“The Consumerist says the complaint as been raised as far as Steve Jobs’ office, with no relief for the customers involved,” Coursey reports. “The story was reported on Friday, though the Consumerist said it had sought, but failed to receive, any explanation from Apple HQ over a period of months. (The site is part of the Consumers Union/Consumer Reports organization, so I deem the report credible).”
Coursey reports, “First, that Apple–presuming they are not merely trying to avoid warranty claims, which seems far-fetched–would not send the customers a refurbished Mac as a replacement for the smokehouse Macs… Second, my hazardous materials training has taught me that however dangerous smoke residue may be, there is a way to deal with it. With its billions, Apple could buy a containment chamber where work could be done in a completely different atmosphere from where the technician stood.”
“Imagine one of those chambers that lab workers use, inserting their hands through holes in the box into permanently attached gloves. Only the gloves and a set of tools from inside the box touch the computer,” Coursey suggests, apparently with a straight face. “If something along this line is good enough for smallpox and Ebola, it will probably protect someone from a smoky Mac.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Lava_Head_UK” for the heads up.]
The hell with smokers, and people with tattoos too
LOL Jim
Does this mean Apple won’t work on the demo macs in all their European and Asian stores, where people smoke anywhere at anytime?
Hooooray my first mention on MDN
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Let them work out side on them and let the technicians that smoke smoke while they work on them. They will jump at the opportunity to smoke while they work. There will be a line of technicians wanting to take their turn at it!
@iPhoneEnvy
Where in Europe can anyone smoke anywhere at anytime?
On Freerepublic one of our Mac Ping list members called Apple Support and was told by Randy this was not true… Apple does not refuse to work on smoker’s Macs. This is pure FUD.
As a former Apple Genius, I have on several occasions told a customer that I would not work on their smoked-out Mac Pro/Power Mac. As a smoker myself at the time, it was probably partially the reason I quit smoking. I can’t believe the how disgusting some people are. Smoking IS NOT A PROTECTED CLASS!
p.s. clean your computer before brining it to the bar
I’m not sure I’ve ever read anything so nonsensical in my life. Apple really should have a think about how much this makes them look like a company with it head up its arse.
Gotta love the internet… anyone can post a bogus story about most anything and most everyone believes it.
I’m thinking of writing a story about how Apple refused to sell me a new iMac because I got divorced and they were worried I wouldn’t be taking it to a stable home. Or better yet… how about the new iTunes Store policy that prevents people of color from using the Genius suggestions?
Geesh!!!
Back in the day of working in the service department, we used 409 when we got these Macs. You could spray the case and watch it turn brown as it ran down the case.
Everything inside was coated with a layer of tan sludge. It looked as if someone sprayed the entire inside with light brown spraypaint.
Those were the worst to work on.
As much as I hate people who smoke, Apple should not deny a repair because it deems there is too much smoke residue without having written guidelines in place. Those guidelines should explain what constitutes too much residue and how Apple determines that fact. The guidelines should also explicitly state what Apple will or will not do. Perhaps Apple can repair and clean the machine for an additional fee – an extra $150 to pay for the extra protection for it’s employees. For example, Avis now charges a $200 cleanup fee if it smells smoke in the car. (What is unclear is how one proves one did not smoke if Avis says the rental car smells like smoke upon return of the car.) Until there is written guidance from Apple – and folks should be grandfathered into policy at the time the machine / AppleCare was purchased – Apple should repair the machines as stipulated in the agreement.
@FightingMongoose… as a former Apple Genius, I really have a difficult time believing that you wouldn’t register with MDN so your comments carry some validity. I call bogus!!!
Mongoose,
Mac Pro fair enough.
But how is one supposed to clean a mini, or an iMac or any laptop?
BTW, gave up smoking over a decade ago!
and people who drive with their foglights on all the time too
oops, that was supposed to have @Jim at the start
There is absolutely no evidence that the stink from cigarette smoke residing on surfaces, let alone a Mac, causes any health risk, let alone a serious health risk. Yes, the stink is very annoying; I’ve been in work places and homes where smokers work and reside and it’s very annoying to me. I’ve seen the plastic of old computers discolored by cigarette smoke.
A warranty, however, is a warranty. The green nazis at Apple are getting quite obnoxious. Perhaps, a WWl gas mask would do, or, simply a clothes pin.
JEJ
Before all you left wing environmentalist Greenpeacers start jumping up and cheering let me tell you it cuts both ways.
My sister spilled a carton of soy milk all over my laptop and no Genius bar around would touch it. Jerks.
OK, trying to stand back and not say vile things about smokers, their habits, their cleanliness, or other foibles. Not much, anyway.
Smoke – any sort – deposits layers of … ‘crud’? … on anything it touches. I once moved into a house that had previously been the home of a smoker (1st floor) and a non-smoker (2nd floor). The difference soon became painfully obvious. Both sort of ‘looked clean’, but the downstairs was darker. Until we cleaned the windows. Several times. With increasing levels of nasty cleaners. Then we re-painted and wall-papered to get rid of the residual odor. That helped.
My Point: those deposits also have an effect on electronics. People who want to destroy their gear have every right to do so. But no right to get them repaired at someone else’s expense.
HMCIV, that is the most retarded thing I have heard today. Not that they wont touch it. But A) that you assume they would when the damage was caused by pouring milk on it. B) that you yell at “environmentalist” yet your sister is drinking soy milk.
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Too funny!
As a non-smoking Mac tech, going to a smoker’s house was always unpleasant.
I remember their beige Macs always had a yellow patina all over it, inside and out. It was disgusting. Some computer problems arose from their smoking. The biggest was tar-coated optical drive lenses. Also, I could wipe their CRTs screens with a white tissue and actually see brown tar. I would show that to them and they would say, I know, I should quit.
When I left their house, my hands and clothes stunk and for days afterwards my car seats would smell of their cigarette stench.
Eventually I put up a sign in my shop that stated all smokers would pay double the going rate. I did that in the hopes of weeding out all my smoking clients. It just wasn’t worth the trouble anymore. Some were offended by the sign and never came back, but most didn’t care because I was the only mac guy in Yuma.
I wish we had more smokers. We need the tax revenue and if they die at 50, then they paid into the system for 25 years while not getting anything back. We should be encouraging people to smoke, eat unhealthy, fall off cliffs at age 50.
If you think the insides of their Macs are coated with disgusting, sickening, cancerous sludge, then you ought to see their lungs.
HMCIV, I don’t believe you for a minute. Unless your computer was no longer under warrantee. That stuff happens … you can’t always plan for what your sibs will do after you mess with them. Especially if you are both still pre-pubescent.
That said, I quote my final line from above: “People who want to destroy their gear have every right to do so. But no right to get them repaired at someone else’s expense.” ‘Nuf said? ;^)
DLMeyer,
As per the U.S. government’s attempt to take over 1/6th of the U.S. economy under the false pretense of providing “health care” –
People who want to destroy their own bodies (smokers, fat fscks, etc.) have every right to do so, but have no right to attempt to get themselves repaired at someone else’s expense.”
Oh, by the way: Sarah Palin vs. Barack Obama: The approval gap silently shrinks to a few points