It seems that a few Apple warranties have been deemed void due to the fact that the owner was a a smoker, and consequently their Macs were contaminated. The Applecare contract says nothing about this, and the list of toxic materials includes other such dangerous household items as talcum powder and isopropyl alcohol. There’s a long discussion of consumer rights and nanny laws and all that sort of thing just waiting to be pulled out of this story, but let’s not and say we did.
I’m really more interested in whether any of these ostensibly dangerous materials actually do have an effect on your computer’s hardware. In my experience, the most lethal thing in the house is just the dust and fluff that gets sucked into your fan intakes. That or coffee.
How can they tell?
they can tell from the smell. If it smells like cigarettes, they can void the warranty. Unless you smoke these things.
then you’ll be safe and maybe save your own life!
what the heck are you talking about.. i’ve had “those thing.. ad they are no as good as regulars.. trust me..
but if you smoke even 1 or 2 smokes a day u can be killing yoruself, thats why smoking these can be way better:
http://electroniccigaretteinformation.org/
i’ve been using the ssticks for a while.. but i cant say these are better than the luci’s on the site too.
They void the warranty because it is not a manufacturer defect, it’s neglagence. The tar causes it to build-up dust and dirt faster between the heatsink blades, chips, motherboard, fan, etc., causing a premature failure. This means more unneccesary returns and inspections that cost the company money. So, this is their way of saying thanks for wasting their time. VOID.
P.S. Don’t forget employees of companies search the internet for customer product reviews and sometimes pretend to be a “customer” and give false good feedback, unneccessary reccomendations, and plain old lies!
I’ve read about this before – apparently you can get a build-up of tar residue on computer components, and it will gum up fans and what have you over time.
Is it toxic enough to damage circuitboards or otherwise completely destroy a machine? Harder to tell, but I can’t imagine it would do them any good. The gunk would likely harm the thermal efficiency of components, but a years’ worth of accumulated dust would probably do the same thing.
All that aside, Apple’s issue seems to be with the OS&H implications of having a technician clean the inside of the machine. Second-hand cigarette tar is of course carcinogenic to an extent, but unless you’re bathing in the stuff daily at a given Apple Repair Centre I can’t see it would reduce you lifespan by any appreciable amount.
I’ve read about this before – apparently you can get a build-up of tar residue on computer components, and it will gum up fans and what have you over time.
Apple didn’t refuse to honor the warranty because of the damage it might have caused on the hardware. Apple’s argument is that the toxic materials accumulated on the hardware is harmful to their tecnical service employees.
So what about candle smoke, smoke from cooking with different oils, or even anything that is in recirculated air which is in most high rises.
From someone who services computers I can tell you first hand that it’s really nasty working on a smoker’s computer. I think it’s inconsiderate first of all that smokers don’t take it outside. Yes it’s their house and they can obviously do whatever they please. Would you vomit on an article of clothing before taking it to the tailor to be mended? Would you bug-bomb your house just before you call the cable company to fix your cable? Not unless you were very inconsiderate.
The fact that it builds up in the computer case says a lot about how bad the air quality inside the house must be.
Anyone that smokes near their PC should be aware that the smoke from their cigarettes does stick to the inside of the computer case and gets all over the components. Also, cigarette smoke and dust combine to make a thick cobweb-like substance that can prevent fans from operating normally. This can cause overheating and reduce the lifespan of the computer.
@que: I imagine that if you used a computer right near where you were cooking with oils, it could possibly get in your computer. I’ve yet to see this. Nevertheless I’d rather be the guy cleaning out that computer, than the guy that has to clean the nasty cigarette smoke / dust combination that carpets the inside of computer cases. You’d have to be burning a crapload of candles to match the kind of smoke residue that accumulates in a household where people are smoking indoors.
Smokers are always inconsiderate. It is kinda their thing. They don’t care what others think…because they are badboys….rebels….FIERCE!
That’s how they all see they see themselves anyway….the rest of us just see them as they really are: stinky douchebags.
Seriously. Us smokers are so inconsiderate. Smoking on our own property. The nerve. I guess we may be inconsiderate bad boys, but at least were not cry baby liberal losers like you. Get a life.
I’m really not all that liberal….just despise stinky douchebags. Go ahead and smoke on your own property…..in fact just stay there 24/7. Right before you die..try to send a tweet or call someone…that way we’ll know to come and bulldoze your stinky house and your stinky corpse into a ditch..
