Lobby for this bullshit "Directive" to be repealed.
Are you mad or something? This directive, and the standards it refers to, are nothing even remotely new! For all I know, Apple participates in the standards bodies that write this stuff. Wake up call: standards are written by volunteers from the industry. If you're in the industry and your company can afford it, there's not much left for you to do but to participate in the standards making process. Apple has no reason to complain about any of that, because with their money they could have people in every working group of IEC, ANSI and ISO there is. Many people, even.
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.
...or just silently left the market.
Seriously, where is your citation for every other manufacturer?
And looking at THIS Apple document, PLEASE tell me just HOW you can get "injured" by ANY of the fans in the Mac Pro, since you have to DISASSEMBLE it to get anywhere NEAR them?
Seriously people in the EU, WAKE UP!!! Your governments are NOT your friends!!!
That's something the people who LEFT Europe and created the U.S. knew all too well. You'd be wise to study some history...
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.
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!
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!!!
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.
Not to mention the only "Announcement" they would have made would be an Asterisk on the product page on their website, that referenced a "Not available in the EU" statement twenty pages away.
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?
The EU has some of THE most bone-headed and patently unrealistic "Directives" on the planet. It is, in many ways, "Government run amok."
A few years ago, they basically turned the entire electronics industry on its ear, by banning lead-based solder (along with a bunch of other substances that make electronics much more reliable) with their so-called "RoHS" directives. THE ENTIRE PLANET HAD TO SHIFT GEARS TO SUIT THEM. Why? When was the last time you saw someone EAT a circuit board? I know that sounds silly; but it is pretty much on-par with requiring fan guards on INTERNAL fans. At some point, governments (world-wide) have to understand that not everything, nor everyone, needs "protected", just because one stupid person went to the E.R. because they stuck their hand in a moving fan.
And a 22 foot long power cord?!? Holy shit! That won't fit in the BOX with most consumer electronics gear. And what about the TRIP HAZARD that causes? Oh, I know: Pass a law to require a wire-loom device with each device. Yeah, that's the ticket!
FFS, people! STAND UP TO YOUR GOVERNMENT!!! Don't bitch at Apple.
I for one and sad to see Apple giving up this part of their product line. It is the only part I really like.
Quit hand wringing.
Do you live in the EU? No? Not affected.
Live in the EU? Lobby for this bullshit "Directive" to be repealed. Good luck with that. You want a good example of "not listening to people", look no further than your local government.
Otherwise, stop whining.
Oh, and since Mac Pros will still be available in the other 100 or so Countries where Apple products are sold, are you really so lame that you couldn't GET one if you wanted to, even if you lived in the EU? Or did the EU outlaw "possession", too?
Have you ever thought that maybe, just maybe, this is Apple's way of "pushing back" against this particular bullshit, by attempting to incite some of their customers to start pressuring for change in the law?
Oh, and I note that you have cherry picked your Apple "quotes". I seem to remember that Tim Cook himself penned an email to a nervous Apple fan (actually, a whole group of them), assuring him of Apple's dedication to the Mac Pro, specifically. But I notice that you have conveniently had a memory lapse about that.
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?
RICO prosecutions would help. It's what should have been done with Spam in the early days when it started to become profitable.
Drag in the banks, the ISPs, and the other supposedly reputable service providers into the RICO prosecutions. Once a couple of well-known institutions get caught like this it would cut off the air supply of the illegal action and make it much, much more difficult.
By not doing this, we only encourage our supposedly legitimate institution to keep providing services to people who actually committing crimes.
The REAL problem are the entities (Banks, Telcos and Governments) that are all standing under this money fountain, being WILLFULLY BLIND to all these transactions.
Not to shamelessly self-promote; but I covered this in a comment further below.
I think there is a LARGE measure of culpability (yes, I know that's the CRIMINAL term) for this on the part of the "Money Launderers" (the Banks, Telcos, and Governments involved in the "chain of custody" of these funds). Once alerted to this, the Police/"Justice Departments", not to mention the Telcos and Banks, in the country(ies) where the money is "landing" should be seizing bank accounts, taking down internet access, and generally making life a living Hell for whoever is PULLING THE DEPOSITS.
This CANNOT be legal under ANY Country's "fraud" laws. So why aren't these people being sued/prosecuted out of existence?
