DSLR Photography Forum

So I was having this issue with the new Mac's display illumination fluctuating. I was unhappy because my beloved machine started out with a problem and developped a headache from staring at the screen for hours.

Apple phone service was great, friendly, walking me through some trouble shooting and suggested fixes step by step. then I had to take a break as I just could not look at the screen any more.

Today I sat down at it again, started doing some pics, same problem still showing.
I had a hunch it might have something to do with the ambient light, but wasn't sure.
Tried everything, power plugged in or running on battery, ext. HD on/off, various different progams,
still trying to figure out any correlation with any actions I take.

finally I moved the computer a few inches across the desk and when I did that the screen went significantly darker.
I took my hands off - it brightened up. :o :o :o

to cut a long story short: there are ambient light sensors in the speakers on both sides of the keyboard that control the illumination of the screen according to light conditions. Naturally, using lots of keyboard shortcuts, I was often moving one or both hands over the speakers and that would have caused the variation in illumination !!!!!

I turned this feature off now and pray that that will fix it and that there is not actually a hardware problem (oversensitive sensors.....). Even if it were though, my dear Mac is fully covered by international warranty, great stuff.

I am so relieved!! (And feel a tiny bit stupid, too...)

Greetings!

Uli

I'm glad to hear that the problem's been solved.

Don't go blaming yourself for this -- Apple Computer was founded on the idea that if a person couldn't get a computer to do something, then it was the computer that was at fault, not the person. I'm surprised that the Applecare people missed it, but they may not have known about that particular feature, either.

I guess if they put a feature in to turn it off ,they must have known about it.
Glad you found the answer Uli, and maybe helped a few thousand other users in the process.