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Apple's Pro Display XDR Can Only Be Cleaned with Special Apple-Provided Cloth

26 points by lewisflude 7y ago

gamesbrainiac 7y ago
I honestly don’t find what is so controversial. On a specific surface that you need to custom order, you need to use a special cloth.
- toxik 7y ago
  Clickbait and outrage culture is what makes this a headline.
  - slantyyz 7y ago
    In a twisted way, the headline is also performing a public service. I can tell you that if I bought one of these monitors, I wouldn't have read the manual, and I would have thought of the free cloth as one of those "nice little touches" that always comes with buying an Apple product. If I was buying the monitor after seeing the headline, I would probably try to find a safe dust cover to put over the monitor when not in use to help prevent avoidable mishaps from someone being a little too enthusiastic about cleaning my work area.
- slantyyz 7y ago
  Probably not an issue in most situations, but if you're unlucky to have these monitors in a space where custodial staff who didn't get the memo might take it upon themselves to wipe some dust off a screen, or several screens... yikes.
  - balls187 7y ago
    Related to my other comment--I have a nano ceramic coating on my car, and when I take it for service, I have a little sign I hang from the mirror that basically says "Don't wash vehicle without permission." Just set a screen saver that says "Don't touch me"
    - slantyyz 7y ago
      You're assuming anyone cleaning an office can read English, so you'd probably have to have that message in multiple languages and trust that Google Translate did a good job. Besides, who actually uses screen savers these days? Don't most people turn off their monitors or put them in energy saving mode at the end of the day?
      - balls187 7y ago
        It was not made as a serious suggestion. I've yet to encouter custodial staff that cleans desks. They typically empty out wastebins and attend to the bathrooms.
    - thecolorblue 7y ago
      A nano ceramic coating on your car sounds interesting. Is there a specific reason you got it? I am assuming it is on the inside of your windshield.
      - gambiting 7y ago
        No, it's relatively common and applied on the outside - it just protects the paints from dirt, literally makes everything slide off for few months after application.
    - jackhack 7y ago
      what's the purpose of a fancy coating if it makes the surface less durable such that it now requires special techniques just to clean it? Serious question.
      - slantyyz 7y ago
        Now that you ask that, I wonder if any other monitors targeted at high end pros have the same "special care" requirements.
      - BurningFrog 7y ago
        The surface is no less durable, but the coating wears out if handled.
derision 7y ago
I don't understand why people are so upset about this... it sounds like a special kind of glass that obviously doesn't play well with coarser materials. It's the same reason you get a microfiber cloth with your glasses
- izzydata 7y ago
  But you can get 100s of microfiber cloths from various places. The idea that only Apple is capable of making this special cloth for cleaning their display feels a little silly.
  - Eric_WVGG 7y ago
    And you can use 100s of microfiber cloths from various places. Apple just can’t make any guarantees about their efficacy.
- oh_hello 7y ago
  Agreed. This is a dumb story. A $5000 display ordered with upgraded, low-reflectivity glass must be cleaned with the INCLUDED cloth.
  - slantyyz 7y ago
    It's not a big story, but it's not quite insignificant. Do you read the manual when you buy a monitor? They're all pretty much the same and work out of the box, especially an Apple monitor. I can see a lot of people just setting up the monitor and tossing the manual. When they see the cloth, all they think is "cool, free cloth". Also, you have to educate anyone who would think to clean or touch the monitor screen in your absence, like cleaning staff, significant others, your kids, visiting relatives, or whatnot.
    - derision 7y ago
      If I buy a $5k monitor I'm going to read the manual. Not doing so would be negligent.
KoftaBob 7y ago
Every time a new Mac Pro or related product is released, we see the same "a fully loaded Mac Pro costs $____!!!" and similar headlines. I know there's no easy alternative to ad-based revenue models for news, but it's led to such lazy and low quality "reporting" that is so obviously focused on getting clicks above anything else.
- selectodude 7y ago
  "Computer with 1.5 terabytes of RAM is expensive!!!" Truly fascinating stuff.
  - willis936 7y ago
    "Computer with 8 gigabytes of RAM is expensive!!!" is the actual story with the current mac pro.
    - Wowfunhappy 7y ago
      Intel's high-end platforms (motherboard, processors) are bad investments if you don't have hardware to make use of them. This is not new. So while I think it's fair to question why the base model Mac Pro exists, I understand the price given the (specific) hardware it contains. You're paying an Apple Tax on top, of course, but if you don't think macOS adds additional value you should be looking elsewhere. I really think most of the people complaining about the Mac Pro's price want it to be something it's not. I understand the desire for a consumer-level, upgradable Mac desktop, but that's not what Apple set out to create with the Mac Pro.
    - joshstrange 7y ago
      Unless you are talking about the previous Mac Pro (which I don't know about) the base model for the new Mac Pro starts at 32GB of ram, you can't even spec it to 8.
      - willis936 7y ago
        You’re right, my bad. It’s 8-core, not 8 GB. Not as egregious, but still not apples-to-PCs comparison equivalent.
balls187 7y ago
I have a nano ceramic coating on my Golf R. Totally understand the need to take special precautions.
lewisflude 7y ago
For the record, I actually don't think this is crazy and I think it's good/sensible that they're trying to give people guidance on how to clean their expensive screens. Off-topic: am I alright using a screen cleaner like Woosh! on the MacBook Pro or should I go totally dry?
- pwinnski 7y ago
  Apple uses alcohol to clean the screens in their stores.
  - lewisflude 7y ago
    Like, isopropyl alcohol?
    - jackhack 7y ago
      Yes, it's a safe bet we're talking about rubbing (wood) alcohol here, not grain (e.g. booze) to clean fingerprints and miscellaneous cooties off the screens. A single-malt is only effective for scrubbing off residue from social interactions.
- acomjean 7y ago
  I use microfiber clothes on camera lenses and computer screens (dry basically). It usually works very well. If that doesn't work a little water.
1-6 7y ago
As long as they dry polishing cloth from Apple support doesn't cost $10. Don't get near my screen or sneeze on it! Screen protectors, anyone?
- slantyyz 7y ago
  I don't think $10 is egregious for a replacement cloth, given the price of the monitor.
acomjean 7y ago
I think the more relevant question is how delicate is this screen? Liquids can't touch it? Does it scratch when touched? Is it a little bit durable? "Pro" classed gear usually is more durable than consumer grade products.
- martin_a 7y ago
  Probably looses wireless coverage if you don't hold it in a special way. Another example of "overdesigned and underengineered" when professional equipment can't be cleaned without some super duper fancy cloth.
j45 7y ago
It would be great to have a special cloth for MacBooks too. Still get outlines of keys on my screen that won’t go away.
Shivetya 7y ago
my only concern, I am not in the target market for such a display nor am I interested in one even if I could justify the expense, is that if this display is so sensitive to the cleaning method then how is it not sensitive to the environment it is in. surely any cleaning cloth will cause abrasion just from what freely floated and adhered the screen. the cleaning instructions for the cloth pretty much put me in the camp of this isn't all that special of a cloth if I can use dish soap on it; those are certainly all not created equal let alone with the same additives.
- BurningFrog 7y ago
  I think one reason a lot of people are rolling their eyes is that we don't believe this claim. It's (probably) just Apple trying to sell fantastically overpriced cleaning cloths.
mmoez 7y ago
Apple iCloth...
padseeker 7y ago
It does appear that one of Apple's strategies to maintain a high margins is to soak those who are willing and able to pay a premium. I just read an article in gizmodo where the author was complaining that Apple was charging $100 per wheel on a mobile stand instead of static feet. I'm guessing Apple will continue to charge ridiculous margins until it isn't profitable.