It’s not the “smoking on our own property” that makes smokers inconsiderate…
It’s that smokers are “not considering” where their carcinogenic exhaust is going once it leaves their car window, apartment window, house window, etc. They are also “not considering” where else their cigarette residue may be ending up, such as on their clothes, on the upholstery in their home, or in their vehicle, or inside their computer. It’s probably not even noticeable to most smokers, but it’s a cruel and unusual form of torture to someone who can’t stand the smell of cigarette smoke to have to be forced to smell this residue from smokers.
This stink comes with them to work on their clothes, and when they talk at you with their stinky cigarette breath or if you have to sit in their office or their car and everything reeks like an ashtray.
So I will summarize that it’s not what you do in your own house or on your own property that makes you smokers inconsiderate. It’s what else that smoke is doing and where it’s going that you’re _NOT_ considering.
It’s so ironic that apple refuses to fix one of their products when others (iPhones) have been known to spontianiously burst into flames.
Accept it people, smoking is just bad news anyway you look at it. Seems like everyday a new problem arises attributed to smoking. However, I think Apple is just begging for a lawsuit if it refuses to honor warranties for smokers. Someone will go to court a claim there constitution right to kill themselves and others slowly, including their computers.
As someone who’s a non smoker and has to fix computers from smokers on a regular basis, i can tell you that there is nothing more discussing than that. Even the occasional dead mouse or other vermin you find inside pc’s is nothing like it.
At least a dead mouse makes for a clever story and a photo to throw on your facebook page: “omg lol! pic from work today rofl!”.
Outside of my office near the parking lot there was a dead duck for several days. Wasn’t nearly as gross as the rank smell from the ground where the smokers throw all their buts… disgusting…
Does weed count?
I smoke weed heavily, and although it obviously does effect my PC a bit, I have yet to noticeably decrease the longevity of my hardware because of this. If hardware can’t make it past the warranty then it’s manufactured badly, smoking or not. Apple are just looking for any excuse to save money, largely because they’re a shit business that has to do the dirty on it’s customers to make money…not very unusual, but still sad.
I’ve yet to see a computer that’s been negatively affected by pot. Could you take a look inside your computer for us and tell us how it looks? Is there any tar buildup?
I think the issue here revolves entirely around cigarette smoke (and all that it contains). I’ve seen smokers computers where there was so much tar inside the case that it was dripping down the insides like someone sprayed molasses all over the inside of the computer. I seriously doubt that would happen with marijuana, but I could be wrong.
When I worked for Apple as a Genius at the bar and when I was a Apple Technician for a Authorized Service Provider, we got a few computers in with Cigarette “Smoke Inhalation” and Yes I refused service. One computer was a White iMac the old bubble one and it wasn’t white anymore it was GREY and it was nasty. As a technician we know that carbon from smoking can indeed cause damage to electronic devices. Plus it just nasty! I also, while working at the Apple Store opened a computer and it just stunk. You could smell the smoke and also the mildew that accumulated. When I opened it iMac (white flat screen) there was tar buildup on the circuit board and after seeing that I voided his warranty. Apple Care covers Manufacture defect, NOT abuse by the customer.
Damn. They must of been chain smoking in a closet. Tar build up on the INSIDE. That’s nasty
My buddy’s Vaio drank an entire cup of campbells chicken noodle soup once. Still works 100%…just smells like dinner when it heats up now.
i can’t wait for the next way to void your warranty, “well sir you have dust in your computer, your warranty is voided sorry, we dont fix computers that has dust lmao”
thanks the information has provided me a lot of information, your blog is very good
I found this to be a great read I am currently in the prosess of starting a buissnes in pc and laptop manufacture. And are in the prosess of working out warrenty and I totaly agree with apple on this (for a change) as I don’t beleave it’s right to suject my staff to dealing with contaminated equiment. A couple of points to note are
1 I am a smoker
2 I have also worked hands on with some pritty nasty kit and would not wish it on any one elce
so in the same way I would reject a warrenty of a customer returned system that had been misused. I would reject one filled with tar.
At the end of the day we as employers have a duty of care to our staff. So it’s not so much try and save a few coins it’s why should I make one of my staff do somthing I won’t do!
If they refuse to honor the warranty because of smoke or tar unless it was agreed beforehand verbally or in the contract it self then they are required to honor it regardless
nerds
yeah i agree with advisor. it’s fine for them to void the warranty if and only if it is agreed upon the contract. But if it is not, then the owner has the right for the warranty regardless of secondhand smoke.
Yes the effect of smoking is shown on computer’s warranty. because the bad effect of smoking is shown on hardware. But i think there is no effect on software. for more detail goto http://www.ordercomputer.com