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Apple iMac 27" screen cracked hazard sharp

Supasso said:
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.
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It is a hazard (hazard being something with the potential to cause physical harm/danger or loss of life at the extreme) - the risk is someone cutting themselves.


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.
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The bit in bold is exactly what my point is/has been - when the glass broke on the OP's iMac, his children were placed in a situation of high risk where they could have cut themselves (they had been playing nearby). Anyone in the immediate vicinity of the screen that was broken would have been placed at risk because the glass spliters would/could have gone anywhere and everywhere (just like breaking a glass cup on tiles).


Safety glass monitor would be better, but it would be pretty much overkill.
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It might be overkill for 99% of the time when the glass isn't broken, but that 1% of the time when the glass has 'broken' it is 99% safer.
 
btw, when I was at the apple store waiting for the blue t-shirt squad lady for my glass screen replacement quote, I saw a 30" apple display there.
It does NOT have any glass screen over it. When I gently touch the screen image, I'm really touching the screen, my fingernail backside will cause the rainbow effect.
a) Why is there a glass cover on 27" iMac and not 30" Apple cinema display?
b) I'm curious, is their "new and or different technology" of the iMac screen over the Apple Cinema that dictates the need for a glass cover?

Honestly I don't know.

c) Have others here just removed their glass cover and used the iMac w/o?
(older 24", or newer 27" or 21")

d) IF this had happened w/o a glass cover, the under "real screen" possibly would have instead broken and then more issues/seriousness results?

Some friends Sunday have suggested just removing the rest of the broken glass cover and using "as is". The computer "works" fine.
Of course I'd wall mount the iMac.
e) Does the glass cover minimize/eliminate "dust" other air intrusion into the iMac internals?
f) Thoughts on using the iMac w/o glass cover?
 
plasticphyte said:
It is a hazard (hazard being something with the potential to cause physical harm/danger or loss of life at the extreme) - the risk is someone cutting themselves.




The bit in bold is exactly what my point is/has been - when the glass broke on the OP's iMac, his children were placed in a situation of high risk where they could have cut themselves (they had been playing nearby). Anyone in the immediate vicinity of the screen that was broken would have been placed at risk because the glass spliters would/could have gone anywhere and everywhere (just like breaking a glass cup on tiles).




It might be overkill for 99% of the time when the glass isn't broken, but that 1% of the time when the glass has 'broken' it is 99% safer.
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Are you saying that nothing should be made of non-safety glass?
 
mtbdudex said:
btw, when I was at the apple store waiting for the blue t-shirt squad lady for my glass screen replacement quote, I saw a 30" apple display there.
It does NOT have any glass screen over it. When I gently touch the screen image, I'm really touching the screen, my fingernail backside will cause the rainbow effect.
a) Why is there a glass cover on 27" iMac and not 30" Apple cinema display?
b) I'm curious, is their "new and or different technology" of the iMac screen over the Apple Cinema that dictates the need for a glass cover?

Honestly I don't know.
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Just a new design, is all. The ageing 30" complements the pre-unibody Macbook Pros which do not have a glass front. The rumoured new 27" screen will probably look like the current 24" Apple Display.
 
mtbdudex said:
btw, when I was at the apple store waiting for the blue t-shirt squad lady for my glass screen replacement quote, I saw a 30" apple display there.
It does NOT have any glass screen over it. When I gently touch the screen image, I'm really touching the screen, my fingernail backside will cause the rainbow effect.
a) Why is there a glass cover on 27" iMac and not 30" Apple cinema display?
b) I'm curious, is their "new and or different technology" of the iMac screen over the Apple Cinema that dictates the need for a glass cover?

Honestly I don't know.

c) Have others here just removed their glass cover and used the iMac w/o?
(older 24", or newer 27" or 21")

d) IF this had happened w/o a glass cover, the under "real screen" possibly would have instead broken and then more issues/seriousness results?

Some friends Sunday have suggested just removing the rest of the broken glass cover and using "as is". The computer "works" fine.
Of course I'd wall mount the iMac.
e) Does the glass cover minimize/eliminate "dust" other air intrusion into the iMac internals?
f) Thoughts on using the iMac w/o glass cover?
Click to expand...

