Welcome to blogs.villagevoice.com
Blogs
  • News
    • » Daily News
    • » Runnin' Scared - News Blog
    • » Tom Robbins
    • » Wayne Barrett
  • Music
    • » Top Picks
    • » Find a Bar or Club
    • » Pazz & Jop
    • » Down in Front
    • » Sound of the City
    • » Siren
    • » Submit an Event
    • » Jukebox
    • » Join Music Newsletter
    • » Entertainment Ads
  • Calendar
    • » Calendar Home
    • » Top Picks
    • Valentine's Day Events
    • » Comedy Events
    • » Fitness Health & Beauty Guide
    • » Submit an Event
    • » Entertainment Ads
  • Restaurants
    • » Restaurant Guide
    • » Restaurant Reviews
    • » Sietsema's Counter Culture
    • » Find a Bar or Club
    • » Fork in the Road (column)
    • » Fork in the Road (blog)
    • » Sponsored Online Menus
    • » Choice Eats Tasting Event
    • » Join Dining Newsletter
    • » Restaurant Ads
  •  
  • Arts
    • » Calendar
    • » Books
    • » Theater
    • » Art
    • » Dance
    • » Obies Theater Awards
  • Films
    • » Now Showing
    • » Movie Showtimes
    • » Reviews
    • » Join NY Film Club
    • » Movie Ads
  • The Ads
    • Ad Index
    • Flip Book
    • Media Kit
  • Classifieds
    • Personals
    • Sexy Black Book
    • Free Online Classifieds
    • Place an Ad (print)
    • Career Fair
    • Real Estate for Sale/Trulia
    • Personals Blogs
    • Real Estate For Rent
  • Blogs
    • » Runnin' Scared
    • » Sound of the City
    • » La Daily Musto
    • » Fork in the Road (blog)
    • » All City
  • Columns
    • » La Dolce Musto
    • » Tom Robbins
    • » Sex
    • » Horoscope
  • Best Of
    • » Arts & Entertainment
    • » Bars & Clubs
    • » Food & Drink
    • » People & Places
    • » Shopping & Services
    • » Sports & Recreation
    • » Best of Ads
  • Bars/Clubs
    • » Bars/Clubs Home
    • » Bars/Club Ads
  • Archives
  • Reader Recommendations
  • Promotions
    • Street Team
    • Join The Street Team
    • Contests & Promotions
    • Text Alerts
    • Buy Village Voice Merchandise
    • Supplements Archive
  • Site Map

Top

blog

Stories

  • Somebody Got Murdered

    Staten Island Slay Suspect "High As a Motherfucker"

    By Graham Rayman

    1
  • Urban Wildlife

    Coyotes Invade Columbia University

    By Roy Edroso

    2
  • Exploring the Right Wing Blogosphere

    Rightblogger Tributes to the Late John Murtha

    By Roy Edroso

    3
  • R.I.P.

    War Critic Rep. John Murtha Dies

    By Roy Edroso

    4
  • Advertising

    10 Best Super Bowl XLIV Commercials

    By Mackenzie Schmidt

    5
  • Exploring the Right Wing Blogosphere

    Rightbloggers Share Tea Party Rage at Gov't Spending

    By Roy Edroso

    6
  • Weather

    In New York, 'Sno Storm

    By Julia

    7
  • Transitions

    13-Year-Old Recruited to USC: Day of the Tweens!

    By Roy Edroso

    8
  • Fashion

    Project Runway: Ugly

    By Stacey Anderson

    9
  • Corruption

    Seminerio Gets 6 Years

    By Elizabeth Dwoskin

    10
  • Studies in Crap

    Rock 'n' Roll -- The Devil's Music!

    By Alan Scherstuhl

    11
  • Advertising

    7 Extremely Weird Political Ads

    By Roy Edroso

    12
  • Hate Crime

    Rush Limbaugh -- Assman!

    By Roy Edroso

    13
  • Q&A

    Parks and Recreation's Aziz Ansari

    By Araceli Cruz

    14
  • Democracy

    Poll: Paterson Hated (Not Because He's Black, Though)

    By Roy Edroso

    15
 
Featured

Report: Smoke While Using a Mac and They Won't Fix It When It Breaks

By Roy Edroso, Monday, Nov. 23 2009 @ 12:50PM
Comments (7)
Categories: Nanny State, Technology
continentaldivide.jpg
​
And you thought Mayor Bloomberg was tough on smokers: Consumerist reports authorized Apple repair specialists have voided warranties on Mac laptops in need of repair because of evidence of cigarette smoke.

In a few cases the refusals cited an unwillingness to expose technicians to the "biohazard" of tobacco leavings that had allegedly contaminated the machine. Consumerist has tried without success to get a statement from Apple on this...

eWeek has parsed the AppleCare warranty and believes there is enough "wiggle room" (presumably in the "extreme environment" clause) for Apple to refuse to fix the units. One reply suggested requiring techs to fix smoky Macs violated OSHA standards.

