Early users of the new 2012 MacBook Pro with Retina display are complaining of image retention on the laptop’s display, and Apple is having to replace defective machines.
2012 MacBook Pro Retina complaints emerge
According to TheNextWeb, some users have posted on Apple’s Community Forums to say that their Pro is having these image issues – sometimes erroneously referred to as ghosting or screen burn – but there has so far only been a handful of complaints.
The forum thread has several posters talking about similar experiences of image retention on the high pixel density IPS panels in the MacBook Pro. The small number of complaints may not reflect the size of the problem, however, as it may in some cases be too faint for most people to see. The forum posters have all said that the latent image is noticeable only on light-coloured backgrounds and fades after around five minutes.
Apple is aware of the problem as Geniuses have ordered replacements for the dodgy screens. In some cases, though, users will have to wait two or three weeks because of the device’s high demand.
Some think that this image problem is due to a “bad batch” of screens as there is only a few complaints. The reasons behind the image retention are unknown and Apple hasn’t commented on the problem yet. Purchasers should remember that the MacBook Pro has a 14-day “no questions asked” return warranty if they are seeing “ghosts”.
Image persistence, or retention, is turning out to be one of the main problems in display tech. Cheaper screens are notorious for retention and ghosting (when a second image is superimposed on the main image). Ghosting in digital displays is usually down to de-interlacing or the incorrect interpolation of a frame pulldown.
