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The Saturday Apple Review

Things have never been brighter for the Cupertino company.


MacBooks are Toxic

Greenpeace have released a shocking report on the level of toxic substances in Apple's MacBook laptop.

'Some of the best known laptops are contaminated with some of the worst toxic chemicals. Of the five top brands we tested Hewlett-Packard and Apple laptops showed the worst contamination levels', say Greenpeace.

Amongst the chemicals tested in the Danish laboratory are brominated flame retardants, polyvinyl chloride plastic, and lead. Apple and HP got the worst ratings.

'Apple recently launched its new range of MacBooks, but what you also get with a new MacBook is the highest level of another type of toxic flame retardant, tetrabromobisphenol A', the report continues. Apple claim they're looking for alternatives - which seems to indicate they're aware of the danger - but still and all they're using more of this chemical than ever.

Or so say Greenpeace - known APPLE HATERS.

eBay Ban Apple Laptops

eBay have taken the unusual measure of banning the sale of recalled Apple laptops.

Attention Sellers:

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced that Apple is voluntarily recalling certain battery packs used with PowerBook computers. If the item you are listing for sale is covered by this recall, it is not permitted on eBay. Please refer to the announcement below for details of this recall:

http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PREREL/prhtml04/04201.html

If you list an item that is covered by this recall announcement, your item may be removed and further action may be taken against your account. Please refer to our policy regarding recalled items:

http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/recalled.html

eBay strongly supports the efforts of the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) to protect consumers against potentially hazardous goods. eBay does not permit the listing of items that have been identified by the CPSC as hazardous to consumers and therefore subject to a recall.

eBay urges its sellers and buyers comply with all governmental laws and regulations. Since the sale of recalled items are prohibited by law, regulated, or may cause harm to eBay or its members, sellers may not list them on eBay.

Violations of the policy may result in actions including the following.

  • Listing cancellation
  • Limits on account privileges
  • Account suspension
  • Forfeit of eBay fees on canceled listings
  • Loss of PowerSeller status

Incredible what lengths APPLE HATERS will go to.

AirPort Update Kills MacBook

'MacBook users beware! The AIRPORT UPDATE 2006-001 could potentially kill your computer!' writes one blogger after trying the update that never was. 'All I saw was a white blank screen at first. It looked strange, and the longer I looked at it, I noticed that different colored vertical lines were starting to appear. After about a minute or so, there were hundreds of lines going down the screen.'

So maybe it's best to not install the AirPort update? After all, Apple vehemently denied there being anything wrong with their code, so why worry?

More APPLE HATER FUD.

Aqua Blue Tint?

Apple's crack update to their Tiger discolours the screen. Rumours claim this is intentional and is engineered to match the discolouration of Apple hardware. In other words it's not a defect - it's a feature. So stop complaining, APPLE HATERS.

MacBook Pro Fries Egg

Flickr user 'kohara' demonstrates how you cook your breakfast for real with an Apple laptop notebook. No, they still can't be used on your lap - and you shouldn't even touch them - but when you're out camping they can really come in handy.

Bertolli olive oil and Maldon crystal salt are highly recommended, and freshly ground black pepper makes a fine addition.

Apple Hater Loses It

Mike McHargue has gone round the bend. McHargue says he runs a Mac shop (but no one believes him). He further says Apple computers are the crappiest in the world. So he's obviously an Apple hater. Here's some of his vitriol.

90% of our MacBooks have experienced at least one of the following issues:

  1. Random, frequent shutdowns. Machines generally have to be out for repair for days or even weeks because the needed parts on are backorder. This issue occurs in over 40% of our machines and many have to go back for additional service on the same issue.
  2. No video on startup unless the user resets PRAM. Neither Apple authorized service providers nor Apple support have been able to offer any suggestion aside from 'reset the PRAM'.
  3. Top case discoloration. A replacement top-case fixes it, but it's still downtime for the user.

30% of our Intel iMacs have had logic board failures. One machine had to go back 4 times.

Obviously #1) is due to user abuse, #2) is no bother whatsoever, and #3) is now known to be a feature for 10.4.8, but that's beside the point: McHargue is an APPLE HATER.

Son of Thermal Grease?

Widely disparaged as an error on the part of beloved Apple, thermal grease helps keep Apple laptops from overheating. There is further evidence Apple have in their wisdom begun using thermal grease in ever more locations. This cannot be corroborated as opening an Apple computer voids the warranty, but if Apple are doing it there must be a very good reason.

Aussies Without Parts?

Apple haters in Australia are attempting to pollute the world press with unsubstantiated rumours that Apple cannot keep parts supplies up for MacBook recalls. Of course this is ludicrous as no one has any reason to return a MacBook in the first place but sources in Australia claim people are complaining about 'random shutdown' issues.

Apple computers do not shut down randomly - they shut down when they have to. If Australian computer users can't learn how to take care of their computers, it certainly isn't Apple's fault.

iPod Virus?

Apple haters are also spreading the story that the iPod Video comes from the factory with the W32/RJump.worm. This, even if it were true, is not the responsibility of Apple anyway, as W32/RJump.worm is a WINDOWS VIRUS.

It's just more Apple bashing - by APPLE HATERS.

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