14 DAY TRIAL // A federal class action lawsuit filed yesterday by Kabateck Brown Kellner, LLP (a consumer law firm), says that Apple is deliberately deceiving its customers. Apple lineup of iMacs sports different quality displays for each model, and while most boast an impressive 16 million colors on 8-bit in-plane switching (IPS) screens, one model in particular doesn't even come close to the standard Apple has set for the iMac's display.
In other words, Apple has fallen short of notifying its customers that the new 20-inch iMacs unveiled in August 2007 are inferior to the previous generation of iMacs and the 24-inch iMac, as far as the computers' displays go. According to the suit, filed in the U.S. District Court, Northern District of California in San Jose, 20-inch iMac monitors are incapable of displaying "millions of colors," even though Apple says they do.
"Apple is duping its customers into thinking they're buying 'new and improved' when in fact they're getting stuck with 'new and inferior,'" said Brian Kabateck, managing partner of Kabateck Brown Kellner. "Beneath Apple's 'good guy' image is a corporation that takes advantage of its customers. Our goal is to help those customers who were deceived and make sure Apple tells the truth in the future... Apple is squeezing more profits for itself by using cheap screens and its customers are unwittingly paying the price," Kabateck added.
According to the man, Apple told consumers that both the 20-inch iMac and the 24-inch iMac use screens capable of displaying "millions of colors at all resolutions." Yes, the 24-inch iMac is indeed capable of displaying 16,777,216 colors on 8-bit, in-plane switching (IPS) screens. Previous generation, 20-inch iMacs are also up to the task. The new 20-inch iMacs, however, can't even scratch the surface of what its high-end siblings are capable of, boasting a mere 262,144 colors - an embarrassing 98 percent fewer colors.
Needless to say, very few customers will buy a Mac specifically for the million-color feature. However, it can indeed act as a big influence on the potential customer. So that leaves you, the reader, to answer the burning question: is Apple deliberately trying to deceive potential iMac buyers by not highlighting all aspects about its iMacs' displays, or isn't it?