One reader went searching for Apple's policy after finding a dead pixel on a 17-inch Studio display he had just purchased. What he found was this "pixel anomalies" document that, after going on and on about how a bad pixel never hurt anybody, concludes:

"If you suspect your display contains a high number of pixel anomalies, take your Apple product to an Apple Authorized Service Provider for closer examination. There may be a charge for the evaluation."

So not only was the reader highly unlikely to get a replacement, he could be charged for asking for one. "Apple's policy is very unclear, as it does not put any limit on how many bad pixels it might think are acceptable," the reader said. "Not only is their policy extremely subjective, but you have to take the equipment to an Apple representative who might charge you for the evaluation even if they conclude you don't have enough bad pixels for their warranty."

Fortunately, that reader didn't need a defect-free monitor, but other readers are in situations where dead pixels cause them much more grief. "As creative director, I made the decision to get 30" Cinema Displays for my hard working staff -- five of them in total," wrote another reader. "They are a great conversation piece. One arrived with four dead pixels -- always on and glowing bright white. Not much compared with the 2560x1600 resolution, but they are clustered dead center in front of the eyeballs! Try doing fine retouching on an image when you know those four &^^$&^$% pixels are there. Apple told us it's an acceptable number. For $13K we expect NO DEAD PIXELS! Apple even treated me like an idiot for suggesting it might be their problem. Still, they are nice to look at from far."

Another reader with several defects on a 20-inch Cinema display was initially reassured by Apple that even one dead pixel was grounds for replacement. "Wow, I was relieved - what a high-quality product, thought I," the reader wrote. But when he checked up on the status of his case a few days later, it was a different story. "Now I'm stuck in a tedious runaround between the reseller telling me they can't do anything, Apple reps telling me SIX different answers to my 'so how many dead pixels are allowed?' question, and, furthermore, getting no real answers to any of my questions. I asked where my monitor was made. They don't know. I asked them who could tell me, they don't know. I asked them why I paid a triple-the-market price as opposed to competitors for an Apple display, thinking they would hold to their quality. And guess what. Nothing. I'm beginning to believe everything we buy these days is a sham. What is the manufacturing cost of these monitors? It must be low, if other companies can sell similar monitors for hundreds less. Who wrote this 'Industry Standard? Who decided that it was okay for a single dead pixel to hit the shelves? It's ridiculous!"

So which is worse, a dead pixel policy that sets an arbitrary number of required defects, or a totally arbitrary policy like the one Apple seems to have? Manufacturers often say that these policies need to be flexible, so for example a couple of glowing red pixels in the middle of the display would warrant replacement whereas a dozen hard-to-see defects on the periphery might not. But Apple's refusal to state a policy is obviously not about being flexible - four bright white pixels in the middle of a $2,500 screen should be considered a defective product in anybody's book.

And it's interesting to note that Apple's "pixel anomaly" non-policy applies not to only to flat panel monitors and laptops but iPods with color displays well. So more and more customers are likely to find themselves confronted with the glaring fact that the Apple logo on the device they paid such good money for doesn't mean what they thought it did.