Computer: Smoking will void your Mac warranty

[Doug Nelson]

It sounds like a joke, but it isn't.

[aartist]

Zentex said as a comment on the above link:
"...OOoor, apple hires anti-smoking liberals who hate freedom. heh."

Umm, I thought a liberal was someone who loved freedom?
Now I'm confused but I don't want to start a thread on what the difference is between a liberal and everyone else.

[seattle-light]

Dear Doug Nelson...

Smoking and computers really just don't mix well.

I had a good friend who went through three computer systems in a single year. He was a chain smoker, and the fine particulates in the cigarette smoke just clogged up the works. Easily attracted to electrostatic charges and then fused to the components by the heat (tar seems like a particularly nasty thing to be putting into a computer). The computer was acting like an air filter, trapping a high percentage of the airbore particulates.

At the time, it was replaced under warranty, but he was hopping mad about getting yet another defective machine. Then the technician opened up the machine and showed him how critical internal components coated with black crap (that couldn't be blown away with compressed air) and how the ventilation was almost completely closed off (it was a wonder that it had been working up to that point) and then showed him another machine that had been in use for more than a year that was pristine in comparison.

It was at that moment that my friend realized if it could do that to his computer what it must be doing to him. At the very least, it was killing him professionally. He quit smoking that day (if only for his computers). Probably saved his life.

It's not that Apple is against people smoking, it's that smoking is proven to be hazardous to your computer. If you're going to smoke around your computer, you're going to need to take extra care to keep it from killing your machine. It's better to not smoke around your computer. If you do, you should understand the risks involved in doing so.

It's kind of like using a camera in a desert sandstorm environments. You're using your equipment in an adverse evironment. It will work for a while, but when you encounter problems it probably won't be covered under warranty as it's not being used under normal conditions. It's not going to be covered under normal wear and tear.

Hope you are doing well. Take care. Alan.

[Kraellin]

lol. sounds like a self-righteous technician to me. "i dont like smoking, therefore everyone else is wrong, therefore i will be right and totally boycott in any way those that are wrong.' lol. i swear, 2012 may be a blessing.

all kidding aside, i smoked for 40 years (i no longer do). i've owned a number of computers. never, ever, EVER(!) was there any evidence of my smoking apparent within any of my computers... EVER! dust, yes, smoke, tar, nicotine or anything found within a cigarette or cigarette smoke, no; NEVER! that is sounding an awful lot like one of these internet myths someone made up. now, i suppose it's possible if someone took a microscope and looked real close you might find some evidence, but the type of build-up being talked about here wouldnt occur, even with a chain smoker in that small of a time span. no way, no how, complete fabrication here.

harddrives are closed systems. they are essentially sealed because of the very reason that dust and particulate matter can indeed ruin a drive. that's why they are sealed! a dust particle under the read-write head can indeed screw things up. optical drives are a slightly different matter and frankly, i dont know the science of these very well, but i do know i've seen some pretty crudded up discs go into one of those and not hurt them one bit. so, this all seems pretty ludicrous to me. the amount of accumlation in a year or two just would not, could not build up enough to destroy a motherboard or harddrive and most likely not an optical drive. i smell a scam

[aartist]

I always keep a light cigarette going in an
ashtray next to the computer. When the
smoke's tar and nicotine build up enough,
the computer shuts down, dead.

It's my way of knowing when to buy new.

In the old days, a dozen cigarettes would have
to be going at the same time, in order to time
the 6 month computer replacement interval.

[Kraellin]

I always keep a light cigarette going in an
ashtray next to the computer. When the
smoke's tar and nicotine build up enough,
the computer shuts down, dead.

huh, amazing. never, ever seen this myself.

Umm, I thought a liberal was someone who loved freedom?

just think 'robin hood' and you'll be close to what a liberal believes the scale of 'right' and 'left' is, at the extremes, fascist and communist. mind you, i said at the extremes and no, i'm not calling republicans fascists and i'm not calling liberals communists. read my lips! so, the more 'left' you are, the more you lean towards socialism and eventually communism and that means you hit Robin Hood in there somewhere, the old 'rob from the rich and give to the poor' syndrome. where exactly that falls on your way 'left' isnt something i really know. i just know it's on the way.

