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Do iBook G4s smell bad, or just G3s?

Toe

Toe

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Mar 25, 2002
1,101
2
I've worked with two iBook G3s (the later white G3 variety, 500-800 MHz) that have a very strong chemical smell like slightly melted plastic or stale sweat or something.

I've done a little Googling and found other people complaining of the same thing, but they all seem to have G3 iBooks.

Is this odor still an issue with the iBook G4?

I need to buy a laptop for someone, and don't want to subject them to that stench. For the chemically sensitive, it is really overpowering...

Any input appreciated. Thanks.
 
My iBook G4 doesn't really smell all that much. If I get really close (nose on the keyboard) I can make out the smell of plastic and that's about it. I do wash my hands before using it though.

I imagine if I used it for pr0n, it could smell a little different though...
 
Probably stale sweat. I reccomend everyone wipe their palm rest on their ibooks after every use.
 
Interesting... I dug a little deeper and found this thread on themacintoshguy:
>> I'm not quite familiar with what cummin smells like, but I did notice my
>> iBook began to smell about a year ago (I think its about 2 years old now).
>> It does come from the keyboard area. The closest thing I came up with is a
>> "warm electrical" smell, not quite burning electrical, but on its way. I'm
>> not sure if its from being hot sometimes, yes, ibooks do tend to get very
>> hot sometimes, or what its from. I've left it go, but this sparked my
>> curiosity.
>>

Yes, I had the same problem. After checking the Apple forums, and contacting
AppleCare, I _forced_ Apple to replace the keyboard. It turns out that there
is a sticker on the back of the keyboard whose glue reacts to heat over time
and starts to smell.

I had to send it back to Apple 3 times to get them to do this, and it
finally got bumped up to a high-level support person, but they changed the
keyboard and admitted that it did smell a bit funky...
Click to expand...
Still makes me wonder if the G4s are different. I would presume Apple figured it out and did something about it...?
 
My G4 doesn't smell bad and I've used some G3's before and they don't smell bad either, at least when I was using them. I wouldn't worry about it....
 
I once was using my iBook in a class, and it smelled horrible - like rotting manure. I realized it wasn't my iBook and instead a dead rat behind a cabinet in the room.

So yeah, iBooks don't smell bad.
 
vniow said:
I suppose you should be cleaning it more thoroughly if you're using it for that, to get rid of the sticky keys as well as the scent...
Click to expand...


But I said I don't use it for that. How did she know? She must be eliminated! Fly my pretties! Ahh, say your good-byes vniow. Mwahahahaha!
 
My iBook G3 never smelled bad, any my iBook G4 just has a bit of new computer smell if you get up really close.
 
Hm. I wonder if the smell is in part a function of the sensitivity of the user...?

The two iBooks I have dealt with that I found to be unbearably stinky were not at all bothersome to their regular users.

If you tend to use strongly scented colognes, deodorants, shampoos, laundry detergents, soaps, etc.; or if you don't mind air fresheners and other strong artificial smells, then perhaps you wouldn't notice this smell at all.

Does that modify anyone's answer?

:)
 
Xephian said:
It would probably smell if you had sweaty hands and never cleaned it.
Click to expand...
From reading other threads about it, I am pretty sure the cause is a plastic sticker under the keyboard. People report that replacing the keyboard fixes the issue.

I assume that Apple no longer uses that sticker (or more precisely, the glue on it), but I dunno for sure.

Guess I'll find out. :/
 
My wife's 3 year old iBook G3 (CompUSA display) still smells new when you sniff close to it and both of our new iBooks still smell new. mmmmmmmm.....new
 
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