Apple To Discontinue Mac Pro In EU Over Safety Regulations 371
jones_supa writes "Apple has been forced to remove the Mac Pro from sale in the European Union after an amendment to a safety regulation left the machines non-compliant. The updated electronics safety standard IEC 60950-1 increases requirements around electrical port protection (PDF) and the fan guards in the system. Apple does not plan to modify their machines and will simply pull them from market in the EU. Apple wishes to warn customers and partners about the change so that they would have sufficient time to order Mac Pro units and meet any needs prior to 1 March, when the amendment comes into effect."
and nothing of value was lost (Score:0, Insightful)
and nothing of value was lost
Re:Unlikely to be discontinued altogether (Score:5, Insightful)
Yeah, so instead of telling their customer :" Hold on, we'll deliver a brand new one", they go for "Rush for the shops, we won't comply the EU directives and there'll be no more of those Mac Pro in store in a couple of weeks".
Yeah thank you Apple...
It's not as if they would release 2 ipad versions in one year, completely killing the brand new tablet you bought 6 month earlier...
SRSLY? (Score:5, Insightful)
So if I understand the reg. in question, hardware with an internal fan (like a Mac Pro) that is only accessible if you pull the housing must have an internal fan guard? WTF?
This makes no sense. For that matter that thing about minimum and max cord length is pretty wacked. Is there really a computer, or transistor radio, manufacturer out there who wanted to deliver 7-meter power cords?
Re:Unlikely to be discontinued altogether (Score:5, Insightful)
If you bought your "brand new tablet" as a user device instead of an investment, you shouldn't really care if new versions come out.
I'm still happily using my first-gen iPad and aside from the sneers of derision from the 12-year-olds at airports :), I manage just fine.
The reality is that we're now a laptop world. A few want desktops, and that's why the Pro exists, and I'm sure it will be updated, but it's hardly a leading seller for Apple.
Re:Unlikely to be discontinued altogether (Score:2, Insightful)
Not to defend Apple. but every other manufacturer of tablets, laptops, computers, cell phones release dozens of models every year.
Apple generally limits themselves to just one new design/ upgrade annually and you pounce on them for doing two?
At least apple supports their hardware for more than 12 months. If that was a dell model not only couldn't you get service or parts, but you would have to buy another one as it would be cheaper than replacing the power supply.
It is the one thing wrong with Android devices, and Smart TV's. you never know how long they might be supported. and relying on a cutting edge community to support out of date hardware is stupid.
Re:SRSLY? (Score:4, Insightful)
So if I understand the reg. in question, hardware with an internal fan (like a Mac Pro) that is only accessible if you pull the housing must have an internal fan guard? WTF?
The Mac Pro has a power supply. The power supply has a fan. This fan is close to the outer housing of the Mac Pro and accessible through some gills of some sort ... Do you now see where the potential risk lies?
Re:Unlikely to be discontinued altogether (Score:2, Insightful)
Yeah, so instead of telling their customer :" Hold on, we'll deliver a brand new one", they go for "Rush for the shops, we won't comply the EU directives and there'll be no more of those Mac Pro in store in a couple of weeks".
Yeah thank you Apple...
It's not as if they would release 2 ipad versions in one year, completely killing the brand new tablet you bought 6 month earlier...
Perhaps they know they can't get the new Mac Pro ready in a reasonable time after this bullshit "directive" goes into effect, or (MUCH more likely), the EU rules threw their development cycle into a tizzy, and now they have to REDESIGN their almost-ready-but-now-not-so-much Mac Pro. Ever think of that???
BTW, I wonder how the average EU CITIZEN thinks of all this? Fascinating that I'm not seeing the typical Slashdot posturing and whining against government overreach; just people bitching at Apple for doing the only thing they can on short notice.
And although they did break their normal "Update Cycle" with the new iPad (for like the first time EVER for ANY of their products), it certainly didn't "completely kill" anybody's iPad. My iPad 2 for example, which is now 2 generations back, still chugs along, receives OS updates, is compatible with pretty-much all (if not all) of the most recent iOS Apps, etc. It just gave people the possibility of buying a new model that much sooner. Would you prefer them to "hold back", just to keep a consistent update cycle? Would you prefer that they would have waited to add a 128 GB model, too? And then the question becomes: Wait for what? Until When?
Re:Apple only cares about consumer gear now (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Apple is getting out of the computer biz (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:SRSLY? (Score:5, Insightful)
We have grills on our fans, you have the TSA, and we're the nanny continent?
Yeah, keep telling yourself that.
Re:Unlikely to be discontinued altogether (Score:5, Insightful)
So basically you are arguing that Apple should be exempt from the rules because you judge its products to be safe. Perhaps you think the EU members should pay for inspectors to check every product and decide if it is safe enough for an exemption, rather than passing a blanket rule that isn't difficult or expensive to abide by.
Re:Unlikely to be discontinued altogether (Score:0, Insightful)
Oh idiot...
This regulation was known to go in effect now years ago.
Apple has had MORE than enough time to design something to meet this regulations.
They just did not do ANYTHING and now try to use their fanbase to blame it on the EU.
This is solely and only Apples fault, and the EU has granted Apple MORE THAN ENOUGH time to comply!
If Apple just refuses to do anything they must not start wailing if those regulations becoming effective..
Plain and simple!
Re:"fan guards in the system" (Score:3, Insightful)
I was thinking more about small children. If you've ever met any, you'd realize that it only takes a few unattended seconds for them to do something they oughtn't do, like open up a Mac Pro and stick their hands in the fan.
Re:Unlikely to be discontinued altogether (Score:5, Insightful)
Seriously people in the EU, WAKE UP!!! Your governments are NOT your friends!!!
Correct. On this side of the Atlantic, they are our servants.
Re:Unlikely to be discontinued altogether (Score:5, Insightful)
As someone who's spent significant time living in both, your belief that the US government is significantly better/different is quaint and amusing. Maybe the EU went overboard on fan guards (the new rule actually seems reasonable to me) but at least no one tells you how big your soda cup can be, or threatens to lock you up for carrying a bottle of wine in public, or crossing the street at the wrong place. Every country has their little restrictions and laws which often seem normal to those living there and batshit crazy to everyone else. C'est la vie :)
Re:"fan guards in the system" (Score:0, Insightful)
I know, it's hard for Slashtards to understand that Macs actually work well, but something that works well isn't in their best interest. How can you make a living off something you don't have to fuck with all the time? Oh... that's right, some people actually have to USE the computer to earn a living. The less they see of you, the more they can earn.
Re:"fan guards in the system" (Score:3, Insightful)
Look. That law exists to prevent products that don't include appropiate safety measures which would reduce the profit margin to harm someone.
While in this case there might not be much harm if someone got a nick their finger, that law is still a good idea in general.
So please don't grab the first edge case to shoot down the concept. But feel free to implement the Ferengi way of life at your place, as long as you keep it far enough away from me.
As neither of us knows exactly how dangerous those fans are, what the new requirements actually are and why there was a consensus for raising them.... we can only read up on it or continue to talk about it without expert knowledge.
Re:Unlikely to be discontinued altogether (Score:0, Insightful)
Correct. On this side of the Atlantic, they are our servants.
Really? So when these servants violate the law and you have no recourse, how is that working out for you?
When your masters violate the law far worse and much more blatantly and you have no recourse... why is it you have the second amendment again?