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Pointless to buy Apple Care if you are a smoker??!!!

SD-B said:
Fair enough.
How do i go about cleaning it out?
If it were a desktop fine, I could open it up and use that spray stuff but his is my first laptop and likely my last with apple..........if this is how they handle situations..........but how can i use that spray you speak of?
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I used to fix PC's in a shop while I was studying, and I can tell you compressed air won't work to clean a badly smoke-stained computer. I've opened up many in my days that were all yellow and sticky on the inside. And we weren't provided gloves :) I actually tried a compressed air can once but it blew our tech room full of stale smoke and the stickyness didn't come off that way. I have no idea how they clean it but compressed air isn't it. Maybe one of those ultrasonic bath things.

Having said that I would never refuse a computer for that. I think the whole smoking hysteria is a little over the top these days. I would just wash my hands after putting it back together.

Strange enough the outside never seemed to be nearly as dirty.
 
hamiltonDSi said:
This is ********. A friend of mine works as a DJ since 2007 an his main computer is a First Gen 2006 Macbook Pro and he uses it every day of the week and he is mixing with it in the club every weekend.The computer is 6 years old and since 2007 it's in the club full of smoke 2 or 3 days a week and it works just fine. It never had a problem. Not even the crappy 80GB HDD !!!
By the way, he smokes every day right next to the Mac. I repeat, the laptop is just fine, runs perfect (for its age)
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You obviously aren't understanding the issue being discussed. Nobody is discussing smoke being the cause of a component failure. What we are discussing is Apple's right to refuse a warranty repair if the inside of the computer contains residue and possibly other remnants from cigarette smoking.

Where do these people come from?
 
JohnDoe98 said:
No, they don't disappear. But touching them won't cause finger cancer or skin cancer. What causes cancer is the accumulation of these carcinogens over prolonged periods in the lungs, and the lungs' inability to evacuate those toxins from the system. Lead is extremely toxic when in your blood, do you think every time you touch your pencil you are in deep trouble though?
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Sorry to point this out, but most pencils nowadays don't contain lead, they contain graphite. I know it's confusing, especially when people call it lead :D
 
terraphantm said:
That said, smoke residue, while utterly disgusting, is not going to be health risk unless you literally lick the stuff.
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Right... so what happens when you work on this computer for an hour or two with your hands and then, unknowingly, you brush your hand around your eyes and lips... slippery slope.
 
Mabyboi said:
The ram and hard drive are actually user replaceable and won't void the warranty, so it's perfectly fine to open up the computer to clean it. Any further than that will void warranties
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Not sure what this adds to the argument.

So it's fine to open up the cover for the hard drive and RAM bays and give just those areas a clean. I'm pretty sure that you can't clean the whole of the insides just by accessing the drive bay.

Doesn't change my argument though - it's clear to me that the OP's problem was with a techie wanting the whole of the motherboard, fans, optical drives etc. being thoroughly disinfected before deigning to carry out a repair.

And you can't do that without voiding the warranty.
 
Rennir said:
Sorry to point this out, but most pencils nowadays don't contain lead, they contain graphite. I know it's confusing, especially when people call it lead :D
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Yes someone pointed that out. But, even with that correction in mind, the point still stands. Touching lead once for a very period won't do much harm. Touching smoke residue etc. won't do much harm either, especially if you clean your hams right after. And if you wear gloves, it's a non-issue. But, what is an issue, is people can't expect Apple's techs to willingly work on these machines. Unless their job description mandates the repair, i.e. mandates them putting on gloves and a mask, then could refuse the repairs at will.

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AZREOSpecialist said:
Right... so what happens when you work on this computer for an hour or two with your hands and then, unknowingly, you brush your hand around your eyes and lips... slippery slope.
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What happens? Nothing. Do you have any evidence to suggest otherwise? Perhaps a scientific study or two? Or do you generally like to cause fear and paranoia?

