got a dead pixel after 3 months...

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byron · #1 Post by **byron** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 11:04 pm

just got a dead pixel on my 1400x1050 LCD.. tried "rubbing" it and still there.... called support and they said no replacement.. i really can't believe this. i paid for a fully working LCD (and it was working) and I also paid for a warranty, now its not a fully functioning LCD and i want a replacement. however, IBM says unless it has 11 dead pixels I can't get a replacement. anyone have suggestions of what i should do?

DavidNZ · #2 Post by **DavidNZ** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 11:09 pm

I don't have any suggestions, but with all the 'hub-ub' about dead pixels lately in these forums (and I do mean justified 'hub-ub'), I'm starting to get less and less impressed with how IBM is handling it. That kind of policy of "not unless X dead pixels" is what I would expect from Dell or Toshiba, but not Big Blue.

I like to think that IBM is different on matters such as these, as this is what would really set them apart, and to some extent Thinkpads still give most of us, I would argue, lots of ammunation to debate (and win) with those bent on, say, a Dell. But now I grow worried that, in five years or so, the name Thinkpad won't necessarily conjure up images of quality and excellent service.

Now, I know IBM doesn't manufacture the LCDs, but imagine being able to buy a machine where, within the warranty, any defects that arise are met with full replacement. Should we expect any less?

byron · #3 Post by **byron** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 11:12 pm

my argument exactly. which is the case im going to make when i call IBM direct customer support first thing tomorrow morning.. if by some chance they do agree to replace it, will they send me the LCD and let me replace it myself or will i have to ship it back to them?

ll357355 · #4 Post by **ll357355** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 11:40 pm

They won't let you replace it...They will make you send it to the depot unless u have onsite warranty.

Hey be smart, don't tell them its because of the dead pixels that you want a replacement!!!!! There are many other things that can be wrong with the screen =)

byron · #5 Post by **byron** » Thu Sep 16, 2004 11:43 pm

ashok522 wrote:Hey be smart, don't tell them its because of the dead pixels that you want a replacement!!!!! There are many other things that can be wrong with the screen =)

ideas anyone?

Greg Gebhardt · #6 Post by **Greg Gebhardt** » Fri Sep 17, 2004 5:56 am

They will not replace for "a" dead pixel. NONE of the laptop makers will.

byron · #7 Post by **byron** » Fri Sep 17, 2004 7:55 am

so how about they give me back say....... $50-100, since i paid for a display with all 100% of the pixels working..

ya right, like that is really going to happen.i just think that is unfair to sell someone a warranty and then when they call to get something that is defective replaced you tell them, oh well that full coverage warranty you purchased doesn't cover that when i was never told beforehand.

schk · #8 Post by **schk** » Fri Sep 17, 2004 9:14 am

You can't expect any company to offer dead pixel replacements. Most companies don't even offer replacements if you receive a unit with a dead pixel in the first place. IBM at least has a 30 day return policy for any reason when you purchase from them.

While I personally would be annoyed by receiving a brand new unit with dead pixels and would do everything to get it exchanged. If a dead pixel showed up a few months later outside of the return period, it is just bad luck and you can't do anything about it. Typical warranties do not cover pixels going dead unless it is over a certain threshold determined by each company. If you are that annoyed by dead pixels, certain stores like Best Buy offer replacements for dead pixels (at least they did when I worked there, not sure if it's changed now) in their extended warranty, but your choice of laptops is limited to crappy models and nothing in comparison to Thinkpads.

While it may be expected for them to cover dead pixels when Thinkpads are pricey compared to other laptops, it is unrealistic as there are millions of pixels on each screen.

Greg Gebhardt · #9 Post by **Greg Gebhardt** » Fri Sep 17, 2004 9:19 am

byron wrote:so how about they give me back say....... $50-100, since i paid for a display with all 100% of the pixels working..

ya right, like that is really going to happen.i just think that is unfair to sell someone a warranty and then when they call to get something that is defective replaced you tell them, oh well that full coverage warranty you purchased doesn't cover that when i was never told beforehand.

About two ThinkPads ago I had one dead pixel. If you just accept it you will be surprised how quickly you will get back to enjoying your laptop.

ZPrime · #10 Post by **ZPrime** » Fri Sep 17, 2004 3:10 pm

my 1600x1200 screen has one.. to the right and above center... but thankfully it is "barely" dead - it's not a gaping black spot, rather it's a small greyish spot and i only notice it if i hunt for it.

it helps that the pixels on a screen this resolution and size are very small. makes it harder to notice the stray defect.

i just wish the response time on this panel were lower.

Hostile · #11 Post by **Hostile** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 9:03 am

byron wrote:just got a dead pixel on my 1400x1050 LCD.. tried "rubbing" it and still there.... called support and they said no replacement.. i really can't believe this. i paid for a fully working LCD (and it was working) and I also paid for a warranty, now its not a fully functioning LCD and i want a replacement. however, IBM says unless it has 11 dead pixels I can't get a replacement. anyone have suggestions of what i should do?

My T40 came from the factory with a dead pixel. Big deal, it's a fact of life when dealing with LCD screens.

sharpie · #12 Post by **sharpie** » Mon Sep 20, 2004 10:28 pm

When I bought my T41p I opted for every single possible optional insurance that I could get, and according to the rep, it would cover me for a full replacement of the laptop, screen included, for any reason, including one dead pixel.

