Apple is now currently embroiled in a new lawsuit alleging that the absence of a specific component on its iMacs and MacBooks result in display and performance problems.
The filing asserts that the Cupertino brand is selling those devices without proper air and dust filters in place, which has led to damage with processors and displays. The company has "failed to install filters for the computers' vents," says law firm Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro, representing plaintiffs Kim Ahern, Nikolas Frenzel, and Justin Evans.
Firm Actively Looking For More Plaintiffs For New Apple Lawsuit
As of this writing, the firm is apparently seeking more plaintiffs, specifically anyone whose iMac or MacBook is suspected to be experiencing display or performance problems because of dust.
It's not immediately clear how pervasive the issue is, but affected units are described as having "dark smudges or spots" inside their displays, in addition to performance slowdowns and crashes as a result of dust accumulating on the logic board.
The lawsuit claims affected users have had to shell out a lot of money just to have their machines repaired because of the issue, with some spending as much as $650 for non-warranty screen replacements when the fix might be as simple as removing the display and wiping the smudges down with a rag.
Ahern, one of the plaintiffs, is said to have encountered screen smudges after just nine months of buying a 27-inch iMac, and learned through Google that there were others experiencing similar problems. Apparently, Apple's own support staff were unable to solve the mishap, and that they denied knowledge of any widespread issue.
Evans, on the other hand, have had to replace his iMac display three times to date, two times of which were at his own expense. He also paid $900 for a logic board replacement after the device started overheating and slowing down.
The firm says "Apple refuses to remedy the defect," and instead, the company is apparently forcing customers to pay "more than $500 to fix this screen defect, and even more if they wish to replace parts integral to the computer's speed and performance." The lawsuit seeks to reimburse affected users for their losses in costs to repair the aforementioned defects, in addition to the loss of use of their computer.
Apple And Lawsuits
This is, of course, not the first time for Apple to face a class-action lawsuit. Most recently, it was hit with one alleging its newer-generation keyboards were faulty. "Thousands" of users complained about their keys not working, becoming unresponsive, or remaining stuck and unclickable altogether. Apple has since updated its keyboard, as seen on the much newer MacBook models.
