Mark Follman

Just got a sparkling new MacBook Pro 13. This thing is smokin’. It handles like 007’s ride next to the ancient PowerBook G4 laptop with which I was barely coasting into yesterday. But this morning I stepped on the brakes when browsing the pocket-sized user booklet. While Apple’s branding gurus seem to have perfected the slickster-yet-friendly tone, buried in one of the snappy little chapters (e.g. “Ready, Setup, Go”) was quite a disclaimer. From “Last, but Not Least,” on page 68:

“High-risk activities – This computer is not intended for use in the operation of nuclear facilities, aircraft navigation or communications systems, air traffic control systems, or for any other uses where the failure of computer could lead to death, personal injury, or severe environmental damage.”

For real? I reckon the folks in Cupertino know too well that we dwell in an absurdly litigious society. Or maybe they’re just still haunted by Matthew Broderick’s fateful dalliance in 1983.