Now maybe she was full of [censored], or not, and so far I have not had to find out. I have seen several dead pixels on my laptop, but all I need to do is reboot and they go away, so it seems like its somekind of pixel addressing failure, not the pixel itself.

So far so good either way... But I feel your pain. I got this T41p in the first place after unloading a crapload of money on a Voodoo PC laptop, which came shipped with many dead pixels. I returned it and called my CC company and demanded a credit.. If you're really unhappy and its within 60 days of purchase, you could probably do the same.

Plinkerton · #13 Post by **Plinkerton** » Sun Sep 26, 2004 1:54 am

I too have just received my T42 with a dead pixel. Its about .5 inches from the top, and dead center. It goes away and reappears depending on if I have a window open or not. I really don't think I'm going to do anything about it. It doesn't bother me that much.

If that's the only wrong with this computer for the life of it, that's fine by me. What if I get a new one, and that one has more problems? I would really kick myself then...

Good luck.

heavybyte · #14 Post by **heavybyte** » Sun Sep 26, 2004 3:19 pm

Hmm, I know that there is a possibility with some software (I actually don't know if that's available to end-customers) to turn off dead pixels.
I know that Canon is able to do that with the displays of their digital cams (e.g. EOS).

rocketman · #15 Post by **rocketman** » Sun Sep 26, 2004 5:28 pm

I too have just received my T42 with a dead pixel. Its about .5 inches from the top, and dead center. It goes away and reappears depending on if I have a window open or not. I really don't think I'm going to do anything about it. It doesn't bother me that much.

If that's the only wrong with this computer for the life of it, that's fine by me. What if I get a new one, and that one has more problems? I would really kick myself then...

It should depend on the color background you have. Most "stuck" pixels will show up as a different color on a black or darkbackground, a "dead" pixel will show like a spec of dust on a white backround. This is probably why you see it on some pages and not on others, the darker the page the easier it is to see the stuck pixel. There are some "pixel checker" software programs that are free that you can download.

Plinkerton · #16 Post by **Plinkerton** » Mon Sep 27, 2004 10:21 am

Rocketman, it actually depends on the window. If I have a small window open on the desktop, and I pretend that the pixel has a vertical line drawn through it, when the little window crosses that line, even BELOW the pixel, without covering it, the pixel will appear, other than that, I usually don't see it. It will appear if there is a window covering it also.

Plinkerton · #17 Post by **Plinkerton** » Fri Oct 01, 2004 12:20 am

Doesn't matter anymore. Stupid computer decided to stop booting up. I returned it...

ElvinTampico · #18 Post by **ElvinTampico** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 3:44 am

I'm on my fourth Thinkpad T-42 in almost as many weeks, and every one of them has has at least three dead or stuck pixels. I'll keep sending them back until they get it right. This most recent one is also having hard drive problems and will be on its way back Monday morning. The one before last had a monitor issue that caused a rippling effect each time a new image was opened. That same Thinkpad also had a strange ghosting problem like the one described in someone else's thread on this forum-- a white box against a dark blue background creates a light rectangle against the rest of the background.

IBM's quality really seems to be for [censored] these days, at least for the individual buyer. Workers getting computers from their employers may not mind or even notice a few dead pixels or other quality quirks because they dont have anything invested in the machine. A single person paying top-dollar for what should be a top-notch laptop expects more.

I suppose it's partially my fault for continuing to believe that the next one will be problem-free, that IBM can do the same thing I've seen HP, Apple and Sony do -- produce a defect-free laptop in at least one in four attempts.

aquina · #19 Post by **aquina** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 7:14 am

ElvinTampico wrote:I'm on my fourth Thinkpad T-42 in almost as many weeks

Now I know why these things are so expensive.

Just makes you wonder where all the returned units end up.

#20 Post by **K. Eng** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 8:48 am

4 attempts and still all these problems? If that's true, you might want to consider punishing IBM by purchasing an NP nc6000

Or better yet, have Bill cherry pick you a pixel perfect T42

ElvinTampico wrote:I'm on my fourth Thinkpad T-42 in almost as many weeks, and every one of them has has at least three dead or stuck pixels. I'll keep sending them back until they get it right.
...
IBM's quality really seems to be for [censored] these days, at least for the individual buyer.
...
I suppose it's partially my fault for continuing to believe that the next one will be problem-free, that IBM can do the same thing I've seen HP, Apple and Sony do -- produce a defect-free laptop in at least one in four attempts.

ElvinTampico · #21 Post by **ElvinTampico** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 1:25 pm

I would rather get one through Bill, but because I'm constantly traveling with my laptop and using it in lots of odd places I'm reluctant to forgo the accidental damage warranty that IBM offers.

I resent IBM for making a machine so appealing that I'm willing to gp through all this to get a good one!

Leon · #22 Post by **Leon** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 7:14 pm

I think that Bill CAN get you the accidental damage coverage......

Nabeel · #23 Post by **Nabeel** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 9:50 pm

Somehow 'accidently' screw up the lcd if you really want it that badly

Plinkerton · #24 Post by **Plinkerton** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 9:56 pm

Just makes you wonder where all the returned units end up.

Where do you think? They just send them back out to us, and hope the next person doesn't complain!!!

got a dead pixel after 3 months...

got a dead pixel after 3 months...

Re: got a dead pixel after 3 months...

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