[aartist]

Good analogy. Robin Hood.

I once had a fence installed on my property and the fence company's owner worked in the cool shade all day building the fence gate while his helper put up the rest of the fence sections all by himself in the mid-summer full sun heat. It was a very very hot day! Funny how it took so long for the gate to get done.

I figured without actually knowing, the shaded gate builder was the Republican and the mid-summer full sun laborer was the Democrat. I'm sure the money I paid, mostly went to the company's owner, the gate builder Republican. The owner controls the purse strings, so he decides how to divide up the income that was paid. Which is only fair, right? If the other guy don't like it, he can quit.

I remember in the old day when the Corporate CEO's were crying that professional sports people were making more than they were. Not anymore. Win or Loose, they take their multi-millions in yearly wages just like the ball players. Good for them, they probably deserve it, right?

The top 1% of Americans total wealth equals what the bottom 95% have in total wealth. I'm sure the top 1% had a say in how the pie was divided up. So the moral of the story is Robin Hood needs to start baking his own pies and divide it up the way he chooses.

Happy Thanksgiving to all the liberals and conservatives and everyone in between!

[plugsnpixels]

Politics and personal preferences aside, I once saw an iMac G5 that belonged to smoker and indeed, the insides were covered with soot and fibers and smelled like an ashtray.

I was looking at the insides because the thing had died and someone brought it to me to try and revive ;-).

Let's add cat hairs to the things one shouldn't let get inside a computer.

[Kraellin]

hehe, ok. i wouldnt have believed it, being a smoker in the past, but if you guys say so, on your own personal testimony, i stand corrected. (it still sounds like a scam to me, though )

[unimatrix001]

It could be that the laptops are more susceptible to smoke because they are more compact then a desktop. I run my desktop with the sides off open air computer, been using this computer for 5 years no problems what so ever. I agree with Kraellin this is probably an internet myth.

[aartist]

I really can't say one way or the other about cigarette smoke but I know about dust.

Twice a year I disconnect and walk the computer outside and take a leaf blower to it.
The dust really accumulates and the blower does a nice job.
The computer looks brand new inside afterwards.

[LQQKER]

Well, I think it's questionable whether a warranty should be voided (is it a lifetime warranty?), but think for a moment. Have you ever been in someones automobile that is a smoker? There is a film on the windows and the smell adhers itself to the material and seems to stay there forever. I don't think it has much of an effect as to if the radio will continue to work or the cd will play for the owners life of the car (be it may be shortened). My opinion (wanted or not)? Man (and woMAN) has always had vices, and will always continue to do so no doubt. Regardless of the .000009 percent that make the rules for us, I say just use common sense and don't smoke around people that do not have similiar vices, you know "perfect people". I'm sure there is a study going on right now saying that "wine drinkers" are causing damage to the environment when uncorking a bottle. Damn, I'm in trouble!

I mean really . . . are we going too far? Should all cows have large corks inserted into their butts so they don't fart? Surely you've heard of the dangers of methane? This damage to the environment thing seems to never have limits. Oh. . . there's the flying cork issue to consider.

[aartist]

Corporations are always willing to VOID warranties.
I think it's their policy to get out of paying if they can.

I had an HP laptop that gave up the ghost due to built in graphics card going south.
They said they were sorry, but the laptop was mis-used and warranty would not cover the repair, but they were willing to repair for a fee.

I responded that the laptop was never mis-used and the built in graphics card stopped working because it was defective and after many e-mails back and forth they finally relented to repair under warranty. I can't blame them for wanting to save money by seeing if the customer would go away.

Warranty Policies are similar to Insurance Companies. They both are quick to setup roadblocks to claims. They must save money with this tactic or they wouldn't use it.

[plugsnpixels]

Leaf blower, yow! I like to use compressed air cans, and when that option runs out, I have a plastic squishy thing meant for an inflatable ball that pretty much does the job.

[seattle-light]

I use a leaf blower to clean up my studio. It's a real time saver.