So as you longtime readers know, when I originally got a MacBook the screen had a nasty flicker/noise problem. I took it back the next day, and the Apple store replaced it. This MacBook that I’m typing on now has worked pretty well.
However, for that last couple of month’s I’ve notice a minor screen flickering when it is running on battery power. Sometimes it is quite noticeable. Like right now. It isn’t the same problem that the first MacBook had. That was kind of a screen static/noise thing. This is more like the brightness level goes up and down slightly.
This is a a bummer, because I like Apple products a lot. I would like to say after several years of using this computer I am “delighted” with it. But this screen thing — errrr — well, it makes me un-delighted. It makes me question whether I’d replace this computer with another MacBook. Not sure what else I’d get, but after having 2 apple monitor crap out on me with extreme prejudice in my computer-using past I just don’t have confidence that Apple can do monitors right.
Frankly, I’m not sure this problem is even the monitor. I suspect there is some kind of power management issue, since it only happens on battery power. Still, it sucks.
On the other hand, the Dell laptop my wife had a few years ago lasted only two years before it took it’s final dump and had to be replaced.
Oh well. This is pretty high up on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, so I guess I’ll stop complaining.
Welcome to the modern day. Televisions are apparently far worse, but you have to kind of accept that 99% of things you buy will die within about five years. Some suspect this is intentional, but it’s probably just a by-product of technology getting more and more complicated. Fewer moving parts means fewer broken pieces, and all that.
That said, my girlfriend’s macbook is reaching the five year mark, and still going fine, while a coursemate’s not even two year old Dell laptop literally exploded last week. I think we’ve got the lesser of the evils, really.