Powerbook display is FIXED, but it's not over... For those of you who are reading this and wanting to know how I managed to get my 15" Powerbook SD's display replaced with a working one, here is the the short story:

When my 15" Powerbook went out for the repairs, the Apple Store repair order had this specific information on it:

ISSUE: the customer perceives faint, white horizontal lines
STEPS TO REPRODUCE: Boot to login screen. Customer
                    has modified screen to maximize effect.
IDENTIFY COMPONENTS YOU BELIEVE FAILED: 646-0324

Upon return of my Powerbook, the AppleCare Service Details sheet had this specific information on it:

Service Description and Parts Used: 
      Product Serviced by replacing the following:
      646-0324       DSPL, 15.2, WXGA++,SAMSUNG,Q16C
Service Provider Name:
      Apple Authorized Service Provider
      CTS
      14902 Summermeyer Suite 100
      Houston, TX 77041
      800-275-2273

That's it.

For details of the test background image I used for the login screen and desktop background, read this previous blog post.

My take on this is that the part number of 646-0324 was listed on my Repair Order to make sure that this was the part number that was used to replace my Powerbook's display with. In other words, it didn't matter what part number was in my Powerbook previously – it should be replaced with 646-0324. The Service Details confirms this, showing that this was indeed the part number used for the replacement. This agrees with the small number of forum reports of properly repaired displays where the author mentioned the replacement part number.

In every instance that I've read of, the Samsung Q16C display, part number 646-0324, resulted in a 15" Powerbook without the horizontal line issue.

Here is a photo of my new, replaced, working 15" Powerbook display:



Now, for the long story, including a surprising disappointment, read on:

I received my repaired 15" Powerbook this morning via DHL at 10:40am. This means the turnaround from the day I dropped my Powerbook off at my local Apple Store was 7 days. The Service Details sheet showed that my Powerbook was only in Houston for 2 days, however (Feb 8 - 10).

I had an appointment at noon in Boston, so I only had time to quickly open up the repair return box, glance at the Service Details sheet and AppleCare Service cover letter, and turn the Powerbook on. Within 30 seconds, I was at the login screen, and could see right away that the test pattern background image showed the display was working properly. I scrutinized the screen a little closer, and immediately noticed what at first appeared to be a dead pixel or two near the right side of the display. I quickly shut down the Powerbook, and headed off for my appointment.

When I returned in the afternoon, I immediately started investigating this glitch on the screen, and before turning on the Powerbook, realized it was some kind of surface defect. It almost looked like a ballpoint pen ink blotch, and was roughly the size of the tip of a pen.

I pulled out my RadTech ScreensavRz cloth and tried buffing the screen where the blotch was. That didn't help. Next, I tried some special camera lens and filter cleaning solution with a lens tissue. It took about ten minutes, but I was finally able to wipe away whatever substance was stuck to the surface of the screen until I couldn't see it anymore.

A little daunted, I continued inspecting the case of my Powerbook for any other problems or scratches. When I got to the underside, I immediately noticed some really bad scratches. Also, the silver tone of the exterior metal of the batter itself was not the same as the rest of the Powerbook. When I had original received the Powerbook from the retailer, I had to apply Apple's PowerBook G4 Battery Updater, which updates the firmware of 15" Powerbook batteries with charging issues so that they work properly and have improved performance. The original battery with my Powerbook wouldn't take a charge until I ran this updater software. Part of the process involves removing the battery from the Powerbook and then re-inserting it so that the firmware will be recognized. So I know for a fact that the original battery that came with my Powerbook had the same tone of silver metal as the rest of my Powerbook's case. Also, the original battery was just a little bit loose when inserted into my Powerbook. If I lightly shook the Powerbook (while turned off, of course,) I could feel the battery moving around a bit.

I keep saying "the original battery" because it was quickly becoming apparent to me that the battery that was returned with my brand new repaired 15" Powerbook was not the same as the one that was in there when I brought it to the Apple Store to have it sent for repair.

