Smoking Near Apple Computers Creates Biohazard, Voids Warranty

The Consumerist ^ | November 20, 2009 | Laura Northrup

[listenhillary]

Unless you've just arrived in 2009 on a time machine, you know that smoking isn't good for you. Did you know, that smoking isn't good for your computer, either? It's true, at least according to Apple. Two readers in different parts of the country claim that their Applecare warranties were voided due to secondhand smoke. Both readers appealed their cases up to the office of God Steve Jobs himself. Both lost.

Back in April, Derek copied us on his e-mail to Jobs:

I took my mid 2007 apple macbook (black) into the Jordan Creek Apple Store in West Des Moines, Iowa, on Saturday, April 25th, because I had been experiencing some issues with it overheating, and figured the fan was bad. After some initial testing, they took the computer in for work under my Applecare plan, which has over a year remaining on it.

Today, April, 28, 2008, the Apple store called and informed me that due to the computer having been used in a house where there was smoking, that has voided the warranty and they refuse to work on the machine, due to "health risks of second hand smoke".

Not only is this faulty science, attributing non smoking residue to second hand smoke, on Chad's part, no where in your applecare terms of service can I find anything mentioning being used in a smoking environment as voiding the warranty.

[listenhillary]

You assumed incorrectly. Sorry for being a little indirect in pointing it out.

[Swordmaker]

I think we're seeing some second hand smoke fud here... PING!

Mac Ping!

If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.

[Talisker]

You assumed incorrectly. Sorry for being a little indirect in pointing it out.

Then your position statement was indirect as well. "I've seen some very disgusting computer cases owned by smokers" seems pretty sympathetic to Apple's reasoning for denying service.

[grjr21]

What a bunch of ( deleting words that will get me banned)

I’ve worked in some pretty vile places and I guarantee that a smokey computer is nothing.

They should watch Dirty Jobs on the Discovery channel.

[listenhillary]

No, I just said that I had seen some nasty cases that had been used by smokers. I took no side on whether Apple should honor their warranty because their wuss employees didn't want to do it.

I think they should mention that smoke damage will void the warranty if that is going to be their policy.

[listenhillary]

Can I borrow your leaf blower? ;)

[Minn]

The warranties have always been honored.

Huh? Warranties honored? Apples don't need service I thought.

[Talisker]

...I just said that I had seen some nasty cases that had been used by smokers. I took no side on whether Apple should honor their warranty...

LOL, then pardon me. I just figured that the topic your comment, posted immediately after the topic of the article, implied a link. My mistake.

[Sodbuster09]

That doesnt prove anything other than have dirty fans and parts. Was it analyzed for smoke particles? Most puters sit in low places where foot traffic and pets can kick up dust that get pulled into, through and out the chassis.

[listenhillary]

The smoke creates a unique yellowish sticky goo with fuzz. It doesn’t come off with compressed air. If your carpet, dog/cat’s hair is like this, they need more frequent baths.

[ThomasThomas]

The dirties machines I have seen have be around large amounts of cash.

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

"That doesnt prove anything other than have dirty fans and parts. Was it analyzed for smoke particles?"

My nose can do that part.

My initial reaction to the headline was, "Well Apple has finally jumped the shark in embracing social-engineering leftishness." And I thought that as a fan of their sublime hardware and software. But then I considered some of the truly gross situations I've witnessed with chain-smokers. Every surface becomes a fuzzy, stinky, gooey mess. And I sympathize with the techs who have to work on such becrudded equipment. In all fairness, Apple has a valid point.

[MediaMole]

That looks like some sort of industrial residue. Smokers’ computers have a greyer residue.

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

"Huh? Warranties honored? Apples don't need service I thought."

Don't be a troll. They use the same disk drives, fans, etc., as any other high-end personal computer. It's their software that sets them apart.

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

"Smokers’ computers have a greyer residue."

Depends on what they're smokin'.

Seriously, the tarry stuff (which tends to smell better to us non-smokers) is what gets sticky.

I enjoy a rare pipeful of good-quality tobacco, but I make a point of not smoking around sensitive equipment with sub-micron tolerances. Like computers. And wives.

[EyeGuy]

I hear if you slice into a succulent Gaia-exploiting New York Strip within 10 feet of an Oh-so-hip Apple, it actually has the capability of packing itself up and moving out of your house.

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

Having said what I said, calling it a “biohazard” is probably over-the top. I use the weasel-word word “probably” because I’ve seen some really gross smoker-related situations that would definitely have merited that adjective. But chances are that the use of the term is just silly in this case. I’d doubt that anyone’s health is put at risk from working on a machine gummed up with gooey tobakky-fur. But it’s possible.

[familyop]

Build your own computers from standard parts. They can be built to run much faster and cooler than name brand machines for far less money. ...can even add filters to avoid vacuuming the innards often. Warranties aren’t worth what they cost, and it’s easy to replace parts. Install Ubuntu Linux, if you want an operating system that’s easy to install and runs all of the 64-bit software that you’ll need and much more.

As for cigarette smoke (or greasy residues from sloppy, politically correct, corporate/government employee retards, their STD germs, etc.), it all washes off of the not-so-delicate machines.

[rockrr]

Sometimes it's not the smoke that gets ya...

[freemike]

I guess MACS are crap. They can’t handle a little smoke. Buy windows.