Suggestions for next step

The grainy LCD issue with my 1525 still isn't resolved, an engineer came around (4th engineer to visit) today and compared the screen with the one I have now and decided it wasn't worth replacing it since it had the same problem.

It seems I have 4 options now, and I can't decide what to do:

1) Get a new screen without the Truelife coating at the same res (wxga+): This is the option I'm inclined towards since the graininess issue is a result of bad Truelife coating but would Dell allow this?

2) Get a wxga screen and get a refund: When a tech came around yesterday, he bought a wxga LG screen instead of wxga+. I offered to keep the lower res if they gave me a partial refund for the extra I paid for wxga+. The tech people put a note for me to be called back but they never did. I'd still be willing to take a lower res screen for a partial refund.

3) Get a higher res screen (WSXGA) which apparently doesn't suffer from the graininess issue. This is what the tech told me today, but I haven't found anything to confirm it. Also, this screen res doesn't even show up when customizing the 1525, so would they allow it and would it work?

4) Get a refund: I don't want to this since the laptop works fine and I'd be making a loss if I returned it just because of a bad LCD.

What do you lot think?
Thanks.

 

Yeah, Samsung WXGA+ screens are very prone to graininess due to the Truelife coating. For some reason they just can't get it right. In regards to your options:

1) Yes, you are right that the graininess is due to the Truelife coating, but they will not allow it unless it is available for your model, which isn't. They are not going to custom request a screen to not have Truelife coating just for your purposes, so this is not an option.

2) This option seems good, though you may want to think whether you truly would be happy with that resolution since the font size and everything will be very big on a 15.4 incher, but hey at least you have a good display.

3) Actually WSXGA's manufactured by Samsung do suffer from the graininess issue, except it is the luck of the draw. For the M1530, the WSXGA screens by Samsung were grainy by a large majority (Over 98%) whereas the LG screens was perfect with very very rare cases of graininess (< 1%)

4) I'd say display is pretty important and if I were in your shoes... I would return it out of frustration that the screens are bad and maybe pick up an M1530 when there is a good discount available like 25%. Or I would just wait for a new Montevina refresh for the budget line inspirons to come out.

It really depends on whether the graininess bothers you or not. If its very unnoticable, its fine, but if you are picky like I am in that I want to get what I paid for, everything must be flawless, then you may want to return it or get a lower resolution if your fine with it.

I suggest you head over to an electronics store like Best Buy and set one of their 15.4'' laptops at the WXGA resolution to see if you would be comfortable with the size of everything and room you have to work with or not.

 

I got a call back from Dell after sending a rant to micheal_dell[at]dell.com (lol), and they said they'll send out a new laptop, with the same specs apart from the screen which will be wxga instead, and a 1GB USB drive as a good will gesture. Since I have a 2GB USB drive, 1GB isn't much use to me and is probably worth <£10, and told them that I'd take more RAM or bigger HD instead.

They refused to do any of those, saying they can only build to the same specs, so after a while, I accepted the usb drive.

I'm frikking tired of this whole mess, if the the laptop they send out is crap, I'm gonna get a refund and just buy a laptop from my local electronics store.

@Forte, thanks for the reply. My old and very very reliable Amilo (never had a problem with it) was a 15.4" 1280x800, although it's going to be weird going back to a lower res after using this LCD, I'd sacrifice a bit of room on the screen for an end to this headache.

*fingers crossed for a good laptop*

 

Awesome! Im glad Dell was able to lend a hand to help you out. Hopefully you get a good one this time!

 

This bad screen crap sure is giving me a headache. You would think that they would have standardized glossy coating specs long before releasing ANY laptop with screen quality that is clearly degraded.

If they made sunglasses, would they allow them to be so tinted that you couldn't see oncoming traffic from 30 ft away?

I am sorry that you received one poor screen after another. It certainly makes my hopes of getting a good one drop to nil. I need a decent computer for school and man, I think I will just return it if it comes back as crappy as I sent it out. That HP I was looking at is looking better every day . . .

And I have to MAIL the thing in, tying it up for weeks for a dubious repair at best. I've said it before and I will say it again, this is definitely a company that doesn't put their returns into the fire, they put it back out for sale. If they didn't do this then no one would be replacing parts 4 times (and still not getting it right)!
If the company could just respond a little differently, dig in to the 'good' parts bin when they get a complaint. That would show a lot more respect to the people that have high expectations for their computer. If you want to be a world class manufacturer of PCs, and you pride yourself on building some of the best and cheapest, then FIND a better part and test it BEFORE you turn it over to a discriminating consumer. After all, the screen is the main way you experience your PC when it is portable, so why lose out to Sony or Apple . . . who usually give you less for more, but pretty much can sell me on their displays alone!

 

The fact is for the 1440x900 resolution, the LED is the most popular, not the CCFL. They most likely have decreased shipments of the 1440 or screens just taking on dust whereas the LED backlit displays are more fresh.

At least you know which ones are bad and which ones are good. I'm just glad all LED screens are perfect.