I myself have also wondered about Apple's widespread adoption of Glass Covers on their displays. imacs, MBP, and 24 inch cinema displays are all glass unless you get a matte MBP and it has been this way for at least a couple of years. I have owned 15,17, 20 and 23 inch displays without glass covers and prefer the matte finish of non glass or glossy plastic displays. I also have had no issue with scratched screens with non-glass displays. I understand the benefit of Glass on products like the iphone, and ipad but for other non touchscreen and particularly non-portable devices glass is moot. Glass does not add much as far a durability goes yet it does pose a safety concern. We can also still get glossy screens with reasonable scratch resistance with plastics.

Got me wondering now.... Does the iphone, ipod touch, MBP or ipad use tempered glass? From the broken screens I have seen probably not...
Tempered glass would be nice but as mentioned earlier the glass would probably not be perfectly flat which would distort the image making it useless to some professionals and at least irritating to certain discriminate consumers.
 
aawh , that doesnt look good. Hopefully apple wil replace it for you , even though it isnt their fault that it broke.
 
mtbdudex said:
btw, when I was at the apple store waiting for the blue t-shirt squad lady for my glass screen replacement quote, I saw a 30" apple display there.
It does NOT have any glass screen over it. When I gently touch the screen image, I'm really touching the screen, my fingernail backside will cause the rainbow effect.
a) Why is there a glass cover on 27" iMac and not 30" Apple cinema display?
b) I'm curious, is their "new and or different technology" of the iMac screen over the Apple Cinema that dictates the need for a glass cover?

Honestly I don't know.

c) Have others here just removed their glass cover and used the iMac w/o?
(older 24", or newer 27" or 21")

d) IF this had happened w/o a glass cover, the under "real screen" possibly would have instead broken and then more issues/seriousness results?

Some friends Sunday have suggested just removing the rest of the broken glass cover and using "as is". The computer "works" fine.
Of course I'd wall mount the iMac.
e) Does the glass cover minimize/eliminate "dust" other air intrusion into the iMac internals?
f) Thoughts on using the iMac w/o glass cover?
Click to expand...

the cinema display is kind of old,it been on the market for a while and despite its size isnt to great of a monitor,in fact most apple stores dont keep them in stock.the reason the imac has a glass cover is to give it that gloss effect and to protect the sensative lcd panel from dust and damage.
 
I work with glass as my profession. Tempered glass is appropriate for windows and doors, where minor distortion is acceptable. It is not appropriate for computer screens, where the distortion would make text unreadable.

As a previous poster mentioned, the tempering process causes waves in the glass surface. It's the same reason why you can't get a tempered mirror. The reflective backing of mirrors serves to doubly emphasize any imperfections in the glass surface. That is why scratches are always more noticeable in mirrors than in clear glass. Likewise, the waviness of the tempered glass would be very noticeable in a tempered mirror, and you may not recognize yourself. :)
 
igucl said:
I work with glass as my profession. Tempered glass is appropriate for windows and doors, where minor distortion is acceptable. It is not appropriate for computer screens, where the distortion would make text unreadable.

As a previous poster mentioned, the tempering process causes waves in the glass surface. It's the same reason why you can't get a tempered mirror. The reflective backing of mirrors serves to doubly emphasize any imperfections in the glass surface. That is why scratches are always more noticeable in mirrors than in clear glass. Likewise, the waviness of the tempered glass would be very noticeable in a tempered mirror, and you may not recognize yourself. :)
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I am learning about tempered glass from you and others, always more to the technology than appears. Thx for info.

I'm thinking to myself:
Is it acceptable to have a consumer product in a home environment where accidents will and do happen that upon being damaged people can get injured either in the primary accident itself of secondary upon the reaction of the accident (quick/sudden movement away)?

Sharp glass is a well know failure mode for this type of glass.
I must assume that Apple (and others) go thru their DFEMA/DOE/DVTP and judge risk minimal enough to keep as is.

I have appt Thur 6/10 @ Apple store,taking it in for a new glass cover.
 
I think the OP is over-reacting if he thinks that the glass used in iMac screens causes undue risk of injury.

Do you expect mayonnaise and pickle jars to be made of tempered glass, so that when your kid drops one it doesn't break into sharp shards? How about dinner plates? Do you use only plastic cutlery and tableware in your household?

