Ibook bright spot left bottom corner LCD on boot

Question

Hello Everyone,
First post here on the forums, and I'd like to thank all those who post answers regularly, in advance. You're knowledge and advice is very much appreciated.
I picked up a well cared for ibook g4, that I'm running OS x 10.5 on. The only fault, I've been able to find, is that on boot the gray screen, has a bright spot (almost like shining a penlight) in the bottom left corner. Would this be a dead pixel? or could it be another issue altogether.

Answer 1

Hello, and welcome to Apple Discussions!
The display, being a backlit liquid crystal display panel,
would have dark pixel squares of they were dead; or
if they are stuck, on one color that may have seen a
bit of time on the screen, such as a background.
Some people have been able to massage or lightly rub
the area a stuck (light or dark) pixel area of a flexible
LCD panel {the newer ones have a hard glass cover}
and if very careful to not further damage the display,
sometimes the pixel square that had not been active
or had been stuck, be it a color or just black, lit up.
I've tried this, using the back of a finger nail and to
be sure to avoid the end where it may be sharp; or
use a rounded small object that is not too small &
not sharp, to gently rub around the area and watch.
{Near some of the edges, behind the LCD panel, is
where the cold fluorescent backlight bulbs meet
the frame behind the LCD and its protective cover.
There may be something in there that has moved
over time, a bright pixel, or maybe a sample defect.}
A very bright light, on the other hand, may not be
just a white color, stuck, there may be a problem
in the mask or edge of the LCD panel where for
some reason, the cold fluorescent backlight shines
through or around the LCD panel, set in front of it.
Since I am not an expert, I can only tell you what
I know and have tried; and I also have read about
this kind of issue with stuck-on, or off, LCD bits.
There had also been some software that could test
and change colors in the display, to give it exercise
to see if the video processor and panel were OK;
and to tell if there were a problem in that system.
Not sure if the original Apple Hardware Test that
had been included with the computer when new as
part of the software packet (on installer DVD disc#1)
was included in your purchase; but that may be a
way to test the general condition of the hardware.
It may miss such subtle items as one bright place
on the computer's LCD panel.
If you are in a real city with an official Apple Store,
you may see about getting an appointment with
an expert genius to have them take a look and if
they have any ideas, they could share them. At
this time, given the holiday, you may have to wait
for some time after the first week in January or so;
but contacting a specialist who knows Apple LCD
and can identify the cause of a very bright place on
the panel (by cause and cure) may also be helpful.
Other than the expert's observation and experience,
which would be the best way to go, I can only suggest
some trial and error method of trying to make it work.
And do not press hard at all on the flexible surface of
the LCD panel. You can see the discoloration of the
normal pixel bits on the screen as you touch it lightly.
The back of the finger and away from the edge of a
fingernail can be about the right tool for the job; others
have used a soft pencil eraser (white synthetic, clean)
to rub their display areas to do this.
I'd suspect a very bright pin-point of light from an LCD
panel in a small location should be investigated; in
part to see if there is any physical damage or defect
that may mean something more involved, or not. I'd
go as far as to turn down the brightness and look at
the bright place with a magnifier to see if something
could be seen around the edges of the bright pixel.
Since there is a plastic outer layer that should protect
the LCD panel, there should be no outward evidence
of someone accidentally pressing a sharp point into it.
Unless there is obvious evidence, I'd think it was a
stuck pixel... Or some minor defect in the panel.
If only a stuck pixel, a tool such as JScreenFix applet
may help, it runs a series of colored random shapes
in a pattern and that may reset the color of the LCD
so all of the supported ones are exercised.
Some ideas are presented here, along that thought:
How to: Fix a Stuck or Dead Pixel
http://www.unplggd.com/unplggd/software/how-to-fix-a-stuck-or-dead-pixel--095332
JScreenFix, some ideas/links, and to launch applet test:
http://www.jscreenfix.com/basic.php
the JScreenFix test in a browser window
{their suggestion to use F11 for full-screen does not work}
http://www.jscreenfix.com/applet.php?width=1440&height=900
Good luck & happy computing!
{ edited to add links }