

And if a 'book' in a computer bag banging the lid did it, then ya, that's a design flaw. I seem to remember reading about all the first gen Nano's having LCD problems as well, cracking, breaking. Something like that anyway.
 
#12 ·
To me, the MacBook's LCD is not acceptably tough enough because mine cracked with just a little bit of pressure. Even a stronger eggshell might have survived the "abuse."

I'm debating whether or not even to fix the LCD or just sell the machine. I don't want to fix it up only to crack it again within a few months.
 
#15 ·
Im marginally careful with my notebooks. Ive had a first gen (so early it had the palmrest issue). i had it for almost a year and it was perfect, no cracks in the LCD. Ive got a black Macbook now, had it for over a month. Carry it in my backpack everyday with no problems.
If there is an issue, even a small one, Apple should address it. Id be interested to know how many people with IBM computers, HP, Sony, Gateway, Dell etc etc have problems with cracked LCD screens.
I have this feeling like some Apple users feel like its reasonable to treat your computer like its a lightbulb. The fact is, Apple should be designing its portables to be just that, portable. This shouldent mean you can abuse them without mercy and expect they'll take it. But it should mean a book in your backpack isnt a threat.
I do believe, compared to other portables in this class the macbook screen is pretty flimsy. The plastic isnt stiff enough surrounding the LCD. It should be made of a much stiffer plastic to avoid bending.
With all that said, knowing there may be an issue (i said MAY be an issue) I will take a few more precautions with my Macbook.
Isnt there some way to tell, using the sensors inside the macbook, if the computers been abused. Perhaps the SMS system would give the repair person some insight into what kind of bumps and knocks the damage unit suffered? Just a thought.

Pavmentsurfer
 
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#17 ·
Ok you're calling someone else an ass yet cant even get "LCD" right. You called it an LDC twice. Its a "liquid crystal display", not a "learning dissability condition" ;)

By the way, it is a flaw or there wouldnt be so many people complaining about it. Try searching for the same "issue" from Dell, Sony, Gateway, IBM..etc and you wont be finding much of "I just put a bit of pressure on it and it broke" but you will find lots of that from the Apple units. That means there is a problem.

thread should read.
I'm a complete ass and i broke my LDC in my macbook and now i have no one else to blame but apple. because god forbid i blame myself because that just wouldnt be right.

LDC's shouldnt crack when you put pressure on them, they just shouldnt.

Whoops!~
 
#19 ·
Ok you're calling someone else an ass yet cant even get "LCD" right. You called it an LDC twice. Its a "liquid crystal display", not a "learning dissability condition"
LMFAO. :lmao:

By the way, it is a flaw or there wouldnt be so many people complaining about it.
I hope you realize that those with positive experiences don't feel the need to post about it, yet those with negative experiences feel the need to spam message boards about their negative experience multiple times over. If everyone with a MacBook posted their positive experience at the same rate as a handful of bitchy MacBook owners with cracked LCD displays, the negatives would be drowned out and subsequently ignored. The handful reports on a few mesage boards on cracked LCD's doesn't prove a design flaw.
 
#22 ·
This is true, but thats why I was saying that if you search the net from other brands such as dell/gateway/ibm..etc, nothing of this sort seems to come up (ie breakage due to low impact or breakage on its own) but searching for those words does bring up some of the newer apple notebooks - mind you only the ones with the glossy screens. So I'm going to take a guess that the glossy screens might be a bit more sensitive and being in a super slim notebook might be a greater breakage risk than big bulky notebooks from other manufacturers.


LMFAO. :lmao:



I hope you realize that those with positive experiences don't feel the need to post about it, yet those with negative experiences feel the need to spam message boards about their negative experience multiple times over. If everyone with a MacBook posted their positive experience at the same rate as a handful of bitchy MacBook owners with cracked LCD displays, the negatives would be drowned out and subsequently ignored. The handful reports on a few mesage boards on cracked LCD's doesn't prove a design flaw.
 
#21 ·
The handful reports on a few mesage boards on cracked LCD's doesn't prove a design flaw.
I agree completely - BUT... Are you proposing that LCDs have a 0% rate of defects?

Hard drive crashes sometimes happen very early on; bad logic boards on the odd unit are not unheard of; counterfeit capacitors, etc. etc. etc. All these things happen occasionally, and don't imply that there is a design flaw in the affected models - usually, the problems are isolated incidents although sometimes they might indicate a particular run was substandard. And all of these various defects are repaired if they are reported during the warranty period.

But a cracked LCD is summarily dismissed as evidence of abuse and a reason not to repair the machine - and THAT is the problem people are complaining about.

Unless you are claiming a 0% failure rate for LCDs, that the existence of a defective LCD is outside the realm of possibility, can guarantee that not a single MacBook has ever been dropped or suffered other abuse before leaving the factory, thereby predisposing the LCD to further damage eventually leading to the manifestation of a visible crack, then doing as Apple has done and proclaiming everyone suffering from this problem a liar is doing a grave disservice to the small minority of MacBook owners that may have been affected by a cracked LCD through no fault of their own.
 
#29 ·
No. AppleCare is no different than the standard 1-year limited warranty, save for 3 full years of support versus the standard 1-year hardware/90-day phone support. Not sure where users get the impression AppleCare is an enhanced version of the unit's standard warranty...
 
#30 ·
Such cases have been popping up all over the internet and they all seem to be associated with the MacBook. I truly believe there is a design flaw in this computer.
I don't know what's up with your mac, but my original Core Duo has been working and looking great since the day I bought it... Right out of the box. No yellowing of the plastic, no broken screens, no overheating...

I guess some factory workers are more skilled than others.
 
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