Qui Bono ("Who Profits?"). If the Banks, Telcos, and to some extent (through "fees" and "taxes") the "host Country(ies)" would actually go on an MPAA-style Jihad with these TRUE Racketeers, instead of actually AIDING AND ABETTING this Criminal Enterprise, perhaps there wouldn't be so much of it, regardless of the fact that the Android "mindset" makes this kind of thing ALL too easy, and Google is totally incapable of stopping it (without resorting to the "Walled Garden" approach that a small minority of Android users (but a vocal subset of/.ers) seem to value so highly).
Yes, I understand that "The price of "freedom" (in quotes) is vigilance"; but ya gotta admit, if the Governments and Police in the Country(ies) where this money was ENDING UP spent as much effort on this as they do "watching for terrists" or "stopping piracy", not many (true) Criminals would even ATTEMPT something like this.
I mean, every single frickin' penny of this money can be tracked; so why is it SO hard to stop??? Something's fishy here.
Go install OSX or Linux on it, then - it's a full x86 computer, not some Android, MS-RT, or iOS toy.
With less than half the battery life of that "iOS Toy", or for that matter, of nearly any laptop these days, it is the Surface "Pro" that is truly a "Toy".
For a tablet that has to run to the drinking trough every 4 hours (or less!!!) is nothing but a sad, sad joke. And you just KNOW that, after about six months, it will start WHINING about being low on batteries after about 45 minutes, instead of the 10-12 hours that I enjoy with my "toy" iPad.
nd the price for this POS is ridiculous, Microsoft isn't Apple, they can't pull off prestige products that cost more then they are worth.
At least when an Apple product costs more than its "peers", there is usually at least an arguable reason (other than simply a brand name). E.g., build quality, screen resolution, etc.
If Apple released this unmitigated POS, this article would have TWICE the comments, with 99% of them foaming at the mouth (and rightfully so!) about "Apple Tax", and "Reality Distortion" and "Stupid Apple Fanbois".
The OP is living in a fantasy world, and needs some mental help. Seriously.
So he's going to spend his life maintaining software for himself. I mean REALLY? And what happens when he simply CAN'T do the updating, due to lack of skill or time? VLC, Firefox, and anything but the simplest of other packages typically require a whole group of developers to maintain them, so goo luck with that!
Also, with things like VLC and Firefox, the "world" itself, that is to say things like CODECs used, HTML versions, etc. can, and will change. Is he then going to chase THAT, too?!?
Listen up, buddy: NO ONE likes it when their favorite software package, music, TV show, or book-series gets abandoned. But (unlike you), we have learned that life is too short to try and keep our own personal version of "reality" going all by ourselves.
I agree, sorta-kinda. But even if we include the Explorer shortcuts to offset the Finder shortcuts, I think the OS X list is still significantly longer.
This is because Microsoft is really not pushing the touchscreen as their primary motivation. I think that the driving force here is the desire to get customers used to a Windows Phone interface to boost lagging Windows Phone sales, plus the desire to get their own mini-app store which can only succeed if they move people off of the desktop.
Really? You REALLY think they'd throw their market-stranglehold-product under the bus to promote flagging sales of their mobile platform?
Windows has a 'shortcut' for every menu item, eg ALT, F, X. Even as a Mac user, I find this more useful than stuff like Command-Option-Y that I will never remember.
You'd sure be remembering them if you had some physical restriction that prevented you from using a mouse or trackpad.
I've been using macs since system 7 and I didn't know there were that many Kb shortcuts. Thanks for the pointer.
No problem, glad to help! BTW, I've been using Macs since they were called Lisa, and until I looked for that list for a Windows-Switcher friend a few years back, I had no idea tha that there were so many shortcuts, either!
Now if they'd only alias Ctrl-X, C, V and Z with the original Command-key versions, I wouldn't have to get frustrated when working back and forth between OS X and Windows... Yes, I know things like Keyboard Maestro can remap those keys; but I think there ought a be a nice checkbox to do that in OS X.
Slashdot Mirror
Lobby for this bullshit "Directive" to be repealed.
Are you mad or something? This directive, and the standards it refers to, are nothing even remotely new! For all I know, Apple participates in the standards bodies that write this stuff. Wake up call: standards are written by volunteers from the industry. If you're in the industry and your company can afford it, there's not much left for you to do but to participate in the standards making process. Apple has no reason to complain about any of that, because with their money they could have people in every working group of IEC, ANSI and ISO there is. Many people, even.
I didn't see Apple "complaining", did you?
Or the Mac Pro is about to go EOL, so there's no point changing it.
Or perhaps you're full of shit.
