“Since Apple unveiled its first Retina MacBook Pro with the 15.4-inch model in June, there has been a growing number of complaints from customers experiencing issues with the product,” Jordan Kahn reports for 9to5Mac.
“By far the most reported problem is one that causes a burn-in, or ghosting issue on the device’s display that has resulted in a support thread boasting over 364,769 views,” Kahn reports. “Apple uses two display suppliers for the device, LG and Samsung, and it wasn’t until months later that many started speculating the source of the flaw was with LG (as highlighted in the video above).”
Kahn reports, “Today, one MacBook Pro user named Beau Hodges has decided to launch a class-action lawsuit against Apple in a federal court in California alleging MacBook Pro customers have no way of telling which MacBooks have an LG display at the time of purchase.”
Read more in the full article here.
Ok. If Apple has a problem with these new MacBooks they need to fix it. ASAP. And make sure the poor early adopters that bought them have worry-free machines.
It couldn’t be stated better.
Apple can’t be blamed for technical flaws that could only be detected years after the fact that the LCDs were flawed and prone to burn-in. How could Apple predict future events?
Yes they can. LCD burn-in issues are not new. We take it for granted now that burn-in isn’t an issue, but why do you think screen savers we created in the first place? My first CRT only took minutes to burn. The first LcD’s were no better.
It is negligence not to ask your supplier for technical performance specifications before you incorporate it into your machine. I find it hard to believe that apple didn’t know the burn rate.
Apple has put out two firmware updates. The latest one was yesterday afternoon to fix the issues with the Retina Macbook Pro. So this suit has no merit as Apple has continued to work on the issues with the display and other issues related to the Retina Macbook Pros. If people don’t like there purchase they could have taken it back within 14 days for a refund. This is just a get rich scheme which will backfire on them because Apple has been working on the issues they claim.
364,769 views?
dunno b9, sounds like needs to cover a problem on a $1800 dollar laptop longer than 14 days.
They do and very well for up to a year. I had a 23″ cinema display that had odd marks in the lcd and it was 8 months old. They sent it to there repair center and had it back in my hands in two days and fixed the issue. Apple is the most customer oriented company out there. There rated #1 for customer satisfaction for a reason. I have experienced that first hand.
Who the hell is going to see burn-in with 14 days?
I agree with Dresden – this problem needs to be fixed. I also agree with b9bot – Apple is working on it. I believe that Apple has a solid history of making things right for consumers in the end, although it sometimes takes a while and no company is perfect.
botvinnik…
First, you can get 368K views on the web by posting a crappy video of a squirrel eating a peanut. It would not surprise me if half of those views were from Windows users looking for some kind of pathetic confirmation that even Apple users sometimes run into problems with their computers.
Second, *no one* said that Apple only covered this problem for only 14 days. b9bot did mention a 14-day return for a refund, but that is not the end of Apple “coverage.” In fact, I have heard of many cases in which Apple provided assistance with products past their official warranty period.
Apple, like every other company, has to deal with quality variations in the components from their suppliers. I believe that Apple performs far better than most companies in this respect. In fact, part of my Apple purchase is peace of mind. If you do not believe that Apple provides superior overall value, then don’t buy Apple products.
And you guys didn’t read my post that Apple just releases a fix yesterday.
Now you realize that most people don’t read or listen.. they like to write and talk… They always forget they have 2 ears and 2 eyes but they only write with one hand and have one mouth.
Yes! It needs to be fixed and fixed NOW. I just have to ask myself WWSHD?
He would have gone nuclear.
In the court of Judge Lucy Koh, the following is hereby awarded as damages:
1. For wilfully infringing on multiple patents, design copyrights, trademarks, Apple is entitled to $1 billion, reduced to $486 million.
2. For having retina burn in issues, the plaintiffs are awarded $1 billion in damages against Apple.
I hereby pronounce judgement that f***s Apple because justice denied is justice served, in my court, and you can all kiss my ass.
Since “Many users report Apple replacing their LG displays” and firmware updates provide a fix, what exactly are the damages here?
Case dismissed.
Beau Hodges found it easier to get to the lawyers office than the Genius Bar.
Interestingly enough, the same problem exists on the new iMacs. I have the BTO 3.4Ghz machine. It takes a very short time for the perplexing persistent pixels to appear. Like 5 minutes from a cold boot. To get rid of the images I either bring up an all white background and let it sit there for a while or use a screensaver called “LCD SCRUB.”
Annoying? Yes. Mildly so. Class action law suit worthy? No. give me a break. Apple will replace the system if I bring it in and show them the problem. I have not been harmed by this. in fact, I noticed that when I use dark wallpaper, the problem doesn’t seem to happen at all. I can’t explain why.
Now if the computer had made me go blind with blood dripping from my eyes or something, then yeah, we’re talking class action.
I wish the lawyers that go after Apple would stop and go after AT&T and Verizon, and Time Warner, and Comcast, etc. for a change.
Just what I posted above with my $900.00 cinema display 8 months old. It had funny marks in the lcd after it would warm up. I took it to apple who verified it, sent it to there repair center under warranty and had in my hands 2 days later fixed.
all free under warranty. if the idiot who filed the case cant take his laptop to an apple store or call apple hes a moron.
Apple is #1 in customer service for a reason. Like I said above I have experience this first hand on a number of issues.
I had this exact issue when I got mine, and quickly determined that it was down to the fact I had an LG display (although there’s no way of telling at the time of purchase, it’s very easy to find out afterwards).
I took it back to the Apple Store, explained, and they performed a test on it that had been issued to all stores following the discovery of the burn-in. Mine apparently didn’t meet the criteria for a replacement as the burn-in wasn’t bad enough (although as someone who often has different project windows open and static for long periods of time, I can tell you it was bloody annoying nonetheless).
Anyway, long story short, the guy tried to fob me off with a load of bullshit about using screensavers, etc, although once I’d brought up the whole LG vs Samsung screen thing, he generously said that as I’d spent so much money on an expensive laptop, I had the right to expect the best from it and he said he’d take it in for a repair anyway. It was ready the next day and miraculously had a Samsung display, despite me being told they had no way of distinguishing between the two… (I suspect realising that I had researched this thoroughly, the guy decided to spare me the company bullshit and just fix the damn thing).
I’m rambling here, but my two real points to come from this are thus: 1) Apple’s customer service is frequently awesome, especially when it comes to repairs. And 2) although some people on here have been saying that people should just accept it as it’s only a minor annoyance, that’s not really the point – whilst it is a relatively minor issue, when you spend that much money on something, I believe you have the right to expect the very best from it and are well within your rights to kick up a fuss if it doesn’t meet expectations.
Having said that, a class-action lawsuit seems a little unnecessary to me. Apple seems to have a very simple way to fix this: order more screens from Samsung, and kill there order with LG. Although dancing with the devil may not sit well with some, customer satisfaction should always come over and above petty fanboy wars.
its unfortunate that LG is the one that screwed up…now im not sure about parting from samsung as much as i used to be….maybe sharp or sony? they make lcds right?
Are some of you stupid? Apple is NOT taking are of their customers and the “fixes” have done NOTHING. That’s why the lawsuit you fanboy sissys.
Dom, I love your rhetorical question re: stupid people. Indeed there is o shortage here, not only respecting law in general, but also in belieivng that there is difference in a defective product as a whole based on a defective companent provided by a subcontractor. Either way, apple is responsible. Period. They chose the components and the makers. Period. Would these same people simply accept a defective engine in their brand new car, or pursue the maker of that vehicle for recompense? The arguments against a class action would have you beleive they’d just accpetable that misfortune and replace the engine at their expense. I’d like to see that.