A self-professed former technician comments at Slashdot, "If smoking doesn't constitute improper operation, it should. For all the people bitching out there, smoking has been demonstrated to cause premature failure to humans, particularly second-hand smoke which contains a Noah's Ark of nasty bacteria and pathogens. Why is it such a surprise that it also kills sensitive electronic equipment?"

This presents an opportunity to Microsoft, which has been using a class-based campaign for PCs over Macs in which one of several users who paid less for their PCs said she was "just not cool enough to be a Mac person." Microsoft can now show PC users contentedly smoking in front of their laptops, preferably in trailers, and saying "Nanny State, kiss my ass!" If they'll fix units that have had beer spilled on them, we'll switch.

Comments (7) Write Comment
Share

Related Content

  • Plaxico Burress Will Take Everyone Down With Him August 25, 2009
  • Mayor Celebrates Hanukkah With Giant Floral Menorah December 9, 2009
  • Shopping for Gracie Mansion February 26, 2008
  • Mike Bloomberg #4 Among U.S. Givers: Slate February 9, 2010
  • Barrett: Role of Public Advocate Gets Endorsement in FDNY Discrimination Finding; No Wonder Bloomberg Still Wants to Kill the Job January 22, 2010

More About:

  • Michael Bloomberg
  • U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration
  • Slashdot.org
  • Smoking and Tobacco Use
  • Health Care Issues

Comments (7)

Halloween Jack says:

It's worth pointing out that Consumerist has found a whopping total of two people (in cases separated by several months) that had their warranty voided for that reason. I'm betting that there are a lot more smokers than that who have sent their Apple computers in for repair; these two are probably edge cases.

Posted On: Monday, Nov. 23 2009 @ 4:58PM
NonSmokingNYCer says:

The air quality in LA (especially at sundown) and NYC (in midtown) is on a par with being exposed to cigarette smoke. Does that mean I void my Powerbook warranty by using it daily in Starbucks on Madison Ave?

Posted On: Monday, Nov. 23 2009 @ 7:19PM
Other Non-Smoking NYCer says:

No, the air in midtown is NOT on par with cigarette smoke.

Posted On: Monday, Nov. 23 2009 @ 10:10PM
Other Non-Smoking NYCer says:

Also, Powerbook warranty? Every Powerbook in existence is out of warranty by now.

Posted On: Monday, Nov. 23 2009 @ 10:12PM
Ex-"Genius" says:

I was a "Mac Genius" at an Apple Store in NYC for several years. In that time, I saw quite a few computers that were obviously used by heavy smokers. I say "obvious" because it was: these computers' innards were caked with sticky yellow gunk. It was a thin layer, but it was on everything. People often forget that computers "breathe": they suck in air to cool themselves and then blow out the hot air. If you smoke in front of the computer, it sucks in the smoke and all the nasty stuff in it, and it gets all over the inside. The CD drive and fans tended to suffer from it the most. We usually fixed these under warranty regardless, but there were certainly times where the problem seemed related to the smoke damage. In those cases customers had to pay for the repair.

Posted On: Monday, Nov. 23 2009 @ 10:32PM
Yolanda says:

I started my computer tech back when a gigabyte drive was a millionaire's dream and one thing we were quite clear on with these expensive little machines, don't smoke around them.
It's not so much the toxins in the smoke as the resins. If you've ever tried to clean a lamp from a smoker's home you'll know about that resin that yellows walls and leaves it's smelly funk on every surface.
The resin molecules are small enough to infiltrate every component, even the hard drive, and gradually coat said bits with a thick sticky resin. This slows moving parts, reduces electrical transmission, and causes overheating. It absolutely should void warranty. Go get your fix outside. You'll spare your family, pets, equipment, and furnishings a lot of grief.

Posted On: Tuesday, Nov. 24 2009 @ 1:00PM
PC user says:

So like 3 laptops weren't fixed, who really cares???

Posted On: Tuesday, Nov. 24 2009 @ 2:32PM

Write Comment


Comments may not show up immediately after submission. Please wait a minute after posting a comment for it to appear.

All reader comments are subject to our Terms of Use. By clicking "Post," you acknowledge that you have reviewed and agree to these Terms.