Quite likely, just as how while they always seem to have a shortage at launch day of a new product they vacuum the market for its parts beforehand.
Apple is marketing first and foremost, they play the media like the devil plays a fiddle...
ovo -hoot
Oh, so you'd prefer the Osbourne Effect?
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.
...or just silently left the market.
Seriously, where is your citation for every other manufacturer?
And looking at THIS Apple document, PLEASE tell me just HOW you can get "injured" by ANY of the fans in the Mac Pro, since you have to DISASSEMBLE it to get anywhere NEAR them?
Seriously people in the EU, WAKE UP!!! Your governments are NOT your friends!!!
That's something the people who LEFT Europe and created the U.S. knew all too well. You'd be wise to study some history...
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.
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!
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.
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.
Not to mention the only "Announcement" they would have made would be an Asterisk on the product page on their website, that referenced a "Not available in the EU" statement twenty pages away.
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?
The EU has some of THE most bone-headed and patently unrealistic "Directives" on the planet. It is, in many ways, "Government run amok."
A few years ago, they basically turned the entire electronics industry on its ear, by banning lead-based solder (along with a bunch of other substances that make electronics much more reliable) with their so-called "RoHS" directives. THE ENTIRE PLANET HAD TO SHIFT GEARS TO SUIT THEM. Why? When was the last time you saw someone EAT a circuit board? I know that sounds silly; but it is pretty much on-par with requiring fan guards on INTERNAL fans. At some point, governments (world-wide) have to understand that not everything, nor everyone, needs "protected", just because one stupid person went to the E.R. because they stuck their hand in a moving fan.
And a 22 foot long power cord?!? Holy shit! That won't fit in the BOX with most consumer electronics gear. And what about the TRIP HAZARD that causes? Oh, I know: Pass a law to require a wire-loom device with each device. Yeah, that's the ticket!
FFS, people! STAND UP TO YOUR GOVERNMENT!!! Don't bitch at Apple.
I for one and sad to see Apple giving up this part of their product line. It is the only part I really like.
Quit hand wringing.
Do you live in the EU? No? Not affected.
Live in the EU? Lobby for this bullshit "Directive" to be repealed. Good luck with that. You want a good example of "not listening to people", look no further than your local government.
Otherwise, stop whining.
Oh, and since Mac Pros will still be available in the other 100 or so Countries where Apple products are sold, are you really so lame that you couldn't GET one if you wanted to, even if you lived in the EU? Or did the EU outlaw "possession", too?
Have you ever thought that maybe, just maybe, this is Apple's way of "pushing back" against this particular bullshit, by attempting to incite some of their customers to start pressuring for change in the law?
Oh, and I note that you have cherry picked your Apple "quotes". I seem to remember that Tim Cook himself penned an email to a nervous Apple fan (actually, a whole group of them), assuring him of Apple's dedication to the Mac Pro, specifically. But I notice that you have conveniently had a memory lapse about that.
Thank goodness Europe will be safe now from those assault Macs.
You sir, have made my day!
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?
Macs have fans?
Mac Pros do. About 9 of them scattered around in various places, all thermal-controlled.
RICO prosecutions would help. It's what should have been done with Spam in the early days when it started to become profitable.
Drag in the banks, the ISPs, and the other supposedly reputable service providers into the RICO prosecutions. Once a couple of well-known institutions get caught like this it would cut off the air supply of the illegal action and make it much, much more difficult.
By not doing this, we only encourage our supposedly legitimate institution to keep providing services to people who actually committing crimes.
My thoughts exactly.
The problem is the platform is so vulnerable.
That is A problem; but not THE problem.
The REAL problem are the entities (Banks, Telcos and Governments) that are all standing under this money fountain, being WILLFULLY BLIND to all these transactions.
Not to shamelessly self-promote; but I covered this in a comment further below.
I think there is a LARGE measure of culpability (yes, I know that's the CRIMINAL term) for this on the part of the "Money Launderers" (the Banks, Telcos, and Governments involved in the "chain of custody" of these funds). Once alerted to this, the Police/"Justice Departments", not to mention the Telcos and Banks, in the country(ies) where the money is "landing" should be seizing bank accounts, taking down internet access, and generally making life a living Hell for whoever is PULLING THE DEPOSITS.
/.ers) seem to value so highly).
This CANNOT be legal under ANY Country's "fraud" laws. So why aren't these people being sued/prosecuted out of existence?
