IBM dead pixel hell

[daba]

Hi folks. I'm partially writing this to vent and gather some advice.

I purchase an IBM Thinkpad X40 brand new from my university store back in December. When I finally got it, it had a dead pixel about 1'' from the center of the screen. Unsatisfied with this result, I waited another few weeks for an exchange.

The day my exchange came in everything looked okay until I discovered three dead pixels which showed up on a dark background. This was unacceptable so I went in for another exchange.

Come today, I open up my third, brand new IBM X40 notebook computer. What do you know, the first thing I see is a red dead pixel on the edge of the screen this time. What are the odds of getting three imperfect laptops in a row?

So now I'm really frustrated. I chose IBM for quality, and I paid a premium price for a premium and perfect product. I'm sick of this crap -- it's wasting my time and effort. Anyone have any advice? Should I keep returning these until I get a perfect one? I'm planning on calling IBM directly and expressing my anger.

For the record, I've owned five LCD screens. A Sony VAIO (1400x1050), Dell 1800FP (1280x1024), Hyundai L70S (1280x1024), Toshiba laptop (1024x768), and a Dell 2001FP (1600x1200). Not one of these had a dead pixel.

Thanks in advance,
David

 

[Childs]

Return it as many times as they will let you.

 

[xcrunner51]

bill from thinkpads.com will cherry pick a dead-pixel thinkpad for you for $100. He has really good prices on his thinkpads so it might be almost as cheap to buy it from him, although I don't know exactly how nice your university deal is.

 

[daba]

I'm a user over at thinkpads.com as well, but Bill's price is a little higher than what my university offers. I'm extremely distraught about this!

 

[trikster2]

Since bill is cherypicking the non-dead pixel laptops, I betcha his other laptops have a much better chance of getting dead pixels.....

 

[eriqesque]

In the past 2yrs I have owned 3 IBM notebooks and none of them had dead or stuck pixels from the start. I did have a T40 that developed white spots on the LCD not pixels but something different and IBM swapped out the LCD and again no stuck or dead pixel.

I feel really bad for you getting 3 in a row. As with you I have had also several other lappys and desktop LCD I have only had a dead pixel on one and that was Fujitsu notebook 1st generation crystal view.

As for Bill cherry picking them he will and does. As for that creating a higher chance of his other purchasers getting one with a dead pixel, Not really the case, as he sells the ones that do turn out to have a dead pixel at a discount and disclosed to purchaser. This is why the $100 fee for cherry picking.

 

[daba]

I'm surprised that I got three in a row. It's a true hassle.

I'm not sure what I'll get out of calling IBM and asking to speak to a supervisor. I think the people at my university store are getting sick of seeing me there!

 

[RonS]

It seems like this happens more than usual for educational purchases. I wonder if the second-rate units end up at the schools, and sold at their discounted prices.

 

[Burbot]

I understand your desire to get the perfectest product out of the box, but dead pixels are not such a big deal to do three returns and waste your and store employee time. My LCD has two dead subpixels (red and blue) in one pixel, a scratch and two tiny nicks in plastic in front of screen (either my brother or my cat is guilty, neither admits). Most of the time, I don't even notice them or the dirt I have on the screen. Is a single dead pixel such a big problem?
Now, I did return a laptop since it had bad pixels, but that was an amount recognized by manufacturer warranty - 3 or 4 stuck-white pixels next to each other in horizontal line.

 

[daba]

Different strokes for different folks. Thank you for your opinion but I am very meticulous when it comes to a lot of things, and my computers parts are no exception. I paid extra for a ThinkPad (I could've gotten a Dell for much cheaper) so I expect it to be flawless.

 

[intogamer]

:shocked:

 

[Looney]

There are better things in life than to get 'distraught' over dead pixels.

You went with IBM for better quality, but that doesn't necessarily mean 0 dead pixels. If you wanted that, you should have gone with premium services that can offer that.

 

[daba]

I'm upset over the fact that after three laptops later there still isn't one that's perfect.

 

[dartworth]

Keep sending it back till you are happy. It's your money...

 

[calyco]

I would just get a refund and buy from somewhere else.

 

[Damascus]

Originally posted by: daba
Different strokes for different folks. Thank you for your opinion but I am very meticulous when it comes to a lot of things, and my computers parts are no exception. I paid extra for a ThinkPad (I could've gotten a Dell for much cheaper) so I expect it to be flawless.

But when are you going to pay a 'flawless' price?

 

[cy7878]

Originally posted by: daba
Different strokes for different folks. Thank you for your opinion but I am very meticulous when it comes to a lot of things, and my computers parts are no exception. I paid extra for a ThinkPad (I could've gotten a Dell for much cheaper) so I expect it to be flawless.

I'm shocked you got to return the TP for couple of stuipd dead pixels. IBM's policy is 8 or more, or 2 next to each other. I have owned 6 thinkpads over 8 years, they ALL have dead pixels. IBM is great, flawless it is NOT.

 

[Moe Madness]

IBM has a 30 day no questions asked guarantee.

 

[Spicedaddy]

Pretty crappy considering my 2+ years old Dell doesn't have a single dead pixel. Or maybe I got lucky...

 

[bobsmith1492]

I've got 2304000 wonderful lil' pix running here.... sorry about your troubles. What are you doing to those things, or what is Fedex doing???