Macbook issues.

[MISS T]

My (beloved) Macbook will only work when the screen is at a 90 deg angle, anymore or less then the screen goes blankety blank....do I need to get out my cheque book and pen?

 

[Withnail]

My (beloved) Macbook will only work when the screen is at a 90 deg angle, anymore or less then the screen goes blankety blank....do I need to get out my cheque book and pen?

 

[shoes]

Funnily enough my friend's macbook is doing exactly the same thing. I had it apart and fixed it however it seems to be on the blink again. I spoke to Gav (gdavies) and he offered to look at it for a very reasonable price, I can only suggest you ask him. Best of luck getting it sorted!

 

[toooldtorock]

My daughter had the same problem before Christmas, it's a 'product characteristic'? Ended up at the Apple shop in Brum and cost £170 for a new screen.

 

[wmrcomputers]

Sounds more like a screen cable problem than a screen itself. I think if you paid £170 you may have been ripped my friend

 

[toooldtorock]

Apple shop did suggest that themselves at first, but witnessed said cable and no defect. It was the screen and I thought it was going to be £200 plus, so happy to pay along with product update with new screen serial N0.

 

[wmrcomputers]

If I'd have known this in advance I could have replaced screen for you for cost + £20 (they're between £95 and £115 on ebay depending on size)

 

[toooldtorock]

Should the problem ever arise again (I hope not) I'll contact you. To be fair though, I did ask a number of local PC repair shops and PC World, but no-one wanted to touch it. It was PC World who told me to take it to the Apple shop in Brum who were very good in this instance.

 

[wmrcomputers]

It's rare that any PC shop will replace screens on any macbook or laptop.... they would rather sell you a new machine
I charge £100 for most laptop screen replacements (standard 15.6 inch widescreens), and it's such a quick job to do really.

In general I don't touch mac's when it comes to software issue's and the operating system, as I am unfamiliar with it. This is why I refer everyone to gdavies. If it's screen issue's though then there's no real difference compared to regular laptops.

 

[toooldtorock]

Thanks for the info, should the need arise I'll be in touch.

 

[wmrcomputers]

WMR's TIP OF THE DAY!

Another good piece of advice (applies to laptop owners too)... When we open the lids (screens) of laptops it is normal to lift the screen solely from one corner. Every time we do this though it places slight pressure on the display panel and flexes it slightly.
Try to get into the habit of raising the display by the top centre area, or better still by holding both corners, and you'll reduce the likeliness of failure in future

 

[shoes]

That is a very good point WMR have some skillz!

 

[toooldtorock]

Thank you very much

 

[gdavies]

i don't mind having a look at it for you if need be, the screens on all macbooks are not like normal build laptops though WMR, basically apple decided instead of screwing the screen casing's together they put in certain clips that have to be taken of and put back in a set way otherwise they snap and the housing will not seal properly.

I have put an arrow on a sample image to give you an idea of what i mean

The blue arrows point to where just a few of those said clips would go as there is no holes that go through the casing all the way through apart from where the isight camera is, but the clips are pretty special they have to go on in a set order otherwise when you put the screen on you run the risk of breaking a few of them. Hence why alot of places will just refer you to apple.
But yet the mac mini's you just need a bread knife to take apart there is not one screw that holds them together but you have to know where to put the breadknife to not damage wires etc.

 

[wmrcomputers]

That applies even with most laptop screens in honesty though. Even those with screws tend to also have clips which can vary dramatically from make to make and even model to model. Not trying to take it away from you anyway mate - I know you work your prices on a similar basis to me and would rather send mac related equipment across to you in any case

 

[gdavies]

That applies even with most laptop screens in honesty though. Even those with screws tend to also have clips which can vary dramatically from make to make and even model to model. Not trying to take it away from you anyway mate - I know you work your prices on a similar basis to me and would rather send mac related equipment across to you in any case

It wasn't meant to put you off dude just thought i would help point them out, At least that way you have seen the inside of the lid now lol, i don't take many normal laptop's apart so didn't know normal builds had them in.

Saying that I would not want to ever have to take the screen housing off my macbook pro as the casing round it is that fine it doesn't seem like could have even clips inside it lol.

 

[wmrcomputers]

I would not want to ever have to take the screen housing off my macbook pro as the casing round it is that fine it doesn't seem like could have even clips inside it lol.

Yeah I know what you mean.. they're gonna be seriously flimsy clips on them! Came across one laptop with extremely thin lid before, and managed to do it breaking only one clip which luckily had no detrimental effect. It was an acer one and I had a mate who worked in their UK service department. I asked him how you're meant to take them apart without breaking them and he told me you're not! Apparently they're designed so that if you try to work on them yourself you end up needing acer's support still anyway. When they have to strip the display sections on this particular model they just discard & replace the plastics
Crafty beggers

 

[gdavies]

macbooks are very much the same but there is a away round it lol just takes alot of practice so to speak lol, however there is a company that does apple inserts so you can change the color of the mac symbol but if you have the macbook pro new models like i do or the macbook air's they refuse to sell the inserts only stickers to place over the top, which tells me you really are not meant to take the lids apart on the newer macbook pro's or the air's.

Acer are pretty cheap on parts though to be fair.