PowerBook owners see spots

Some buyers of Apple's new PowerBook G4 are complaining of white spots on its screen. Hundreds of owners of Apple Computer's new 15-inch PowerBook G4 are complaining about an apparent design fault that causes white spots to show up on the notebook computer's liquid crystal display.

Apple said on Friday that it is looking into the problem. More than 650 individuals have signed an online petition demanding that the company address the issue. According to postings on Apple's online user forum, many PowerBook owners have experienced the problem, which causes white markings to appear on the laptop's screen. By most of these accounts, the spots are less than one inch in diameter. However, some people reported seeing multiple spots on their computers.

Complaints about the problem have been cropping up on several Apple enthusiast sites in recent days. In response, the Mac maker issued the following statement on Friday: "The new 15-inch PowerBook has been a big hit with customers since its introduction last month. However, some customers are reporting the appearance of faint white spots on their displays after using the system for a short period of time, and Apple is investigating these reports right now. Any customers experiencing this problem should contact AppleCare." Apple introduced the high-end 15-inch PowerBook in September. At that time, Apple chief executive Steve Jobs said the device "sets the bar for professional notebooks even higher." The computer features a 15.2-inch (diagonal) widescreen display with 1280-by-854-pixel resolution.

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