"with remarkable consistency and reliability"
Although I have found that MANY dim or go out, not all do. I have dozens of 2650's and 2850's, and some are dim, a few have gone out (or just glow a faint color with no text), and some are bright as when they were brand new. So, while I have noticed this too, I have noticed no consistency. I even have a few 2950's right here - one is dim, the other 6 are still bright. Not sure why they do that though ... unless LCD/LED has come a long way since 2002-2006 (production dates of 2650/2850/2950). I have not noticed this on any of my newer machines (R510, R710s, all close to, but less than, 2 years old).