Dead Pixels

When I got my Inspiron 8000, it had three dead pixels, and they were white. The pixels were no where near the center. At any rate, I made a big fuss. Made lots of phone calls, and Dell ended up replaxing the LCD.

As far as checking them, turn the screen into solid primary colors and black, and manually inspect it. If you can't see anything and the screen looks picture perfect, then I would say everything is OK.

Today, if I get a computer and pay three grand for it, and I noticed a single dead pixel, I would create an uproar in a diplomatic fashion, threatening to return the unit and order another! I could care less for the 5 pixel deal, I think its a measure that threatens business.

A dead pixel is a pixel that doesn't react as it should. These pixels stay black all of the time, are bright white or red, green, or blue. Dead pixels are already dead when the computer is shipped to you, usually there are no pixels that go dead after some months.
Today, many TFTs don't have any dead pixels, Dell replaces the screen if you have 5 or more dead pixels.

I found one stuck pixel on my lcd and sent it back the following day.  I paid for a fully working, none blemished lcd and no matter what manufacture made it, it had better be perfect, PERIOD .

If you are very nice and state that you are not happy with what you have, Dell may send you another, but if they don't, its up to you if you are willing to bite the bullet and keep it or pay for shipping back the monitor.

Sorry bud, but the link does not work, check it out, will ya.

It seems thought that "Screen Query" is a tool for Mac OS, it available for download at the following site:

http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/18908

Sorry about that!! It seems that the hosting site is down for some reason.

Here is low-tech version of the same http://www.gdargaud.net/Hack/DeadPixels.html

Well it is discouraging when you spend over a thousand dollars for a notebook to find you have dead pixels.  My story is as follows.  I ordered a Inspiron 5100 and received it 2/12/04.  Everything was cool for bout three hours then low and behold a dead pixel right smack in the middle of my screen black as can be.  So I call Dell and they apoligized for it and ordered me a replacement.  A week later I receive the second laptop works perfect for three days and then what again dead green pixel right in the middle again!  A little frustrated I call Dell and decide they need to send a new screen this time and have a tech install it.  So I get the confirmation that it will ship out and be installed next day.  Then I wake up 7am with a phone call from a Dell automated system letting me know the lcd screen was on backorder and would ship in 3-5 days.  A week later I get a call from the tech very nice guy and he comes out next day to install the LCD.  Installation of the screen goes fine until he goes to put the plastic power bezel back on and the machine wont power on.  The power button on the plastic bezel was not lining up with the button on the board.  So Dell ships me another strip same problem so then send a third strip and wow same problem.  Three days of replacing a plastic bezel and they decide hey we are Dell lets send a refurbished motherboard that will fix the problem.  Ok sure.  So two days later as the tech finishs the mobo install and puts on the plastic bezel still same problem.  So the tech calls Dell and says its still not working so we sit on hold as Dell tries to figure it out.  Twenty minutes later they Dell comes back on the line and tells the tech to have me ship back the second laptop to their repair department to have it looked at.  Now this is at the 30 day mark exactly from when the first system shipped and Dell wants me to return it to them and wait.  Of course not having a working laptop for 30 days was really irking me I declined many times as they tried to convince me they could resolve it.  Five tech calls later and you really think you can resolve it?  I told the lady send me a new laptop or send a label to return this one for a refund.  So after sitting on hold for 30 minutes she comes back and asks is the tech still there and of course the tech had to leave it was a saturday and he was working on his day off.  I said no he is not why?  Lady from Dell says well because the power button is not part of the motherboard and can be replaced seperately.  I told her I am not taking another service call from you guys send me a new laptop.  So I waited 10 more minutes before they finally said ok and gave me my dispatch information.  So a week later again here comes the third laptop from Dell.  With high hopes possibly they might have got something right I turn it on and smack in middle of screen a black pixel.  So after fighting with Dell again for a refund which they didn't want to give because it was out of the 30 day satisfaction guarantee for a laptop I had yet to use and talking with three reps playing phone tag as I was transferred from India to the US I got a dispatch number and an appointment for pickup of the second and third laptops.  Doesn't end there then when I get home from work that night I have a message on my machine from a Lady at Dell who could hardly speak English asking for what day I wanted a pickup because she forgot.  So I called again the next morning and finally got that fixed.  So lets say from dead pixels to manufacturing flaws my Dell experience was absolutely terrible.