Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!ogicse!zephyr.ens.tek.com!videovax!bill
From: bill@videovax.tv.tek.com (William K. McFadden)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.handhelds
Subject: Re: My LCD is Dying!
Keywords: 48SX
Message-ID: <6091@videovax.tv.tek.com>
Date: 17 Oct 90 20:13:29 GMT
References: <6071@videovax.tv.tek.com> <1990Oct16.074952.7324@mathrt0.math.chalmers.se>
Reply-To: bill@videovax.tv.tek.com (William K. McFadden)
Organization: Tektronix TV Measurement Systems, Beaverton OR
Lines: 27

I thought I should follow this up, because apparently it may start happening to
more people.  I got a call from an engineer at HP who explained it to me:

The problem is the LCD manufacturer messed up on the artwork for one of the
mask layers.  This causes a trace to be gradually dissolved electrochemically,
resulting in a blemish in the upper left corner of the display.  I was told
this blemish will continue to get worse until pixels start failing completely
(this is already starting to happen to me).

The good news is HP will replace the calculator for free (incidentally
upgrading you to REV. E).  This was an early production problem that only
affects certain date codes.  The problem is now fixed, so newer calculators
will not be affected.

BTW, he did say HP will replace a calculator even if the it's out of warranty,
because there's no telling how long the display will last before it fails, if
at all.  So far only about twenty calculators have been returned for this
problem, so it's not yet widely known.

DISCLAIMER:
This information is not guaranteed, so if HP decides not to fix your calculator
out of warranty, don't come crying to me!
-- 
Bill McFadden    Tektronix, Inc.  P.O. Box 500  MS 58-639  Beaverton, OR  97077
bill@videovax.tv.tek.com,     {hplabs,uw-beaver,decvax}!tektronix!videovax!bill
Phone: (503) 627-6920       "The biggest difference between developing a missle
component and a toy is the 'cost constraint.'" -- John Anderson, Engineer, TI