Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Users complain their Dell 6430u laptops smell like cat piss

en.community.dell.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

141–150 of 166 posts

Re: Users complain their Dell 6430u laptops smell like cat piss

#141

Post by rzt »

joyeuse6701 wrote: post #39
totalrobe wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I used to sell Volkswagens. This crayon smell is actually common in many German automobiles because the manufacturers fill the doors with wax to help prevent corrosion.

Mmm old Saabs used to have the crayon smell when the glue under the carpets eventually deteriorated. I used to leave a box of crayons in the back to explain it to people. Was quite funny.

My 2000 Saab 9-5 Aero has the crayon smell in it, too. IIRC, it was the glue used to assemble the interior. They changed the process in 2003ish, so more recent Saabs don't have the crayon odor.

My wife has a 2002 9-3 SE has no crayon smell, but she used to have a 1999 Viggen with the crayon smell.

I love it.

Re: Users complain their Dell 6430u laptops smell like cat piss

#142

Post by bluedino »

csense wrote: post #77

Maybe this is something that's only smellable by a certain subset of the human population. I invited a family member to try Chipotle once. She complained of a soapy taste in the food. We both thought maybe a staff member had been careless about rinsing hands after washing with soap. I later learned that some people have a genetic predisposition to perceive cilantro, an herb common in Mexican food, as a soapy taste [1…

>> I invited a family member to try Chipotle once. She complained of a soapy taste in the food.

I pick up a soapy taste in almost all mass-produced tortillas. Taco Bell, Qdoba, the packages of tortillas at Walmart.

Good thing I don't mind picking up freshly made ones at the local bakery, they're better in every way.

Re: Users complain their Dell 6430u laptops smell like cat piss

#145

Post by benrapscallion »

The Rockefeller Smell Study aims to map the genetic basis of some of these psychophysical differences. http://vosshall.rockefeller.edu/smellstudy They have already mapped one such genomic locus that changes perception of androsterone from sweaty/urinous to pleasant/floral. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/17873857/

Re: Users complain their Dell 6430u laptops smell like cat piss

#148

Post by talmir »

csense wrote: post #77

Maybe this is something that's only smellable by a certain subset of the human population. I invited a family member to try Chipotle once. She complained of a soapy taste in the food. We both thought maybe a staff member had been careless about rinsing hands after washing with soap. I later learned that some people have a genetic predisposition to perceive cilantro, an herb common in Mexican food, as a soapy taste [1…

I get something similar from cucumbers. Even if there is just a hint of the juice that comes of cucumbers in my food I will taste it. It tastes like rotting cabbage mixed with dirt (if that makes sense) to me.

Re: Users complain their Dell 6430u laptops smell like cat piss

#149

Post by stonemetal »

nuclear_eclipse wrote: post #35
krenoten wrote: post #31

It'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...

It depends on the material. High carbon steel is usually quenched in oil or air. Water quenching may cause it to shatter. Medium carbon steel can be quenched in oil , water, or impure water(typically brine). What you quench with will determine the hardness(and brittleness) of the steel, oil being the softest and brine being the hardest.
Post reply on HN