I actually prefer markers with a smell, and wholeheartedly disagree with its placement in the "cons" as part of an evaluation criteria. I'm also sure that I am not alone in the enjoyment of the olfactory sensations such markers provide, there are probably dozens of us who feel the same.
Whiteboards are usually used for collaboration, and your coworkers or candidates can't really "opt out" of a smell, so it does make sense to be thoughtful about this (some people have strong aversions)
Thanks for being thoughtful. The smell bothers me so much that I removed the whiteboard from the wall of my office so that visitors couldn't write on it.
I've found that some types and brands of markers smell much better than others. Ironically, I've found the "low odour/non-toxic" inks (mainly alcohol-based) to smell worse than the old toluene/xylene ones.