Qui Bono ("Who Profits?"). If the Banks, Telcos, and to some extent (through "fees" and "taxes") the "host Country(ies)" would actually go on an MPAA-style Jihad with these TRUE Racketeers, instead of actually AIDING AND ABETTING this Criminal Enterprise, perhaps there wouldn't be so much of it, regardless of the fact that the Android "mindset" makes this kind of thing ALL too easy, and Google is totally incapable of stopping it (without resorting to the "Walled Garden" approach that a small minority of Android users (but a vocal subset of
Yes, I understand that "The price of "freedom" (in quotes) is vigilance"; but ya gotta admit, if the Governments and Police in the Country(ies) where this money was ENDING UP spent as much effort on this as they do "watching for terrists" or "stopping piracy", not many (true) Criminals would even ATTEMPT something like this.
I mean, every single frickin' penny of this money can be tracked; so why is it SO hard to stop??? Something's fishy here.
Go install OSX or Linux on it, then - it's a full x86 computer, not some Android, MS-RT, or iOS toy.
With less than half the battery life of that "iOS Toy", or for that matter, of nearly any laptop these days, it is the Surface "Pro" that is truly a "Toy".
For a tablet that has to run to the drinking trough every 4 hours (or less!!!) is nothing but a sad, sad joke. And you just KNOW that, after about six months, it will start WHINING about being low on batteries after about 45 minutes, instead of the 10-12 hours that I enjoy with my "toy" iPad.
nd the price for this POS is ridiculous, Microsoft isn't Apple, they can't pull off prestige products that cost more then they are worth.
At least when an Apple product costs more than its "peers", there is usually at least an arguable reason (other than simply a brand name). E.g., build quality, screen resolution, etc.
If Apple released this unmitigated POS, this article would have TWICE the comments, with 99% of them foaming at the mouth (and rightfully so!) about "Apple Tax", and "Reality Distortion" and "Stupid Apple Fanbois".
The OP is living in a fantasy world, and needs some mental help. Seriously.
So he's going to spend his life maintaining software for himself. I mean REALLY? And what happens when he simply CAN'T do the updating, due to lack of skill or time? VLC, Firefox, and anything but the simplest of other packages typically require a whole group of developers to maintain them, so goo luck with that!
Also, with things like VLC and Firefox, the "world" itself, that is to say things like CODECs used, HTML versions, etc. can, and will change. Is he then going to chase THAT, too?!?
Listen up, buddy: NO ONE likes it when their favorite software package, music, TV show, or book-series gets abandoned. But (unlike you), we have learned that life is too short to try and keep our own personal version of "reality" going all by ourselves.
In short: Grow up, dude!!!
To be fair, that's a list of OS shortcuts and application shortcuts. Looking at just OS shortcuts they're much of a muchness: https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=2ee8d462a8f365a0&id=2EE8D462A8F365A0!141
I agree, sorta-kinda. But even if we include the Explorer shortcuts to offset the Finder shortcuts, I think the OS X list is still significantly longer.
This is because Microsoft is really not pushing the touchscreen as their primary motivation. I think that the driving force here is the desire to get customers used to a Windows Phone interface to boost lagging Windows Phone sales, plus the desire to get their own mini-app store which can only succeed if they move people off of the desktop.
Really? You REALLY think they'd throw their market-stranglehold-product under the bus to promote flagging sales of their mobile platform?
Interesting theory.
So, if the plural of "stylus" is "stylii", does that mean the plural of "radius" is "radiii"?
Why yes, yes it is.
I have to have gotten SOME benefit form those two years of Latin... (rolls eyes)
Windows has a 'shortcut' for every menu item, eg ALT, F, X. Even as a Mac user, I find this more useful than stuff like Command-Option-Y that I will never remember.
You'd sure be remembering them if you had some physical restriction that prevented you from using a mouse or trackpad.
I've been using macs since system 7 and I didn't know there were that many Kb shortcuts. Thanks for the pointer.
No problem, glad to help! BTW, I've been using Macs since they were called Lisa, and until I looked for that list for a Windows-Switcher friend a few years back, I had no idea tha that there were so many shortcuts, either!
Now if they'd only alias Ctrl-X, C, V and Z with the original Command-key versions, I wouldn't have to get frustrated when working back and forth between OS X and Windows... Yes, I know things like Keyboard Maestro can remap those keys; but I think there ought a be a nice checkbox to do that in OS X.
Making children cry? That's what Microsoft is all about!
TRULY LOL!
I tip my hat to you, sir! Well done.