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Apple To Discontinue Mac Pro In EU Over Safety Regulations

Posted by Soulskill on from the not-all-product-lines-are-created-equal dept.

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."

9 of 371 comments (clear)

  1. Re:"fan guards in the system" by Sponge+Bath · · Score: 5, Funny

    Macs have fans?

    Cooling fans and fanboys.

  2. Unlikely to be discontinued altogether by Bogtha · · Score: 5, Informative

    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.

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    Bogtha Bogtha Bogtha
    1. Re:Unlikely to be discontinued altogether by Seb+C. · · 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...

    2. Re:Unlikely to be discontinued altogether by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      > Who would have thought you could sell small appliances by marketing them the same way as a Mercedes...

      Steve Jobs would.

    3. Re:Unlikely to be discontinued altogether by Kat+M. · · Score: 5, Informative

      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.

  3. SRSLY? by cellocgw · · 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?

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    https://app.box.com/WitthoftResume Code: https://github.com/cellocgw
    1. Re:SRSLY? by icebraining · · Score: 5, Insightful

      We have grills on our fans, you have the TSA, and we're the nanny continent?

      Yeah, keep telling yourself that.

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      Dilbert RSS feed
  4. Build your own by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

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

  5. Re:"fan guards in the system" by Carewolf · · Score: 5, Funny

    Macs have fans?

    Yes, and they are hard to miss since they whine loudly if put to work. I am ofcourse refering to the the cooling fans, not the fanboys.