I removed this suspect battery, but did not notice anything else visually strange about it. I remembered the useful Coconut Battery 2.2 software, which gives you an easy to read display of your Powerbook battery's stats. This info includes the number of times it's been discharged and charged (called "load cycles",) Current & Maximum Charge, and Current & Original Capacity. Realizing that this would be a sure bet way to confirm or dispel my suspicions, I fired up my Powerbook and downloaded Coconut Battery. This is what I saw:


My suspicions were confirmed. The battery that had been sent back with my Powerbook from the Apple Repair center in Houston was definitely a used battery. It had been discharged and recharged 232 times!

I hopped online to see if I could make a "reservation" for a tech support visit at my local Apple Store. Apparently, they were swamped, at least according to the screen I got. The AppleCare Service letter that was included with my returned Powerbook had a couple of support numbers on it. I decided to call the one labeled as, "For all other questions..."

For the next 80 minutes, I was transfered no less than five times, requiring a recap of my story each time. My full intention was to have either my original new battery sent out to me, or a brand new battery, and I would gladly send back the wrong one that was sent to me. With the shipping at Apple's cost, of course. As I explained to one representative and then a next, I suggested that perhaps the repair facility in Houston used their own batteries while working on customer repairs, and in my instance, they had forgotten to replace theirs with my original one. Almost everyone said that they had never heard of this happening before.

I gave the serial number of my Powerbook, of the battery, the date of my purchase, my original retailer order number, and a detailed account of the series of events that had led me to this call. The last person I talked to, during this first call finally told me that they could send a new battery out with a pre-paid package label for me to return the "bad" battery back with. At last, I thought I was getting close to the end of this ear burning phone session with Apple. But then he mentioned that the battery I had should be good until I received the replacement. As I am leaving the country in just over two weeks, I thought to ask, "How long will it take?" At least one week, perhaps two, was the answer. I explained that I was leaving the country soon, and he realized their timeline wouldn't work. Apparently there is some snafu which involves replacing a battery on a Powerbook which was manufactured over 90 days prior to the call.

But my Powerbook was just purchased at the end of January, I explained. He informed me that it didn't matter, because the serial number showed it was manufactured in October. This, I knew, because I had already looked it up before I brought it in for the screen repair. I told him I could send a copy of my original invoice or receipt from the retailer, and that it didn't seem right to me because I hadn't hardly used the Powerbook at all before I sent it off for the repair. He took pity, and put me on hold (again) to talk to someone else. Then he came back on, and told me he was going to transfer me to yet another person, in "Direct Dispatch", who would be able to help me obtain a new battery in less than a week. After another hold, he comes back on to inform me that my 75 minute call had reached the limit of transfers. Their phone system would not allow him to patch me through to the next person. He apologized profusely as he told me that I would have to hang up, and then call another 1-800 number and wait in the queue to talk to someone. Then I would have to give them my case number - which he gave to me - and ask them to connect me to Direct Dispatch.

At this point my mobile phone battery was nearly dead, so I thought it would be a good idea to switch to a land line for the next call. That was the silver lining there.

As luck would have it, on my second call, I must have picked the magic choices for which part of the complex menu system route to take, because I was speaking with someone within 4 minutes. And even better - she was a Direct Dispatch representative. This woman seemed much more receptive to my situation, though I must admit that everyone else was very professional and courteous and helpful - within their limits of their post, of course. She read through my saga of a story on her computer, and then asked to put me on hold. What choice do I have other than to say, "yes?"

After 12 minutes she finally came back to let met know that Apple would send me a brand new replacement battery, which would ship tomorrow. It was too late to send it today, she explained. I asked her if there would be a return slip for the used battery that I currently had, and she told me there would not be. She said that they did not want to hassle me any further, and that I was free to keep and use the "bad" battery, or that I could return it to my local Apple Store for the battery recycling program.

If I could have given this woman a big hug, I would have done so. I don't know for sure, but I have a hunch that she had a direct impact on the final decision on how to handle my situation. This is the second time that Apple has really pulled through for me in the end, and it almost makes up for the over two hours of phone time to get this problem resolved. All I can say is in my mind, they did the right thing - policies be damned.

If there's one thing to be gleaned from this whole experience with the screen replacement and the switched out battery - it's that much patience is needed along with being very well prepared with your presentation an information. It made a big difference in both situations to have proof to backup my assertions. This was as invaluable as being able to succinctly explain the issues to various Apple employees. And it has paid off well, I believe.  ¶ 10:40 AM