I'm not saying that there aren't products that are poorly designed and potentially dangerous. But in this case you let your kids play near a big, honking computer with a large piece of glass in the front. S$#t happens, and stuff breaks. Be mad at your kids, not Apple for not using tempered glass. Hell, your little one could have been injured just by the weight of the computer falling on him. Maybe Apple should only make smaller and lighter computers?
 
igucl said:
I work with glass as my profession. Tempered glass is appropriate for windows and doors, where minor distortion is acceptable. It is not appropriate for computer screens, where the distortion would make text unreadable...QUOTE]

Thanks for your informative response. Is there anything that you can think of that will prevent the glass on the iMac from breaking into the sharp shards?
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mtbdudex said:
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

<snip>
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Over-reaction fail.

Are your household windows made of tempered glass? What about wine glasses, camera lenses, or mirrors in your house?

Btw in most cars, the rear wind shield is not made with tempered glass.
 
Consultant said:
Btw in most cars, the rear wind shield is not made with tempered glass.
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Absolutely false. Tempered glass has been used on the side and rear windows of every car made since the 1940's. They would be INSANE not to use it! If they didn't, someone could rear end your car and a piece of glass could come flying at you and cut your jugular.
 
You really should not let 4 y old play near imac, laptop or TV.

They can not only injure themselves, but end up being handicapped or even killed.
Letting kids do what they want is the worst form of education. It is dangerous, uninformative (because the kid does not know what he does) and irresponsible from your side.

If you want your kids to grow up successful, you need to start yelling at them, if you have not yet.

There are many surprises in life, not only glass in iMac.
Laptops explode, you know. Or you find out you have been eating food for years that causes cancer. Lots of things.
 
Consultant said:
Over-reaction fail.

Are your household windows made of tempered glass? What about wine glasses, camera lenses, or mirrors in your house?

Btw in most cars, the rear wind shield is not made with tempered glass.
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I respect you, but filing with the CPSP is not a bad thing, its consumers submitting fact based data based upon accidents.
The CPSP will collect/analyze and when items bubble up past certain thresholds action kicks in.
Data is not good or bad, its just data.
Correlating that, risk assessment, etc,then judgment made.
I've filed 2 claims with CPSP prior, here is 1 example from 2 years ago:
My refrigerator fan was fried in a brown out. I ordered a service replacement part. Compare the 2 sitting on the table they look different but the service was guaranteed to perform same as OE part.
OE is LH part (went bad), service is RH part.
Maytag%252520OE%252520fan.jpg
Service%20fan.jpg


Upon re-installation in the freezer section (fan is in freezer, it blows cold air into the fridge portion), I noticed the service part has exposed 120 VAC plugs just above the coils. The OE part used a more expensive sealed connection system. Is there a difference? Under 99% of time, no. However when there is another failure in the fridge system and ice forms on those coils a short to ice could exists and possible electrocution could happen. I filed a claim for this as data point.
NewFanInstalled.jpg


Guess I just see things and look at the potential possibilities, how/why they are the way they are. If fact based data points aren't captured then just opinions. Maybe my iMac was the only one of millions sold that had this incident, if so very low risk indeed, who knows? who's capturing that data and analyzing?
 
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slicecom said:
Absolutely false. Tempered glass has been used on the side and rear windows of every car made since the 1940's. They would be INSANE not to use it! If they didn't, someone could rear end your car and a piece of glass could come flying at you and cut your jugular.
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Oops was thinking of the difference between laminated windshield vs. tempered windows in a car.

But the other household items are typically not made with tempered glass.
 
I have 4:30pm appt tomorrow @ Apple store, I'll post how it goes.
Here is my 27" iMac all taped up with clear shipping tape to hold the glass shards in while I pack it in the box.
IMG_5675.jpg
 
I agree with the Thread Starter

I certainly would not have expected the Apple display to shatter the way it did. Comparing to CRTs is not reasonable. It was practically impossible to shatter a CRT screen, the glass was much too thick for that.

I have an LCD TV (fortunately with soft matte front, not this fragile glass) in one of my kids' bedrooms. I was concerned about damage to the LCD if it tipped over and fell to the ground. Similarly it could hurt the kid if it hit her while falling. So I drilled holes through the flat top of the mounting stand, then threaded tie-wraps through those holes. I used the tie-wraps to firmly grasp the base of the LCD in such a way that it couldn't tip over or slide off the stand. In this case the stand is much too stable to tip over, so I believe my kid is safe.

Firmly attaching an LCD to a sturdy base is a simple alternative to a wall mount if the desired placement of the LCD is such that a wall isn't nearby.
 
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