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Apple iMac 27" screen cracked hazard sharp

mtbdudex

mtbdudex

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Aug 28, 2007
3,072
5,772
SE Michigan
My 2 month old 27" iMac fell over this afternoon about 5pm due to my 4 year old son and 8 year old daughter ruckus next to it on the MacBook laptop.

My issue is the 27" screen glass cover appears NOT to be tempered glass, it broke in huge/sharp shards that could really-really injure someone.

Everyone using iMacs with young kis like me please take notice what happened and take your own actions to ensure no repeat, hopefully this will help someone else avoid really serious cuts/etc.

Tempered glass shatters into small pieces that don't pierce the skin, that is why the auto industry uses them, the household glass industry also uses them if the glass window/pane is below a certain height for safety.
Luckily in our household no one got serious injury, just me (dad) got a small glass sliver picking the iMac up and cleaning.
I'll have to contact Apple directly on this to see how they will handle.
I take responsibility for my kids actions, I wonder Apples response to:
-not using tempered glass

YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3pbn11gUBc

Pictures:
IMG_5624.jpg


IMG_5628.JPG


IMG_5629.JPG


IMG_5630.JPG
 
yikes, thats pretty bad. Glad everyones ok. I can't comment on apple using tempered glass but would it raise prices? My main question is what is the screen surface like under the glass. It it matte, glossy but less than with the glass or the same as the glass. I have been wondering that for a while.

Also, thts pretty surprising ti still works. How far did it fall from?
 
fun173 said:
yikes, thats pretty bad. Glad everyones ok. I can't comment on apple using tempered glass but would it raise prices? My main question is what is the screen surface like under the glass. It it matte, glossy but less than with the glass or the same as the glass. I have been wondering that for a while.

Also, thts pretty surprising ti still works. How far did it fall from?
Click to expand...

I'm looking at it right now, the computer still works, its glossy same as the glass. It appears the glass has slight grey to it, I mean very-very slight, as I look at the screen below the glass vs thru the glass the pure screen appears slightly whiter.
(sounds like Alice in wonderland there....)

[edit] picts added to show glass cover adds slight grey cast to image:
IMG_5634.JPG


IMG_5632.JPG
 
mtbdudex said:
I'm looking at it right now, the computer still works, its glossy same as the glass. It appears the glass has slight grey to it, I mean very-very slight, as I look at the screen below the glass vs thru the glass the pure screen appears slightly whiter.
(sounds like Alice in wonderland there....)
Click to expand...

hahah it does. Thanks for letting me know i have been wondering this for months!
 
mtbdudex said:
I'm looking at it right now, the computer still works, its glossy same as the glass. It appears the glass has slight grey to it, I mean very-very slight, as I look at the screen below the glass vs thru the glass the pure screen appears slightly whiter.
(sounds like Alice in wonderland there....)
Click to expand...

You know, I thought the screen looked fine. Glad your kids are ok of course but I wonder if they didn't do you a favor getting rid of the glass for you. ;)
 
My suggestion would be to sell the brats for the price of a replacement iMac. At very least i hope they got a firm beating.
 
fun173 said:
Also, thts pretty surprising ti still works. How far did it fall from?
Click to expand...

I missed this Question.
See, my 2 kids were wanting time on the MacBook next to it, my 4 year old got pulled away from the MacBook by his sister and in course of that his arm/elbow was in back of the iMac and tipped it forward.
The aluminum keyboard was in front of it, so it tipped onto that, so no it did not fall to the ground, rather fell face first onto the keyboard.
Nothing else was there, I wish now I took a pict to document it in actual accident condition.
 
Lemme see if I got this straight. Your iMac fell on the ground and now you're mad at Apple because they didn't use tempered glass? Uh, A: It's not needed, B: Your iMac shoudn't have fallen in the first place. Mine isn't sitting in the best position and its yet to fall. PEBKAC IMO.
 