Now if the techs worked on these machines day in day out, year after year, that might be an issue, though one easily solved using gloves, goggles, and a mask. But then the question becomes, why should Apple inconvenience the techs for smokers, when the smokers can simply clean their machines first?
 
Despite their poor reasoning, I'm going to have to side with Apple's conclusion (i.e. to not honour the warranty) on this one.

Assuming most (if not all) of Apple stores and care centres are located in cities, the amount of toxins one inhales every day most likely significantly outweighs any toxins one could inhale from cleaning a computer that was kept in a smoking environment. Besides, isn't that what biosuits and masks are for? So, Apple's reasoning is faulty.

The OP's problem, which I don't think she's admitting or acknowledging, is that smoking causes damage to electronics. Specifically, the residue from cigarette smoke accumulates on the laser of all DVD, CD, etc. drives, which ultimately renders them unusable as they can no longer read the disc that was inserted. I know because, before I stopped smoking inside my house, I had to replace the laser on my CD player a couple of times due to the smoke.

This is no different that submerging your computer in water; both cigarette smoke and water will void your warranty.

Sorry, OP, you're just going to have to... suck it up.
 
AZREOSpecialist said:
Right... so what happens when you work on this computer for an hour or two with your hands and then, unknowingly, you brush your hand around your eyes and lips... slippery slope.
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Instant death. Obviously.

That's why the mortality rate of Apple technicians is so high.

It's good news that they're taking steps to tackle the pernicious menace of slightly tar-stained computer parts - now that it's finally been identified as having such lethal potential.

I would suggest a 4-stage quarantine procedure with full NBC protective suits for all genius bar staff.

Or they could just wear rubber gloves.

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JohnDoe98 said:
Yes you can. I'll back my claim by pointing to the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. What's your source?
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I'm not as well read as you when it comes to legal statutes obviously.

I just went by the sticker - 'warranty void if removed'
 
JohnDoe98 said:
What happens? Nothing. Do you have any evidence to suggest otherwise? Perhaps a scientific study or two? Or do you generally like to cause fear and paranoia?
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My point was rhetorical in nature. Someone said something to the effect of "it's not like you are licking the tar". I was merely pointing out that there were alternative methods of ingesting the tar without having to lick it. Beyond that, you are projecting meaning where none was intended.
 
As a service technician (certified to repair HP, Lenovo, Dell and Apple computers), you would be amazed at what can accumulate inside a PC. I've opened up desktop computers that had dust bunnies so big I was shocked they didn't hop out on their own. I keep a pack of nitrile gloves handy on the off chance a machine comes in that is obviously VERY dirty (based on outside appearance). Also as a certified technician, it's up to my discretion to determine what is covered/not covered by the warranty within the manufacturer's guidelines. There MAY have been a memo from at least one that covered these types of circumstances.

If I get a laptop in for something, if I notice that it's running warm it gets a trip to the compressed air bench to clean it out. Every desktop I get in gets a trip there. I'm actually dedicated on-site support for a large corporation, our shop has a shop air connection (with water trap) so it makes quick work of the dust. I also make sure to remove the HSF and remove the fan from the assembly (there's often dust/pethair buildup in there and this is the only way to remove it).


On the subject of smoke residue, without knowing the user/owner of the PC is a smoker it may be somewhat difficult to determine where the dust/residue came from. However, inhaling ANY sort of dust from inside a computer is disgusting if you consider what dust is made of (hair that's fallen from your head, dead skin cells that have been shed).

As a non-smoker, who deserves to go places and not have to deal with the aroma and cigarette-butt litter from smokers, I can't stand all the smoker's rights people complaining about municipalities banning smoking at public playgrounds and pools (where children gather!) because they should be allowed to smoke in those places because it's outdoors and a public place. Heck, some local malls (and the company campus where I work) banned smoking and there was a huge uproar by smokers despite those places being private property, meaning the owner can ban what they want.
 
glynhughes said:
Instant death. Obviously.

That's why the mortality rate of Apple technicians is so high.

It's good news that they're taking steps to tackle the pernicious menace of slightly tar-stained computer parts - now that it's finally been identified as having such lethal potential.

