Apple losing government/school/some corporate business

[Drachen]

Because their products are bad environmentally (http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/07/apple-pulls-out-of-epeat-green-registration/)


Apple has withdrawn all its laptop and desktop computers from the EPEAT environmental rating system, including older MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models. According to iFixit, who recently tore down a MacBook Pro and its retina screen, that's likely related to a design direction favoring smaller, lighter notebooks and longer battery life. Doing so required them to glue the cells to the aluminum shell, making it impossible to recycle the case and other parts -- iFixit couldn't pull the batteries out without spilling the (highly toxic) battery guts all over. Cupertino's decision means that many federal agencies might not be able to buy those products, since 95 percent of its electronics purchasing must conform to the EPEAT standard. On top of that, many educational institutions that require the certification would also need to opt out of Mac purchases, as well as large corporations like HSBC and Ford. Currently, iPhones and iPads are exempt from that certification, but considering recent ads from Apple specifically touting its conformance to EPEAT, the company might have some 'splaining to do.

[leemajors]

Interested to see Apple's public comment on this.

[ElNono]

Here's more:

Apple has notified the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) that it is withdrawing its products from the EPEAT registry and will no longer be submitting its products to EPEAT for environmental rating. CIO Journal spoke with Robert Frisbee, CEO of EPEAT, who offered slightly more color to the decision:

“They said their design direction was no longer consistent with the EPEAT requirements,” Frisbee said. The company did not elaborate, Frisbee said. “They were important supporters and we are disappointed that they don’t want their products measured by this standard anymore.”
EPEAT certification requires certain standards that make the machines easy to disassemble and recycle using common tools. Apple's recent Mac products, such as the Retina MacBook Pro, are difficult to fully disassemble making them ineligible for certification. iFixIt explains:

According to my EPEAT contacts, Apple’s mobile design direction is in conflict with the intended direction of the standard. Specifically, the standard lays out particular requirements for product “disassemble-ability,” a very important consideration for recycling: “External enclosures, chassis, and electronic subassemblies shall be removable with commonly available tools or by hand.”

The move could have a financial impact on Apple's sales. CIO Reports that many corporations require EPEAT certified computers. Meanwhile, the U.S. government requires 95% of electronics purchases also be EPEAT certified.

The move does not seem to affect Apple's popular iPhone and iPad devices, as they are presently a class of product not certified by EPEAT.

http://www.macrumors.com/2012/07/07/apple-pulls-products-from-environmental-epeat-registry/

[DMX7]

That's incredibly stupid if the aluminum can't be recycled.

[MannyIsGod]

I would think they would lose business because their products are priced more. We have some macs around campus in our computer pods, but they are outnumbered 9:1 or so by Dell PCs running windows. We had to buy some new computers for the lab I work in recently and we had to buy Dell due to the contract with the school.

[ElNono]

That's incredibly stupid if the aluminum can't be recycled.

The individual parts can be recycled. The EPEAT certification requires components to be easily disassembled so they can be more easily separated and recycled.

But in order to design thinner and thinner systems, Apple started gluing things like battery packs and aluminum together (ie: the retina MBP). Meaning they're no longer user-serviceable or easily disassembled, so they won't pass EPEAT certification.

[leemajors]

The individual parts can be recycled. The EPEAT certification requires components to be easily disassembled so they can be more easily separated and recycled.

But in order to design thinner and thinner systems, Apple started gluing things like battery packs and aluminum together (ie: the retina MBP). Meaning they're no longer user-serviceable or easily disassembled, so they won't pass EPEAT certification.

It will be interesting to see what happens with other manufacturers going slimmer like Apple. I wonder if Ultrabooks can feasibly stay ultra slim and still not go the same route. Also interesting because Apple units have required special tools for disassembly for some time.

[ElNono]

It will be interesting to see what happens with other manufacturers going slimmer like Apple. I wonder if Ultrabooks can feasibly stay ultra slim and still not go the same route. Also interesting because Apple units have required special tools for disassembly for some time.

Not sure where ultrabooks fall as far as that certification program. This is definitely due to the MBP Retina. To me, Apple going away from that certification means they're going to be shifting their laptops more towards that design than the current, standard laptop designs... and I don't think that's a sounds strategy, tbh.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

The individual parts can be recycled. The EPEAT certification requires components to be easily disassembled so they can be more easily separated and recycled.

But in order to design thinner and thinner systems, Apple started gluing things like battery packs and aluminum together (ie: the retina MBP). Meaning they're no longer user-serviceable or easily disassembled, so they won't pass EPEAT certification.

Not all of them apparently unless you mean that includes you having to cut the shell into pieces and sort out the parts that have components glued to them.

[ElNono]

Not all of them apparently unless you mean that includes you having to cut the shell into pieces and sort out the parts that have components glued to them.

IIRC, right now the MBP Retina is the only one that wouldn't pass certification. But the comment “They said their design direction was no longer consistent with the EPEAT requirements” makes me think that's the way they're headed with future laptops in general (which I think it's a mistake)

[hater]

:lmao iCancer

[Drachen]

They're BAAAAAAAAAAAAACK.

http://www.theverge.com/2012/7/13/3157386/apple-returns-epeat-environmental-impact-rating-group-mistake

[leemajors]

:lol Maybe San Fran saying they would no longer purchase Apple stuff for the city did it.

[ElNono]

Interesting that even the MBP Retina got a gold EPEAT stamp...