All-in-One PCs

A

AME

New Member
Hi All,

This is my first post and I love the forum. I am in a dilemma: I have purchased an Apple iMac couple of days ago and it is really an amazing machine. However, there is a problem with the LCD display; the half top is darker the half bottom (washed out). For fun, here is what I mean:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoWtTozqFKU

I googled this problem and found many others have the same problem. Unfortunately; Apple is not acknowledging this as a mass iMac hardware failure.

Since I really need an All-in-One solution; I have decided to go for the Sony Vaio VGC-LT18E. Here are the specs:

22" Display
2.2 GHz Core 2 Duo
320GB Serial ATA, 7200 RPM (expandable)
2G DDR2 RAM 667MHz (expandable to 4GB)
NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GT GPU, 256MB memory
TV Tuner: ATSC and NTSC
DVD±RW

Just in case you are curious, here are the specs for the iMac:

20" Display
2.4GHz Core 2 Duo
320GB Serial ATA, 7200 RPM (NOT expandable)
1G DDR2 RAM 667MHz (expandable to 4GB)
ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO, 256MB memory
DVD±RW

Thank you for reading my post. Any comments and/or suggestions are highly appreciated.

AME
 
I HIGHLY Suggest returning the iMac, and getting the Sony Vaio... is there much of a price difference?

Personally, I am not a fan of the Mac OS, and I think you will have much more software compatibility with Windows, I say go with windows!!!!!
 
Yeah return it and if you want to get another one at least make sure they can test it in front of you.
twolves90 said:
Personally, I am not a fan of the Mac OS, and I think you will have much more software compatibility with Windows, I say go with windows!!!!!
Click to expand...

macs have there use, you can't force him to go windows it's his choice, macs have there own fair share of software and if he want windows he can have VM solution
 
Like patrickv said just return it for a working one.
Just call apple there really good about that stuff I had to send my macbook in one time got it back within one day or two days of sending it to them, there quick.
 
AME said:
Hi All,

This is my first post and I love the forum. I am in a dilemma: I have purchased an Apple iMac couple of days ago and it is really an amazing machine. However, there is a problem with the LCD display; the half top is darker the half bottom (washed out). For fun, here is what I mean:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoWtTozqFKU

I googled this problem and found many others have the same problem. Unfortunately; Apple is not acknowledging this as a mass iMac hardware failure.

Since I really need an All-in-One solution; I have decided to go for the Sony Vaio VGC-LT18E. Here are the specs:

22" Display
2.2 GHz Core 2 Duo
320GB Serial ATA, 7200 RPM (expandable)
2G DDR2 RAM 667MHz (expandable to 4GB)
NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GT GPU, 256MB memory
TV Tuner: ATSC and NTSC
DVD±RW

Just in case you are curious, here are the specs for the iMac:

20" Display
2.4GHz Core 2 Duo
320GB Serial ATA, 7200 RPM (NOT expandable)
1G DDR2 RAM 667MHz (expandable to 4GB)
ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO, 256MB memory
DVD±RW

Thank you for reading my post. Any comments and/or suggestions are highly appreciated.

AME
Click to expand...

Return your Mac for a new one. Forget the Sony. The Vaio you are looking at is a complete ripoff. Above $2,000, right? The hardware in the Sony isn't even worth $1,000. It looks nice, but the price you pay for underperformance is absurd. OEM machines suck. :mad:
 
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actually i quite like that sony, my friend personally has that model and its very nice :rolleyes:

anyways, like they said try to first get them to send you a new macbook, even if games with graphics beyond pong are too complex ;) lol
 
Thanks for answering guys.

I believe that if I reconfigure the specs for the iMac to match Vaio's specs, both will approximately have the same price: $150 for the extra GB ram + $150 for the extra 2" of display + $100 for the tuner. So, the price is not the issue here.

I would love to return the iMac for another one, but as I mentioned before it is a mass failure. Many people who returned their defective iMac for another one, basically got another defective machine.

mep916 is raising a good point: I don't want to buy a machine which uses cheap quality hardware. Thats why I opened this thread: to get honest opinions about that Vaio specially that the web lacks any reviews about that particular Vaio.
 
Don't forget to upgrade your video card as well on that Sony, the existing card just plain sucks! Go for a 8800 card at the very least.
 
Don't buy a sony, I am telling you this from my professional experience. Their hardware is always way over priced and their product is mediocre at best. I used to have to repair those Sony All-In-One machines because several years ago I worked as a tech for a warranty repair shop. We did warranty repairs on Gateways, HP/Compaq, Sony, Apple, etc. If you take a part an iMac you can clearly see the quality control put into them. They are high quality machines. You take a part a sony all-in-one and you can see how they cheaped out and how it is poorly engineered compared to the iMac.

Which iMac is this? we just got in like 60 20" iMacs for a lab deployment at work and I haven't noticed anything wrong with the color.
 
tlarkin said:
Don't buy a sony, I am telling you this from my professional experience. Their hardware is always way over priced and their product is mediocre at best. I used to have to repair those Sony All-In-One machines because several years ago I worked as a tech for a warranty repair shop. We did warranty repairs on Gateways, HP/Compaq, Sony, Apple, etc. If you take a part an iMac you can clearly see the quality control put into them. They are high quality machines. You take a part a sony all-in-one and you can see how they cheaped out and how it is poorly engineered compared to the iMac.

Which iMac is this? we just got in like 60 20" iMacs for a lab deployment at work and I haven't noticed anything wrong with the color.
Click to expand...

Thank you very much for sharing your experience. I am talking about the new Aluminum iMacs. There are several threads about this problem at Apple's forums. Here is one:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1073705&tstart=0

Take a look at this example:

macsr6.jpg


This is so annoying and unacceptable.
 
It looks almost like a backlight issue. If, lets say for example, perhaps the inverter board was not pumping out enough power to the backlight it could be more dim in certain areas. That or one of the layers of the LCD has an issue as well.

If there is one thing I know about Apple, if there is a big enough issue they will do a recall. They have before in the past on their products.
 
tlarkin said:
It looks almost like a backlight issue. If, lets say for example, perhaps the inverter board was not pumping out enough power to the backlight it could be more dim in certain areas. That or one of the layers of the LCD has an issue as well.
Click to expand...

I think you are absolutely right: it is a backlight issue.

tlarkin said:
If there is one thing I know about Apple, if there is a big enough issue they will do a recall. They have before in the past on their products.
Click to expand...

Yes they are. However, it took them 3 years and a lawsuit to acknowledge the logic board problem in the MacBook Pros. I don't want to wait 3 years!
 
paratwa said:
Don't forget to upgrade your video card as well on that Sony, the existing card just plain sucks! Go for a 8800 card at the very least.
Click to expand...

You will not successfully install an 8800 into a Vaio machine. Sony computers are very unfriendly with regard to hardware upgrades. The power supply, for example, will not support an 8800.

I own a Sony Vaio PCV-RS430G. My wife bought it for me as a Christmas present in 2003. It was my first PC. It still works great. However, I cringe when I think about the price she paid (17" monitor = $549; Box= $1,499) for the system. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a cheap person (sig= $3,725). My problem with Sony machines' is the lack of quality - as tlarkin pointed out - put into their products. Build it yourself, or replace the Apple for a new one.
 
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