Is Apple Trying to Prove That Cleanliness Is Next to Godliness?

Several places on the net are reporting on a couple of cases where people with Apple computers are finding that Apple Repair will not take care of problems due to the users being smokers.

As someone that has worked on several dozen computers used daily by smokers, I can say that it is not a fun experience. The very first thing that needs to be done is blowing out all the dust and ash that accumulates, which can cause anything from overheating to complete failure.

I have a memory of one computer worked on, from back in the days of Windows 98, used in an automotive setting, where the floppy drive was so full of ash that when the drive was removed, a gentle tap on the side yielded an ash plume which was quite impressive. That entire computer was clogged with ash and dirt, and the heatsink and fan combination had been rendered a heatsink only, as the fan was dead, bearings ruined by the dirt and ash. It was a good thing that ash is not usually conductive, because the unused PCI and ISA slots were filled and had to be blown out. It was not a big surprise, the entire garage was that way, the only thing that helped the mechanics not choke was a huge exhaust fan in the back wall.

All that to say that smoke by-products, dust, and dirt are not the friend of electronics in general, and specifically computers.

So when the cases of Apple computers coming up with problems that would not, or could not, be repaired, I was very interested.

I saw it first in ITWire, from down under -

A leading consumer blog has reported two instances in which Apple technicians refused to work on Macs that had been used in houses where people smoked. In both cases, Apple claimed that the smoking voided the Macs’ warranties.

The Consumerist blog , published by the Consumer Reports people, was cc’ed on an e-mail from one Apple customer to Steve Jobs complaining that the Apple Store refused to work on his MacBook because it was contaminated with smoke.

The site later heard also from another Mac owner whose computer was sent back by an authorized Mac service center for the same reason: smoke contamination that voided the warranty.

That user also complained to Steve Jobs. She did hear back from someone at Apple, who told her the company would not require an employee to work with hazardous materials.

Apple offered to do minor repairs if that was all that was required, but upon investigation, the technician found that accumulated tar made the computer impossible to repair.

The Consumerist has not been able to get a comment from Apple about the incidents.

Before forming an opinion on Apple’s position, it’s instructive to read the comments on the Consumerist site from people who’ve actually had to work on computers owned by smokers.

I often wonder why anyone smokes. In this day and age, where more than enough proof is out there to prove the damage smoking does it is truly beyond belief that anyone does it. With all the signs shown on heavy smokers (tar and nicotine build up, etc.), I am surprised that those that smoke would not wise up and not smoke around their electronic items. Perhaps you think that your body will rid itself of the toxins from smoking, but, just as your clothes don’t, your electronics will not be able to remove the effects of tar, nicotine, ash, and any other nasty solid matter from burned cigars and cigarettes.

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A man’s got to know his limitations. Clint Eastwood

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