Returning my 8204?

I am a little confused on which step I should take next. I have the Acer 3 year total protection warranty on my 8204. The laptop performs flawlessly. At the same time, I have one stuck pixel. I have tried everything to fix it to no avail.

I expected a perfect computer for over 2 grand, but the pixel gets to me because I play games and videos where there is black there a lot. Acer said I could send it in (although I would carry it in because I live close), I just dont know if it is worth it. What would you guys do? (Take advantage of warranty and use it to get a perfect screen with the risk of other issues, or deal with it forever?)

Any opinion would be sweet.

 

I don't even think the warranty covers stuck pixels. Something about it being a flaw with LCD technology and not a defect

 

I'm going to have to agree with Naveg, I doubt that the warrenty covers one pixel, however it might (i've not carefully examined my warrenty). If it's bothering you and Acer said take it in, go for it, just make sure they only replace the screen, not the entire computer (that way everything else that you know is working, is still working).

 

Yeah, umm, yeah. So basically I decided not to take it in because it's only ONE pixel and it's not worth the risk of something else breaking. I have the 3 year warranty that I'll use just in case something big messes up.

 

The warranty coverage of pixes is below:

Divide the screen in to a tic-tac-toe grid. If in the center square there is one stuck/missing pixel or there is 5 or more over the entire screen it is covered under warranty.

 

Actually, it is *four* pixels in total, or one in the center of the display, as can be confirmed on Acer America's site here:

http://www.acerpanam.com/synapse/fo....com&siteid=7117&words=all&keywords=&areaid=2

That's a better LCD policy than offered by basically any other notebook vendor I've dealt with.

To the original poster complaining that they "expected a perfect computer for over 2 grand", do you realise what you're asking though? TFT LCD displays have three transistors per pixel (one each for red, green, and blue). That is 5.3 MILLION transistors in your LCD display, and there's no way to fix them if they fail.

One single pixel failing in one color channel means that your LCD display is 99.99998% perfect. One pixel failing in all three color channels (ie. permanently black or permanently white) means your LCD display is *still* 99.99994% perfect.

What other consumer product can you buy (or would you expect to buy) that reliably offers better than 99.99998% perfection? When you buy a laptop, do you check to make sure, for example, that your hard disk offers the theoretical maximum capacity that it should be able to attain? Probably not, and if you did you'd almost certainly find that it shipped new with quite a few unreliable areas that have been blocked out in firmware to prevent use, with a slight reduction in capacity.

Problem is, because a single stuck LCD pixel is visible, we notice it - but greater imperfections in other areas of consumer electronic devices go completely unnoticed.

Personally, I'm impressed that Acer will swap out an entire LCD panel with a near perfect quality of (at the very worst) somewhere from 99.99992% to 99.9998% - which is what an LCD of the 8204's resolution would be, when it has four stuck pixels.

 

Hate to quibble, but it is five. "shall not be more than four" is the same as five. But honestly if you told them it was five and it is only four I am pretty sure it will still get replaced. Or just escalate the call and you will probably win the battle.

At any rate, to help other who may worry about sending in the unit, they will not replace any part of or probably even open the lower half of the case. But you have to remember you will be shipping this both ways if you are not near Mississagua, ON or Temple, TX. As a former UPS employee, I am suprised more don't get damaged in shipping.

Also, getting the lcd replaced would not affect your 3 year warranty. There is a once per 12 month rate on accidental repairs (dropped, spills, and don't take my word on that, but I think that is the way it works), but this is covered under the original manu warranty and has no bearing on your ext. warranty.

 

Sorry, your previous post was confusingly phrased:

Since you'd said "in the center ... there is one stuck / missing pixel" I had misread your statement as being a description of what was *allowable* on the screen.

To clarify more carefully:

Not enough to trigger a warranty repair:
* 1 pixel in the center of the screen
* 4 pixels across the whole of the screen

Enough to trigger a warranty repair:

* 2 pixels in the center of the screen
* 5 pixels across the whole of the screen

 

You have a second rate computer so why are you confused about a screen problem. You should be HAPPY that that is your ONLY problem (so far)!!

Sorry but the truth sometimes hurts...

 

Hey man, how's the view from down there?

 

Dude, I read your other post on why you don't like the 8200 and I just wonder who buys a laptop (without a crystal bright screen or any claim to a GREAT screen) to do serious photoshop editing. that is not what this was made for. your inability to research or lack of knowledge of computers makes your post useless. Please stick to other areas of this site that I don't read.

 

I don't think that crystal bright screen is good for Photoshop editing, or at least I don't like this type of screen at all... 8204 is one of very few relatively small laptops with high resolution screen, which IS important when working with PS and when you need mobility also. If the screen would be better quality and if the background noise issue wouldn't exist, 8204 could be really good choice for someone working with photography. You wrote: "that is not what this was made for" - so what this notebook was made for in your opinion?

 

It's made for what I do - a lot of multitasking while working. And it does it admirably, especially after adding either Microsoft or Emerge Desktop support for multiple desktops.

- Ed

 

Power users. It was made to be a powerful PC for all types of users that also need mobility. I personally don't think many notebooks are engineered with the graphic/3d artist in mind. Granted, that is not my line of work, but I would assume that most are still using desktops.

 

Got the definitive word on the warranty (from the horse's mouth).
For service/replacement you need:
1 pixel in the center of the screen
4 pixels per million - 1,024 X 768 X 3 = 2,359,296
But again, I think it would depend on who you talk to at Acer, you might be able to sneak it in there.

 

It might have come from the horse's mouth, but it can't override what is published on Acer's own website. I already provided a link to a page on Acer's site, clearly stating their policy - and it is what *I* listed.

By your version, you'd have to have (depending on whether you consider a single color 'dot' to be a pixel) either 21 stuck 'dots' or 7 stuck pixels to be entitled to a replacement of the 8204WLMI's 1680 x 1050 x RGB screen.

That's not the case though, because Acer's site clearly states that 5 pixels is enough for a warranty repair.

 

Dude, I don't know if you have an ego problem, but it is okay to be wrong. I personally have no experience with it, but it is okay.

"there shall not be more than four (4) defective pixels per million pixels "

from the link you gave earlier.

and defective would indicate that one color of the pixel is enough for it to count. also if you have 2 or more pixels together that are defective it is covered under warranty.