by , 9:00 AM EST, December 6th, 2002
Apple could be facing a large public relations fiasco with their educational computer, the eMac, at a time they can least afford it. According to a MacFixIt report published Thursday there is a problem affecting large numbers of eMac displays. From the article:
The "raster shift" problem causes the bottom third or half of the screen to go black, with the rest of image shifting upward and out of the top boundary of the display. Serious static also accompanies the problem, rendering the viewable part of the screen virtually useless.
Complaints about this have also been echoed in discussion forums such as our own and Apple's.
According to MacFixIt, the problem seems to be widespread with retailers reporting anywhere from 15 to 60 percent failure rates on new units. Some have even stopped selling the model in the interests of customer relations and service costs. The article quotes one retailer specifically:
"After replacing 30 percent of the PAV boards in units I have sold and having to travel 50 miles to repair another (we're AASP+ Certified), I have made the decision to no longer sell or recommend eMacs to customers.
"On the inside, in my opinion, the design and workmanship are obviously poor on the PAV - which is a 'one piece' unit with the power supply, video board and monitor all in one. Heavy, bulky, awkward, and generally a pain to replace."
This problem could compound Apple's troubles in the educational sector. As reported earlier by TMO, Apple is already behind Dell by 14% in educational computer sales. A major flaw in its main educational model could hurt sales even more.
Apple could not be reached for comment on this before press time.
While TMO is not suggesting replacement of all eMacs, it would be a good gesture for Apple to comment on the issue. If is a legitimate problem, they should acknowledge it and take the necessary steps to remedy it quickly.
If the failure rates seen by some retailers are common, Apple needs to do something fast. A 15% failure rate is terrible but 60% would be appalling.