Lemme see if I got this straight. You crashed your car and now you're mad at the car manufacturer because they didn't use tempered glass? Uh, A: It's not needed, B: You shouldn't have crashed your car in the first place. I don't drive my car very well, but I've yet to be disfigured by its tempered glass. PEBKAC IMO.
 
reberto said:
Lemme see if I got this straight. Your iMac fell on the ground and now you're mad at Apple because they didn't use tempered glass? Uh, A: It's not needed, B: Your iMac shoudn't have fallen in the first place. Mine isn't sitting in the best position and its yet to fall. PEBKAC IMO.
Click to expand...

READ, READ, READ! It DID NOT fall to the GROUND. It fell over and fell onto the keyboard in front of it. Tempered glass would not increase the price of the machine much, maybe $15. I think it should be used, though I'm not adamant about it.
 
reberto said:
Lemme see if I got this straight. Your iMac fell on the ground and now you're mad at Apple because they didn't use tempered glass? Uh, A: It's not needed, B: Your iMac shoudn't have fallen in the first place. Mine isn't sitting in the best position and its yet to fall. PEBKAC IMO.
Click to expand...

You've completely missed the point.

1) The OP isn't mad at Apple.

2) The glass was broken as a result of an ACCIDENT

3) Tempered glass/safety glass is used in almost all circumstances where broken glass could CUT someone as a result of an ACCIDENT (all car windscreens these days are pretty much laminated/tempered/safety glass)

4) The OP was providing a warning to users of glass front iMac's that if the glass breaks, it will break into shards, as opposed to safety glass which spiderwebs, and if it breaks apart, doesn't break into shards which can cut if handled improperly.

5) Suggested that it might perhaps be safer to use tempered glass to MINIMISE the risk of getting hurt when something like this happens.
 
plasticphyte said:
You've completely missed the point.

1) The OP isn't mad at Apple.

2) The glass was broken as a result of an ACCIDENT

3) Tempered glass/safety glass is used in almost all circumstances where broken glass could CUT someone as a result of an ACCIDENT (all car windscreens these days are pretty much laminated/tempered/safety glass)

4) The OP was providing a warning to users of glass front iMac's that if the glass breaks, it will break into shards, as opposed to safety glass which spiderwebs, and if it breaks apart, doesn't break into shards which can cut if handled improperly.

5) Suggested that it might perhaps be safer to use tempered glass to MINIMISE the risk of getting hurt when something like this happens.
Click to expand...

Thx plasticphyte for re-stating my point, I am very serious about safety.
Besides contact Apple later today, I also will file a report with the U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), http://www.cpsc.gov/

I've filed a claim against my Sears Radial arm saw 2 years ago via CPSC online, within 24 hours I was called by CPSC and within 72 hours Sears lawyer and engineer had contacted me. For a Gov agency I was very impressed with their speed.

We have a 24" iMac in the basement, I'll also have to re-think that placement as countermeasure against this re-peat down there.

DFMEA 101; think/list all the things that could go wrong and try to avoid them.

I saw this in the Apple store but did not buy it, now I will, mtg the iMac firmly to back wall will make sure this does not happen again.
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC434ZM/A?n=Mount&fnode=MTY1NDA5OQ&mco=MTMzNzcxNjU&s=topSellers
VESA Mount Adapter Kit for 24-inch/27-inch iMac and 24-inch LED Cinema Display
Use this kit to attach your 24-inch or 27-inch iMac or 24-inch LED Cinema Display to a wall mount, articulating arm, or other VESA-compliant mounting solution.
Click to expand...

21AxIulufIL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

 
A disadvantage of tempered glass is that it is no longer perfectly flat. The process to temper the glass, heat, causes the glass to warp and would require that Apple use a different method to affix it to the iMac. A 27" (diag.) piece of glass would warp a good bit!
 
Stealthipad said:
A disadvantage of tempered glass is that it is no longer perfectly flat. The process to temper the glass, heat, causes the glass to warp and would require that Apple use a different method to affix it to the iMac. A 27" (diag.) piece of glass would warp a good bit!
Click to expand...

I understand your point, as a major manufacturer Apple MUST consider "Due Care" Product Liability issues, this is 101 stuff for big business. I work for Auto OE, so know well that.