26 points by lewisflude 7y ago

I honestly don’t find what is so controversial. On a specific surface that you need to custom order, you need to use a special cloth.

toxik 7y ago
Clickbait and outrage culture is what makes this a headline.
- slantyyz 7y ago
  In a twisted way, the headline is also performing a public service. I can tell you that if I bought one of these monitors, I wouldn't have read the manual, and I would have thought of the free cloth as one of those "nice little touches" that always comes with buying an Apple product. If I was buying the monitor after seeing the headline, I would probably try to find a safe dust cover to put over the monitor when not in use to help prevent avoidable mishaps from someone being a little too enthusiastic about cleaning my work area.
slantyyz 7y ago
Probably not an issue in most situations, but if you're unlucky to have these monitors in a space where custodial staff who didn't get the memo might take it upon themselves to wipe some dust off a screen, or several screens... yikes.
- balls187 7y ago
  Related to my other comment--I have a nano ceramic coating on my car, and when I take it for service, I have a little sign I hang from the mirror that basically says "Don't wash vehicle without permission." Just set a screen saver that says "Don't touch me"
  - slantyyz 7y ago
    You're assuming anyone cleaning an office can read English, so you'd probably have to have that message in multiple languages and trust that Google Translate did a good job. Besides, who actually uses screen savers these days? Don't most people turn off their monitors or put them in energy saving mode at the end of the day?
    - balls187 7y ago
      It was not made as a serious suggestion. I've yet to encouter custodial staff that cleans desks. They typically empty out wastebins and attend to the bathrooms.
  - thecolorblue 7y ago
    A nano ceramic coating on your car sounds interesting. Is there a specific reason you got it? I am assuming it is on the inside of your windshield.
    - gambiting 7y ago
      No, it's relatively common and applied on the outside - it just protects the paints from dirt, literally makes everything slide off for few months after application.
  - jackhack 7y ago
    what's the purpose of a fancy coating if it makes the surface less durable such that it now requires special techniques just to clean it? Serious question.
    - slantyyz 7y ago
      Now that you ask that, I wonder if any other monitors targeted at high end pros have the same "special care" requirements.
    - BurningFrog 7y ago
      The surface is no less durable, but the coating wears out if handled.

