Some New iMacs Arrive DOA, Have Cracked Screens

Apple has a bit of a quality assurance problem on its hands, according to press reports. Several publications are reporting that the new iMacs based on Intel’s Core i7 platform are inoperable out of the box, and some have even appeared with cracked LCD screens.

While the cracking issue is definitely not associated with the new Intel chip, the booting issue very well could be. Making matters worse for Apple, tech blog Engadget was one of the (un)lucky recipients of one of these falty iMacs. According to reports on Apple’s own support forums, Cupertino is estimating a two-week wait on getting out replacement Macs to these customers.

While the cause of the screen cracks–which commonly appear on the lower left hand corner–is unknown, speculation points to the packaging. The cardboard box is delivered undamaged, so the problem could be in the packing or just simply the fragility of this new larger models.

Apple has not commented on the issue so far.