The Stinky Laptop

Hardy Menagh writes an amusing article on Low End Mac about how a used iBook he bought online reeked a sweaty odor. The manufacturer had used an adhesive on the underside labelling and construction of the keyboard that gave out a pungent odor when the laptop heats up.

Apparently an adhesive used in the labeling and construction of the keyboard would begin to out-gas about 12-18 months after the iBook was manufactured. This gas smells remarkably like ripe, testosterone-enriched perspiration, and it only gets worse with age.

Somehow my research into G3 ‘Books had missed this tidbit. Who would’ve thought to add “sweat” or “stinks” to the search terms?

The only complete cure for the stinking defect is to replace the keyboard with a brand-new one at the owner’s expense.

I guess this is one caveat when buying pre-owned laptops online. At least when you can physically examine the laptop you’re buying you can smell it!

I haven’t had any weird olfactory experiences with the laptops that I’ve owned so far–the worst I get is the usual smell of electronics heating up. But I do recall having used LCD projectors that seemed to have garlic breath in the ventilation.

Have you had any weird experiences with your laptops?

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