Tools

Search Runnin' Scared


Follow

Email tips to tips@villagevoice.com

SlideShows»

  • Bikini Burlesque (NSFW)
  • Brooklyn Taco Experiment
  • Idiotarod 2010
  • More Slideshows >>

Most …

  • Hiram Monserrate Expelled, 53-8
  • Hiram Monserrate to Be Expelled from the State Senate, Say Reports
  • Hiram Monserrate, David Paterson Still Hanging In There
  • Raj Rajaratnam's College Chum, Rajiv Goel, Pleads Guilty in Galleon Case; Another Pal Remains Defiant
  • Mayor Michael Bloomberg Warns of Power Outages During Snowstorm; Advises Flashlights, Milk
  • More Recent Entries...
  • Ruben Larios, Harlem Teen, Shot to Death in His Own Lobby (79)
  • James O'Keefe and Race: An Update (46)
  • James O'Keefe, ACORN and Landrieu Stinger, Ran Racist Forum Present at Race Debate (31)
  • Rightbloggers Share Tea Party Rage at Gov't Spending -- Until a GOP Senator Puts His Hand Out (17)
  • Tom Tancredo Kicks Off Tea Party Convention With Speech on Socialist Obama, Stupid Voters (15)
  • 7 Political Ads That Might Be Weirder Than Carly Fiorina's "Demon Sheep"
  • Jenny Sanford's Top Ten Reasons Her Husband, South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, Is a Really Bad Person
  • James O'Keefe and Race: An Update
  • James O'Keefe is Arrested, and Rightbloggers Tell You What the Real Crime is -- The Liberal Media Coverage!
  • Rightbloggers Share Tea Party Rage at Gov't Spending -- Until a GOP Senator Puts His Hand Out

Calendar

  • Tue
    9
  • Wed
    10
  • Thu
    11
  • Fri
    12
  • Sat
    13
  • Sun
    14
  • Mon
    15
This week's best events
3 Best Things To Do on Tuesday, Feb 9
  • 20/10 Vision

    Where: Gallery Hanahou

    Type: Art

  • Fêtes de la Nuit

    Where: Ohio Theater

    Type: Off-Off-Broadway: Opening, Theater, Valentine's Day

  • The Residents

    Where: Webster Hall

    Type: Experimental

  • submit an event
  • 340 more things to do today >>

Twitter Feed

Follow Runnin' Scared on Twitter

More Twitter >>

Runnin' Scared on Digg

Services

Health & Beauty

  • VADA SPA

    View Ad | View Site
  • Contemporary Dental Implant Centre

    View Ad | View Site
  • NUTRAMEDICS INC.

    View Ad | View Site
More >>

Links

  • Village Voice
  • Wayne Barrett
  • Elizabeth Dwoskin
  • Jockbeat
  • Michael Musto
  • Tom Robbins
  • Somebody Got Murdered
  • Studies in Crap
  • New York Daily News
  • New York Post
  • New York Times
  • Newsday
  • Wall Street Journal
  • Washington Post
  • YouTube
  • Salon
  • Slate
  • Gawker
  • Huffington Post
  • Daily Kos
  • Drudge Report
  • The Daily Show
  • Colbert Report
  • Politico
  • Philadelphia Inquirer
  • Associated Press
  • Fox News
  • The Onion
  • ESPN
  • CNN
  • Time
  • Forward
  • New York
  • New Yorker
  • New York Review of Books
  • New York Observer
  • ABC News
  • CBS News
  • MSNBC
  • Newsweek
  • New York Sun
  • National Review
  • New Republic
  • Harper's
  • Atlantic
  • Vanity Fair
  • The Nation
  • Radar
  • New York Law Journal
  • Columbia Journalism Review
  • Columbia Spectator
  • Washington Square News
  • News India Times
  • Women's Wear Daily
  • Amsterdam News
  • New York Press
  • Time Out
  • IRIN
  • Indymedia
  • FAIR: Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting
  • Cryptome
  • Human Rights Watch
  • United for a Fair Economy
  • International Crisis Group
  • nola.com: New Orleans Times-Picayune
  • The New Yorker:Iraq Coverage
  • Index on Censorship
  • CounterPunch
  • Center for Contemporary Conflict
  • McClatchy D.C. Bureau
  • TomDispatch.com
  • Common Dreams News Center
  • War Report — Project on Defense Alternatives
  • Power & Interest News Report
  • Selves and Others
  • Antiwar.com
  • Johnson's Russia List
  • Energy Bulletin
  • Dry Dipstick
  • IFIWatchnet
  • Al Jazeera
  • chechnya-sl
  • Bushims
  • ACLU's Torture FOIA
  • Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
  • National Security Archive
  • Waxman Committee
  • Ethics Daily
  • Bretton Woods Project
  • Human Rights First
  • Center for Public Integrity
  • GlobalSecurity.org
  • Institute for War & Peace Reporting
  • 9-11 Timeline
  • Iraq Body Count
  • Students for an Orwellian Society
  • Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
  • whitehouse.gov
  • whitehouse.org
About Us | Work for Village Voice | Esubscribe | Free Classifieds | Advertising | Privacy Policy | Problem With the Site? | RSS | Site Map
©2010 Village Voice Media All rights reserved.