Apple To Discontinue Mac Pro In EU Over Safety Regulations

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."

Comments

Unlikely to be discontinued altogether

[Bogtha]

Apple does not plan to modify their machines and will simply pull them from market in the EU.

In all likelihood it's because they've got a new Mac Pro model ready to launch. The Mac Pro hasn't had a significant update in years, it's the only Mac that doesn't have a Thunderbolt port, for example.

A new Mac Pro is being released in 2013, confirmed by Apple.

Re:Unlikely to be discontinued altogether

[AmiMoJo]

I am an average EU citizen and think this directive is a good thing. It applies to all sorts of appliances that have fans capable of damaging internal wiring or causing injury. Guards cost pennies and every other manufacturer managed to comply in good time.

Re:Unlikely to be discontinued altogether

[macs4all]

I'm surprised nobody has made any 'Dysan' style bladeless computer fans. Probably higher power, but close to silent. Based on Apple's slimy patenting of magnetic power cord attachment (which had been used in other places for many years), it's probably patentable.

Dysan fans aren't "bladeless". They conceal the impeller in the base, then "magically" distribute that airflow around a ring. Very cool looking the first time you see it; but once you know what's going on, not so much.

Re:Unlikely to be discontinued altogether

[Kat M.]

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.

It's an IEC standard, not something that the EU thought up. The same standard will presumably come to the United States and Canada in a year or two. Note that this also affects several non-EU countries (Switzerland and Norway in particular).

Also, it hasn't been "short notice". The amendment was published in December 2009, over three years ago.

Apple only cares about consumer gear now

[erroneus]

They have no interest in keeping their legacy gear up to date or up to code. Their primary investments are:

1. Lawyers
2. iPhone/iPad/iPod

Their OSX currently reflects this direction.

I for one and sad to see Apple giving up this part of their product line. It is the only part I really like.

The sad reality is that Apple only cares about what Apple cares about. Not about what its consumers want and Apple (Steve Jobs) has stated it plainly. It is not for the people to tell Apple what they want, but rather for Apple to tell people what they want. And by extension, it is not for "the people" to tell Apple anything at all. They would rather exit a market they cannot control and dominate.

And so, as things progress, they will continue to lose control over the iDevice market and the end is inevitable.

Build your own

[Anonymous Coward]

http://www.tonymacx86.com/325-building-customac-buyer-s-guide-january-2013.html

Hmm

[_Shad0w_]

I'm going to assume the EU actually stipulates that particular IEC standard must be followed in law then, because the IEC isn't an EU body, it's an international one. In fact ANSI is a full member of the IEC.

Yeah, so?

[phillymjs]

IIRC, Tim Cook already publicly stated a redesigned Mac Pro would be released in 2013.

The other Macs in the lineup have grown more powerful over the years, so the number of people who still specifically need the abilities of a Mac Pro is relatively small. It would make no financial sense for Apple to address these regulations by changing the current Mac Pro design. The best move was what they did-- simply giving those people some warning so anyone who was planning future Mac Pro purchases could decide if they needed to buy the existing model or could afford to wait for the redesigned model to be announced.

Re:SRSLY?

[iluvcapra]

When was the last time you saw someone EAT a circuit board?

Cellphone goes into trash, trash goes into landfill, rain goes into landfill, reactive compounds go into groundwater.

Proper eWaste disposal methods can minimize this, but in a lot of cases this just means shipping the cellphone to Dalian or Inner Mongolia where an 11-year-old makes a dime an hour dipping circuit boards into a hot bath. In the open air. Without a mask.

Re:"fan guards in the system"

[FreakyGeeky]

If you used a Mac Pro that did this, it was defective. Mine (early 2009 eight core) hardly makes any noise at all under load.

Re:SRSLY?

[macs4all]

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?

Please show me ANY picture of a Mac Pro where an EXPOSED-TO-THE-OUTSIDE fan is shown. The Mac Pro has PLENTY of fans (ask anyone who has made one really work hard!), BUT NONE OF THEM ARE ACCESSIBLE OR EVEN VISIBLE (except through perforated metal GUARDS) WITHOUT OPENING THE CASE!!!

Got it?

Here's a handy DIY document from Apple, that shows ALL of the fan locations. Please tell me how these aren't "guarded" already.

Your move.

Re:"fan guards in the system"

[macs4all]

Yes, but I DARE you to get to ONE of them without cutting power to the computer. This is utter, unmitigated bullshit on the part of the EU. By the way, note that in the Apple DIY document I linked-to, Steps 1 and 2 of the instructions are "1. Shut Down Computer" "2. Wait 10 minutes". So please tell me how STUPID someone would have to be to actually encounter a SPINNING fan (or maybe they EU is worried about all those razor-sharp PLASTIC fan blades?)

Oh, and Apple HASN'T said that they WON'T be selling the NEW Mac Pro into the EU; just that it won't be ready by the time the "Directive" goes into effect in a couple of months. BIG Difference!

Re:Typical Apple Attitude

[whisper_jeff]

Or, as they've already announced, they plan on launching a new Mac Pro this year and see no reason to modify the existing design to meet new standards for a couple of months when their new machines, which are coming soon, probably meet those standards.

Or you can pretend that it's some elitist attitude thing because that sounds cool, right.