I would suggest a 4-stage quarantine procedure with full NBC protective suits for all genius bar staff.

Or they could just wear rubber gloves.'
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LOL love it
 
AZREOSpecialist said:
You obviously aren't understanding the issue being discussed. Nobody is discussing smoke being the cause of a component failure. What we are discussing is Apple's right to refuse a warranty repair if the inside of the computer contains residue and possibly other remnants from cigarette smoking.

Where do these people come from?
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Dude,
Someone said that the smoke affects some internal components, i forgot to quote him, read the thread again and you will see the post. I am not retardet.
 
AZREOSpecialist said:
Is the world really this black-and-white to you

You don't think there are clauses in your AppleCare contract that give Apple ultimate discretion whether or not they will repair your machine? Just because you purchased and paid for AppleCare does not mean Apple has to accept your repair whether they "liked it or not". That's not how these things work. Apple always has the right to refuse a repair if they feel the unit has been abused, mishandled, or constitutes a hazard for the employees.
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See, that's the thing. Corporations are out to get you, and make a profit. Even Apple would, if they thought they could get away with it. It's up to the consumer to fight that. So yes, it's a valid point. The terms and conditions say nothing about smoking voiding the warranty.

Slivortal said:
If you read the AppleCare Terms and Conditions:



Damage caused by smoke is at least an external cause, if not abuse or misuse. AppleCare simply covers from damage resulting from malfunction of internal parts that happen completely by themselves (note that I am not a lawyer and this is not a legal opinion).

This is why I always recommend REAL insurance over AppleCare. It's far cheaper, and actually covers against this sort of stuff (if you get the right insurance). AppleCare is simply an extended warranty.

Honestly, smoking does TERRIBLE things to electronics. If you smoke, I'm sure you've seen all the health-stuff of plaque-filled lungs, etc. A laptop's fans do the same thing as lungs do - they take in air, and they release it. Just like lungs, constant cigarette residue will eventually build up and clog everything.

Tl;dr - don't smoke near your computer.
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I'm no lawyer either, but this to me sounds like a very slippery slope. Will Apple not warrant a battery of a laptop that's been left in a car? (heat, an external cause, can also damage a battery). If so, what happens if you leave your phone in the car? Does that void your iPhone's warranty, too? And this is just with a single example. What happens if you include using a laptop in a dusty room? Or around cats? The next thing you know, you'll have to only use a mac in a clean room, or your warranty is void.

There's a line that needs to be drawn somewhere, and I'd say that for something that just a few years ago was considered "hip" and "cool" to do, it's well within reason to do around a "hip" and "cool" branded PC.
 
terraphantm said:
Well I assume that's why he was wearing gloves...
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Gloves touch toxin, then gloves touch eye, and so eye is exposed to toxin. Gloves are great for your hands, but AZREO was concerned about the eyes and lips, oddly he left the nose out.
 
thejadedmonkey said:
I'm no lawyer either, but this to me sounds like a very slippery slope. Will Apple not warrant a battery of a laptop that's been left in a car? (heat, an external cause, can also damage a battery). If so, what happens if you leave your phone in the car? Does that void your iPhone's warranty, too? And this is just with a single example. What happens if you include using a laptop in a dusty room? Or around cats? The next thing you know, you'll have to only use a mac in a clean room, or your warranty is void.
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You're being hysterical.
 
JohnDoe98 said:
Gloves touch toxin, then gloves touch eye, and so eye is exposed to toxin. Gloves are great for your hands, but AZREO was concerned about the eyes and lips, oddly he left the nose out.
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Simple. Don't touch your face with gloves on. Those of us who work in laboratories managed to get by fine doing just that.
 
JohnDoe98 said:
Gloves touch toxin, then gloves touch eye, and so eye is exposed to toxin. Gloves are great for your hands, but AZREO was concerned about the eyes and lips, oddly he left the nose out.
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I do pick my nose more than the typical male my age, I will admit.
 
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