It's their job to solve the technical issues, not ours. We are customer, and expect a reasonable safe product delivered to us with the technology/materials/design/manuf methods available at the time of product design cycle life. 40 years ago we had no air bags, so nobody had them in cars. Now std. Having glass that breaks "safely" in accident situation is clearly something all big screen manuf must consider. The technology exists, its a due care issue.
 
I stopped by the Apple store in Novi, Mich during my lunch break.
They gave estimate of "between $150 - 200 to fix if ONLY the glass broke".

I'll probably take it in next week.
 
While I do agree that tempered glass would have been a great option, I don't think it's a necessity. iMac does not need it in the way the auto industry does.

Seriously, you don't have the risk of flying through it like the way you could flying through a windshield in a car crash, or the risk walking right into it like the way you could walk right through a glass door. Of course, iMac screens can cut you when break, but so can mirrors, wine glasses, or water goblets. It's probably a less safety risk than a mirror. I see no issue here.
 
mtbdudex said:
I stopped by the Apple store in Novi, Mich during my lunch break.
They gave estimate of "between $150 - 200 to fix if ONLY the glass broke".

I'll probably take it in next week.
Click to expand...

If it were me, I would put on the work gloves and remove the rest of the glass and forget about it! $200 for some glass for Steve's vision - I think a trip to Dairy Queen is better money spent. :)
 
Supasso said:
While I do agree that tempered glass would have been a great option, I don't think it's a necessity. iMac does not need it in the way the auto industry does.

Seriously, you don't have the risk of flying through it like the way you could flying through a windshield in a car crash, or the risk walking right into it like the way you could walk right through a glass door. Of course, iMac screens can cut you when break, but so can mirrors, wine glasses, or water goblets. It's probably a less safety risk than a mirror. I see no issue here.
Click to expand...

There are a number of ways to make glass safe, tempering is just one of them. Laminating is another, one with which Apple should be very familiar with considering the glass used on all their showcase stores is laminated (if I recall correctly).

At the end of the day, risk management/analysis would suggest that the chance of a typical user experiencing what happened here would generally have a 'possible' score, with the out come of a minor to serious injury occuring. The exposure to the hazard goes up dramatically in circumstances where there are young children about playing around on or near the iMac.

While you and I may not in our normal course of actions topple an iMac over, it CAN happen, and clearly does.

Safety management is about minimising those particular occurrences from happening, and where possible/practical using the hierarchy of control, eliminate it. In this case, there is definitely options open to Apple to eliminate a glass panel from a device which breaks like this, and to use laminated (or other) form of safety glass to minimise/eliminate what has potential to be a very nasty accident.
 
plasticphyte said:
There are a number of ways to make glass safe, tempering is just one of them. Laminating is another, one with which Apple should be very familiar with considering the glass used on all their showcase stores is laminated (if I recall correctly).

At the end of the day, risk management/analysis would suggest that the chance of a typical user experiencing what happened here would generally have a 'possible' score, with the out come of a minor to serious injury occuring. The exposure to the hazard goes up dramatically in circumstances where there are young children about playing around on or near the iMac.

While you and I may not in our normal course of actions topple an iMac over, it CAN happen, and clearly does.

Safety management is about minimising those particular occurrences from happening, and where possible/practical using the hierarchy of control, eliminate it. In this case, there is definitely options open to Apple to eliminate a glass panel from a device which breaks like this, and to use laminated (or other) form of safety glass to minimise/eliminate what has potential to be a very nasty accident.
Click to expand...
My point is that, It's not really a safety risk. There were days when even minor car accidents could result in severe injuries from glass shards, and even nowadays, people still walk right into glass doors, resulting in severe injuries when it should not be. Those are things that requires the use of safety glasses.

Now, on the other hand, glass monitor screens have proven over times, since the CRT days, not to be a safety risk to warrant the use of safety glasses. It's as safe as a glass vase or a beer bottles or a window - when it breaks, it's more likely to cut you when cleaning up more than when the accident takes place.

Safety glass monitor would be better, but it would be pretty much overkill.
 
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