Apple?s MacBook Pro With Retina Display Sees First Problems; Genius Bar Workers Try To Fix Ghost Images

Reports began to surface in Apple Support Communities, with users complaining that images remain on the screen for several minutes after they should have faded away. The glitch has sometimes been referred to as ghosting, and is not believed to be widespread. Forum members have noted that the sustained image is only noticeable on light-colored backgrounds, and can last on the screen for up to five minutes before fading.

Apple is aware of the matter and has ordered replacement units for those affected, Apple Insider reports. The company offers a 14-day no questions asked policy when it comes to replacing or returning a defective device, making it easy for users to exchange laptops or other products without questioning. But in some cases, users will have to wait two to three weeks to replace their faulty laptops due to high demand for the MacBook Pro.

The exact cause of the malfunction is unclear, but Apple Insider has warned that image retention has also occurred on other devices that include IPS (in-plane switching) displays. Others speculate that this could have just been a bad batch of MacBook Pros.

In addition to the ghosting malfunction, some users have reported issues with mounting USB 3.0 external drives on the new generation of MacBooks. A slew of recent posts in Apple's Support Communities and other Mac discussion boards indicate that users of the Retina Display MacBook Pros and MacBook Air models are having trouble when mounting these drives. These USB 3.0 drive models were able to be mounted on previous MacBook Pros, the readers said, according to ZDNet.

One user described his experience at the Apple Store Genius Bar, saying that the problem could be that the driver from the hard drive thinks that it is still operating on a USB 2.0, but the Retina Display MacBook Pros are trying to read it as a 3.0.

Users may be taking their Retina Display MacBook Pros to the Genius Bar more frequently than its predecessors. The way the new laptop is built makes it nearly impossible for owners to replace the battery themselves. In the Retina Display MacBook Pro models, the battery is secured with glue, unlike former laptops that used screws to keep the battery locked inside the device. This does not mean that replacing the battery was easy before, but the current edition is trickier due to the battery being located right above the laptop's trackpad cable.

The fee to replace the battery will also be more expensive than in the past, with Apple charging users $199. This is 54 percent higher than the cost to install a new battery in MacBook Air laptops.

The Retina Display MacBook Pro was voted the least repairable laptop ever by iFixIt, the repair team that dismantled Apple's latest device to delve into its inner workings. The team gave the new laptop a repair score of 1 out of 10, according to VentureBeat.

The new line of laptops boasts a 2.3GHz Intel Core i7 Quad-Core processor with 25GB of flash storage. With Mac OS X 10.7 Mountain Lion right out of the box, the next-generation computer also contains integrated stereo speakers, a 15.4-inch' widescreen LED-Backlit IPS display, and a FaceTime HD camera with dual microphones among other features.

The MacBook Pro with Retina Display was unveiled in early June, and could guarantee the company an additional $1 billion in pure profit, according to Cult of Mac.