In a posting to its Web site, Apple said it was launching a worldwide program offering free repairs to customers with faulty logic boards producing various display problems, such as scrambled or distorted video, the appearance of unexpected lines on the screen, and video that freezes or displays intermittently.
Problems with the iBook had been a frequent topic on various Mac enthusiast sites in the weeks leading up to this month's Macworld Expo in San Francisco.
Apple said the program covers iBooks with serial numbers between UV220XXXXXX to UV318XXXXXX. The company said the problem was related to a particular component on the logic board and added that the problem does not pose any known safety issues.
"The iBook Logic Board Repair Extension Program is a worldwide program covering repair or replacement of the logic board in specific iBook models manufactured between May 2002 and April 2003 that are experiencing specific component failures," Apple said on its site.
The computer maker said it would cover machines within three years of their first retail sale and also said it would reimburse affected customers that had already paid for repairs related to the logic board issue.
Those who think they are affected are encouraged to call Apple or an authorized service provider. Apple said it will bear all costs for the repairs, including shipping, and said that the fix could include either repairing or replacing the iBook's main logic board.
