For what it's worth, wine enthusiasts refer to this cat pee smell as 'boxwood' and pay extra for it.
Does cat urine smell different from regular urine?
Users complain their Dell 6430u laptops smell like cat piss
41–50 of 166 posts
Re: Users complain their Dell 6430u laptops smell like cat piss
#42It's part of a hardening process that has been employed by weapon smiths for time immemorial, known as "quenching". After you form the laptop case / sword / rifle barrel, and it is still hot, it is to be submerged in urine. I'm surprised it's taken laptop manufacturers so long to catch up.
I thought quenching was done with water...
For really special stuff, blood of a virgin, during a full moon. Bonus points if it's an equinox, or your country's Maximum Leader's birthday.
Re: Users complain their Dell 6430u laptops smell like cat piss
#43Re: Users complain their Dell 6430u laptops smell like cat piss
#44This was a fun read. My favorite post: '''When you write that the "problem has been resolved," do you mean that when I open my computer it will no longer smell like a pack of well hydrated feral cats have used it for target practice resolved, or do you mean that you have resolved the mystery of what has caused the problem? Jus' 'asking.'''
The reply is even more interesting . This is by an official rep. Really impressed by Dell.
"As mentioned above, no biological hazard was involved and we do know that a manufacturing process was the root cause. That process was changed which resolved the issue on newly manufactured units. As for everyone out there with a unit that still exhibits the symptoms, we haven't forgotten about you and will make things right. Keep watching this thread and as soon as more info if available, we'll let everyone know."
Re: Users complain their Dell 6430u laptops smell like cat piss
#45Re: Users complain their Dell 6430u laptops smell like cat piss
#46I've heard of this before with cheap plastics, like "pony beads", for instance. What I really wonder, though, is if this will be forever linked in the consumer collective mind with Dell returning to privately owned status.
Re: Users complain their Dell 6430u laptops smell like cat piss
#475 pages of comments, how bizarre. What could possibly go wrong in manufacturing to make electronics smell like cat piss?
Happens all the time with shady third-party manufacturers in countries other than your own. You get a perfectly nice sample unit that meets all specs and looks beautiful. When the container arrives off the boat with 100,000 production units you find materials have been substituted with cheaper materials, scrap plastic, and scavenged components. Walk into any dollar store and you'll smell something similar to this, ch…
That happened at a former employer of mine. Parts came in covered in chicken shit and straw. Long story short: our main vendor in China outsourced to a make-shift forging operation set up in a barn.
Re: Users complain their Dell 6430u laptops smell like cat piss
#48Earlier quoted context omitted.
Hard to blame software upgrades for urine smells on new laptops. I also think users are probably better at diagnosing "The keyboard smells like piss" than software implications on battery life
"The keyboard smells like piss, therefore it's Dell's fault"
As opposed to....
Re: Users complain their Dell 6430u laptops smell like cat piss
#49For what it's worth, wine enthusiasts refer to this cat pee smell as 'boxwood' and pay extra for it.
If anyone ever asks me what to name their cat, I am now forevermore going to recommend the name "boxwood".
Re: Users complain their Dell 6430u laptops smell like cat piss
#50Part of me wonders whether or not this is some sort of collective joke by Reddit or 4chan or something. Another part of me is not surprised. Dell isn't particularly notorious for their astute QC.
The last time I ordered a Dell product it arrived and would not boot. Did absolutely nothing. Was completely DOA. That put a bad taste in my mouth. Their displays have treated me well though, and their server products are great.
I actually quite enjoy their displays as well. But their laptops have been nothing but headaches for me.