MBP unexpectedly crashes with black screen, but still appears to be on?

Question

Hi. I'm on my second MBP -- had to return the first one after a series of kernel panics, including during Software Update immediately following an erase and restore (a problem described in at least one other post). After using the Migration Assistant on this brand new second machine, I experienced a problem I've never encountered before: I'd be doing something random and non-taxing, like listening to iTunes, browsing with Safari, etc., when suddenly the screen would go black, as if the computer had shut down on its own...but the MBP still seemed to be on, as indicated by the light on the clasp button. When I'd hold down the power button, the computer would actually shut down, and then I could restart it. Sometimes I could restart it right away, but two other times I literally had to keep pressing the button down over and over until finally it would start up.
Well, I assumed this had something to do with the Migration Assistant, and I knew the AppleCare guys and gals would just recommend the erase and restore method, so I did it, without transferring any files. That was two nights ago. I used the computer all of yesterday with only the default apps, and everything was fine. Then this afternoon, I transferred just some data -- photos, mp3s -- but no apps. Everything still seemed fine, except for iPhoto crashing...but okay, I was importing about 2000 pictures.
I was just about to breathe a sigh of relief and move on to the next step, downloading/reinstalling the various non-Apple apps I use, when BAM -- ironically, I had just clicked on the MacBook Pro link on the main Apple Discussions page, when the screen went black and I had to restart the computer.
Does my problem sound familiar to anyone? Has anyone experienced it, or does it at least sound familiar as a symptom of a particular source problem? The AppleCare techies say not, but I've gotten the sense from reading this board just for a few minutes that they're not always the most straightforward about these problems, which, although understandable as a company, is obviously extremely unhelpful to those of us with problems.
Anyway, any advice or suggstions would certainly be appreciated. If this keeps happening, I'll have to return this MBP for a third one, and as someone who's both been an Apple user for about twelve years, and worked for Apple for about four (as both an original employee at the Apple Store SoHo and a campus rep for my school), that'd be a huge disappointment.
Thanks guys!
MacBook Pro   Mac OS X (10.4.6)   2 GHz, 1 gig RAM, 100 gig HD

Answer 1

hi,
is there anything that is covering around the ear speaker??
if so try and remove it...
i don't think u need the screen on to perform a restore!! everything u do is on the computer...