Last month, Apple announced the release of the new 27-inch iMac range, the largest all in one computer on the market. But, users are complaining in masses on Apples support forums about the new iMacs, reporting problems with flickering, tearing and screens going completely blank.
As of writing, there are more than 600 posts in a single thread alone about the new iMac 27-inches problem, and the problem has been reported around the world - even Youtube videos have been posted about the problem showing how bad and reproducible it is.
Apple Support user Jan reports that "Screen distortion/flicker somewhere random in the screen (feels like it is more in the lower part) that looks like a horizontal bar of about 2-3inches just popping in and out of the screen. Screen will go completely black for a second and then come back on. Sometimes 2-3 times in a row." and that "in the course of writing this post my screen has flickered 13 times and has gone black 2 times."
The forum is even influencing potential new iMac buyers, "Thanks. Just canceled my iMac order. I could have lived with a screen that is really a big mirror but if it also flickers that is a showstopper, sorry Apple." Another user is so frustrated that he asks "......should I be tempted by a windows 7 machine...?"
The problem isn"t even confined to just screen problems - users are having their new iMacs showing up DOA (Dead on Arrival), according to Engadget - who received their new test i7 iMac which was a expensive paperweight.
Even though there seem to be so many problems with the new iMac"s, users are reporting that Apple is willingly replacing them within 14-days of purchase, although one Australian user was charged US$70 for not being close enough to an Apple store.