Older iBook G3 Has Bad Smell That Fills Up Living Room When Lid Opened

The general consensus seems to be that it's the keyboard that puts up a stink.

Suggestions can be found here:

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=207887

No, after reading much on the subject, I am convinced that it is NOT a smell originating from a human being. There is something going on with the plastic and adhesive in the iBook.

Try reading that entire thread (if you haven't already done so).

Replacing the keyboard cures the problem, at least for awhile.

Would that I could confer upon Mynor Rodriguez an honorary Apple Discussions doctorate for posting the question in the first place.

His observations are still relevant nearly 5 years on, and surely must rank (no pun intended) as the longest-running thread in the history of this site.

Only three posts; wherefore art thou, Mynor? Come back! You have created an opus magnus my son. Gaze upon this work ye mighty... 😉

Steve: as Ronda has already suggested, check the thread again. Replacement of the keyboard may be all that is necessary.

Seriously, I just got back from the Apple Store after waiting 2 hours for "genius" support. Apple refuses to acknowledge this problem -- the tech says unless he hears it from an Apple engineer it could be "anything". I asked him to smell the iBook and he agreed it smelled bad, but he couldn't confirm exactly what was causing it.

I pointed him to this post and the numerous others on Apple's Discussions and Support forums, but this is just "anecdotal".

I think if you have this many people publicly suffering a problem, there are undoubtedly 10 times that many suffering in silence or who dumped it on someone without telling them about the problem (I mean how many people want to buy a USED SMELLY IBOOK?) Yeah, it's a huge joke on the forums... 31,000 hits on google alone for "ibook smelly".

How many people have to report this problem or take their ibooks in before someone at Apple DOES DIAGNOSE THE REAL CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM?!?! Look, I'll gladly donate my laptop, take it, ship it back to Cupertino, have the hardware engineers pour over it for 2 months. But you won't take me up on the offer or anyone else for that matter, will you?

Apple Support, I think you are full of it. You know exactly what this problem is and for product liability reasons you have decided to treat your customers like stupid sheep and simply refuse to "confirm or deny" any problem exists.

I don't appreciate it and it will weigh in my mind heavily as I decide my next computer purchase. I can't stand Vista, but Ubuntu is looking very good these days and it doesn't SMELL like sweaty armpits!

(I realize a lot of other iBook owners don't have this problem, which is wonderful, because it really is a great little notebook. But I'm sure you would feel the same way if it didn't smell so sweet.)

Message was edited by: Larry Kyrala

Hi, and welcome to Apple Discussions.

A new keyboard can be found fairly economically _on eBay_.

If you have to buy a used one, be sure to ask the appropriate question. (What does it smell like?)

Good luck.

Have you read the entire "smell thread"?

There are some suggestions there that may help. I will repeat a couple of those suggestions here, since that thread is becoming rather unwieldy.

Every time you close it, you could place a sweet-smelling dryer fabric softener sheet between the display and keyboard.

I have suggested using a Q-Tip and a product such as Renuzit Super Odor Neutralizer, dabbing a bit of it on the underside of the keyboard and allowing it to thoroughly air dry before reinstalling the keyboard.

Perhaps these are not true permanent solutions, but they have the potential of making the iBook usable, at least, even though you may have to live with repeating such measures as necessary.

Please let us know if you find success with either of these suggestions or if you figure out something better.