derision 7y ago

I don't understand why people are so upset about this... it sounds like a special kind of glass that obviously doesn't play well with coarser materials. It's the same reason you get a microfiber cloth with your glasses

izzydata 7y ago
But you can get 100s of microfiber cloths from various places. The idea that only Apple is capable of making this special cloth for cleaning their display feels a little silly.
- Eric_WVGG 7y ago
  And you can use 100s of microfiber cloths from various places. Apple just can’t make any guarantees about their efficacy.
oh_hello 7y ago
Agreed. This is a dumb story. A $5000 display ordered with upgraded, low-reflectivity glass must be cleaned with the INCLUDED cloth.
- slantyyz 7y ago
  It's not a big story, but it's not quite insignificant. Do you read the manual when you buy a monitor? They're all pretty much the same and work out of the box, especially an Apple monitor. I can see a lot of people just setting up the monitor and tossing the manual. When they see the cloth, all they think is "cool, free cloth". Also, you have to educate anyone who would think to clean or touch the monitor screen in your absence, like cleaning staff, significant others, your kids, visiting relatives, or whatnot.
  - derision 7y ago
    If I buy a $5k monitor I'm going to read the manual. Not doing so would be negligent.

KoftaBob 7y ago

Every time a new Mac Pro or related product is released, we see the same "a fully loaded Mac Pro costs $____!!!" and similar headlines. I know there's no easy alternative to ad-based revenue models for news, but it's led to such lazy and low quality "reporting" that is so obviously focused on getting clicks above anything else.

selectodude 7y ago
"Computer with 1.5 terabytes of RAM is expensive!!!" Truly fascinating stuff.
- willis936 7y ago
  "Computer with 8 gigabytes of RAM is expensive!!!" is the actual story with the current mac pro.
  - Wowfunhappy 7y ago
    Intel's high-end platforms (motherboard, processors) are bad investments if you don't have hardware to make use of them. This is not new. So while I think it's fair to question why the base model Mac Pro exists, I understand the price given the (specific) hardware it contains. You're paying an Apple Tax on top, of course, but if you don't think macOS adds additional value you should be looking elsewhere. I really think most of the people complaining about the Mac Pro's price want it to be something it's not. I understand the desire for a consumer-level, upgradable Mac desktop, but that's not what Apple set out to create with the Mac Pro.
  - joshstrange 7y ago
    Unless you are talking about the previous Mac Pro (which I don't know about) the base model for the new Mac Pro starts at 32GB of ram, you can't even spec it to 8.
    - willis936 7y ago
      You’re right, my bad. It’s 8-core, not 8 GB. Not as egregious, but still not apples-to-PCs comparison equivalent.

balls187 7y ago

I have a nano ceramic coating on my Golf R. Totally understand the need to take special precautions.

lewisflude 7y ago

For the record, I actually don't think this is crazy and I think it's good/sensible that they're trying to give people guidance on how to clean their expensive screens. Off-topic: am I alright using a screen cleaner like Woosh! on the MacBook Pro or should I go totally dry?

pwinnski 7y ago
Apple uses alcohol to clean the screens in their stores.
- lewisflude 7y ago
  Like, isopropyl alcohol?
  - jackhack 7y ago
    Yes, it's a safe bet we're talking about rubbing (wood) alcohol here, not grain (e.g. booze) to clean fingerprints and miscellaneous cooties off the screens. A single-malt is only effective for scrubbing off residue from social interactions.
acomjean 7y ago
I use microfiber clothes on camera lenses and computer screens (dry basically). It usually works very well. If that doesn't work a little water.

1-6 7y ago

As long as they dry polishing cloth from Apple support doesn't cost $10. Don't get near my screen or sneeze on it! Screen protectors, anyone?

slantyyz 7y ago
I don't think $10 is egregious for a replacement cloth, given the price of the monitor.

acomjean 7y ago

I think the more relevant question is how delicate is this screen? Liquids can't touch it? Does it scratch when touched? Is it a little bit durable? "Pro" classed gear usually is more durable than consumer grade products.

martin_a 7y ago
Probably looses wireless coverage if you don't hold it in a special way. Another example of "overdesigned and underengineered" when professional equipment can't be cleaned without some super duper fancy cloth.

j45 7y ago

It would be great to have a special cloth for MacBooks too. Still get outlines of keys on my screen that won’t go away.

Shivetya 7y ago

my only concern, I am not in the target market for such a display nor am I interested in one even if I could justify the expense, is that if this display is so sensitive to the cleaning method then how is it not sensitive to the environment it is in. surely any cleaning cloth will cause abrasion just from what freely floated and adhered the screen. the cleaning instructions for the cloth pretty much put me in the camp of this isn't all that special of a cloth if I can use dish soap on it; those are certainly all not created equal let alone with the same additives.

BurningFrog 7y ago
I think one reason a lot of people are rolling their eyes is that we don't believe this claim. It's (probably) just Apple trying to sell fantastically overpriced cleaning cloths.

mmoez 7y ago

Apple iCloth...

padseeker 7y ago

It does appear that one of Apple's strategies to maintain a high margins is to soak those who are willing and able to pay a premium. I just read an article in gizmodo where the author was complaining that Apple was charging $100 per wheel on a mobile stand instead of static feet. I'm guessing Apple will continue to charge ridiculous margins until it isn't profitable.