Apple Epeat Registration vs. Build Quality?

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wwusa


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Hey everyone,

I've been seriously considering switching full time to mac. I've got two older Macs that I got second hand and have really enjoyed using them.

I've read about the outcry over Apple yanking some of their devices off the Epeat registration (what does this mean?). I know Macs are generally thought of as having superior build quality.

Here are my questions to the veteran Mac users:

What is the effect of the Epeat registration on build quality and materials used on apple products? I've read that apple uses stronger and more durable materials on their machines where other manufacturers skimp. Is this true? Is this Epeat thing new? I know in some cases "green" materials mean a sacrifice in durability and longevity. Has this happened to apple products? Thanks
 
cwa107

cwa107


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wwusa said:
Hey everyone,

I've been seriously considering switching full time to mac. I've got two older Macs that I got second hand and have really enjoyed using them.

I've read about the outcry over Apple yanking some of their devices off the Epeat registration (what does this mean?).
Click to expand...

Well, it's kind of a non-issue at this point, since Apple quickly reversed their position.

I know Macs are generally thought of as having superior build quality.
Click to expand...

This is true.

Here are my questions to the veteran Mac users:

What is the effect of the Epeat registration on build quality and materials used on apple products? I've read that apple uses stronger and more durable materials on their machines where other manufacturers skimp. Is this true?
Click to expand...

Well, most Macs are built of Aluminum and glass, whereas most of your Windows-based laptops are entirely plastic and rely on veneers to give the sense of nicer finishes. But I don't think that necessarily makes then longer lasting or of higher build quality. There's no reason that a plastic notebook should hold up any better than aluminum given proper care - in fact, modern plastics can be very robust, whereas aluminum is soft and scratches/dents easily.

Is this Epeat thing new? I know in some cases "green" materials mean a sacrifice in durability and longevity. Has this happened to apple products? Thanks
Click to expand...

Actually, EPEAT is kind of outdated, and that's pretty much why Apple had moved away from the standard. Regardless, it's kind of a moot point since Apple reversed their position. Either way, I don't think you can go wrong with an Apple product in terms of build quality. They are very nice machines and do tend to last a very long time.
 
C

chas_m

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The EPEAT standard had little to do with build QUALITY and was more concerned with the use of recyclable materials, something Apple has been doing for quite some time now.

Apple actually helped CREATE the EPEAT standard, but it now seems clear that they left because the council wouldn't update its standards to IEEE 1608.1 (from memory, so forgive me if I'm mistaken on the exact standard), of which the EPEAT guidelines are currently just a small subset.

EPEAT caved and Apple came back. I don't think either body was expecting the bad publicity, but apparently it got them to the table so ultimately the whole brouhaha was probably a good thing in the end.

EPEAT is one, but not the only, standard by which institutions et al judge the environmental friendliness of a computer. Apple is the ONLY computer company that can say that ALL of their products currently meet or exceed the EPEAT Gold Standard. They are also the only computer company where all of its products are Energy Star 5.2 compliant.

Bottom line: There was never any danger that Apple was taking a path that was not evironmentally-friendly. Some recent design changes (like gluing in the battery of the Retina MBP) make the product *slightly* less recyclable than earlier models, but they're a) still recyclable and b) will probably evolve further in future designs, so I'm not particularly worried about it.

Real bottom line: buy with confidence!
 
OP
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wwusa


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chas_m said:
The EPEAT standard had little to do with build QUALITY and was more concerned with the use of recyclable materials, something Apple has been doing for quite some time now.

Apple actually helped CREATE the EPEAT standard, but it now seems clear that they left because the council wouldn't update its standards to IEEE 1608.1 (from memory, so forgive me if I'm mistaken on the exact standard), of which the EPEAT guidelines are currently just a small subset.

EPEAT caved and Apple came back. I don't think either body was expecting the bad publicity, but apparently it got them to the table so ultimately the whole brouhaha was probably a good thing in the end.

EPEAT is one, but not the only, standard by which institutions et al judge the environmental friendliness of a computer. Apple is the ONLY computer company that can say that ALL of their products currently meet or exceed the EPEAT Gold Standard. They are also the only computer company where all of its products are Energy Star 5.2 compliant.

Bottom line: There was never any danger that Apple was taking a path that was not evironmentally-friendly. Some recent design changes (like gluing in the battery of the Retina MBP) make the product *slightly* less recyclable than earlier models, but they're a) still recyclable and b) will probably evolve further in future designs, so I'm not particularly worried about it.

Real bottom line: buy with confidence!
Click to expand...

Thanks for the replys!

I guess my concern was any loss in build quality in favor of a more "green" product.
 
C

chas_m

Guest
I think this whole fallout demonstrated quite well that Apple won't compromise build quality just to get a slightly "greener" product, but luckily their engineering staff doesn't see it as an "either/or" situation.
 

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