Guess I will definitely pass up that Mac Pro

[Mystic]

Guess I will definitely pass up that Mac Pro. At least any 2007 models. At least if the information I found at The Mac Sucks! is correct.

There is a link there to a French newspaper (with an English translation). According to what the newspaper is reporting pre-2008 Mac Pros were allegedly emitting benzene. Benzene can cause the development of cancer. If this information is correct I am real glad I didn't decide to buy any of those older model Mac Pros that were on sale recently. Maybe there was a reason for the sale? If there is truth to what is being reported where is the product testing?

Apparently the problem does not exist in the 2008 models. If I see a great deal on a 2007 Mac Pro I will definitely think twice. Unless there is a cheap and easy replacement fix for whatever component may have contained the benzene or emitted the benzene while the computer was in operation.

If there really is a problem with the pre-2008 Mac Pros you may see a lot of good sounding deals soon-at least if word about all of this gets out. I am not buying unless they cut the price in half and can give assurances that whatever component may have been emitting the benzene has been replaced.

 

[moribundman]

A German consumer protection organization, Stiftung Warentest, check products for quality and tests them for problems in regard to user health and environment. Most LCD computer monitors that were tested emitted all sorts of toxic fumes. The results were about as shocking as those of cheap clothes with carcinogenic and mutagenic dyes from Asia. Good luck finding any electronics products that are safe.

 

[mpersell]

Sitting in traffic you're breathing more benzene than that Mac can emit.

 

[moribundman]

I don't sit in traffic.

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

what components emit benzene? Motherboards, RAM, hard drives, fans, CPU heat sinks, video cards, cables are all components shared with other manufacturers that make similar models. If any of these components are harmful, the benzene emissions would occur in the other PC mfr's like offerings as well.

 

[wavinwayne]

I need to develop and patent a new drug for people with irrational fear of being exposed to toxic chemicals while using their PC (or Mac in this case). They've got a drug for everything else...

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

Originally Posted By: wavinwayne
I need to develop and patent a new drug for people with irrational fear of being exposed to toxic chemicals while using their PC (or Mac in this case). They've got a drug for everything else...


They have that drug already. It's called "Vista". It didn't work.

 

[Oldmoparguy1]

 

[moribundman]

Originally Posted By: ToyotaNSaturn
what components emit benzene?


You will have to ask Mystic that.

I read about a whole list of toxic substances that electronics emit. The range went from fire retardants to plasticizers. I don't remember benzene being one of them, but it's been a while that I read about it. Benzene is used in the manufacture of many kinds of phenolics and plastic, for example in epoxy, styrene, nylon, and adhesives and in paint.

 

[Mystic]

Exactly, ToyotaNSaturn. Apparently it may have been Chinese electronic components that emit the benzene. And where have we heard that song before? Chinese dog food. Chinese cat food. Chinese toys. Lead in the toys for example.

There are probably Chinese made components in a lot of computers. Where is the product testing? If you can forget about product safety testing in China somebody needs to test some of the computers after they ship to the USA.

Now according to what is being said there was obvious strong smell coming from computers during operation. My Gatewell does not have strong smell. I can't smell anything around my Gateway Computer. The Windows computers we have at work that run 24/7 do not seem to emit strong smells.

Seems to me that test engineers would be a little curious about the smell and do a little testing. Probably a little cheaper to find a problem BEFORE millions of computers have to be recalled. Am I wrong about that?

If Ford or GM find obvious safety issues with a car or truck there are recalls and the safety issues are fixed. Are computers different? A Mac Pro, for example, would typically be used by a computer graphics company and that computer might be run 24/7 and perhaps in a fairly small area. If there is any actual problem with components emitting anything that could be dangerous to a human being that could be very serious and could expose a large number of people.

And if there are issues involving Chinese made components somebody somewhere needs to do some serious thinking about issues like that. It might be cheaper in the long run to use American made and American safety tested components. Lawsuits and massive recalls of products tends to get very expensive. It is usually better to avoid problems in the first place. And cheaper to avoid problems in the first place.

If there are in fact some problems people need to remember that many brands of computers might be affected. Is Acer Chinese made? I don't know but maybe somebody somewhere needs to do a little testing.

And maybe we deserve a little bit better quality control from China.

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

Even though Vista is a bloated pig, I know it doesn't contain benzene.

Microsoft should put a label on the front of the box: "Benzene and Cholesterol Free!"

 

[MONKEYMAN]

My Acer says "Made in China".

I think Apple would try to cover up defects or problems. Otherwise, Microsoft may come out with a "Did you smell an Apple" commercial. Maybe have someone wearing a bio-hazard suit while surfing the internet using a Mac Pro and someone wearing street close using a PC...