It's a solid investment. My first log and my only so far but I don't think I will ever get another desktop, unless I can find one for europe with a digital VVPS and artisan craftsmanship...so either an exotic nano or a WS. But that's still further down the road as I am perpetually broke (and thinking of going to med school next year
so that's not a financial burden at all ;D ), and my nano is still working perfectly!
I don't leave it on 24/7 though because I use a stepdown converter so
I don't think it smells at all, since in the normal use-case it never actually comes into contact with vaping material.
So even if it's on all day it really doesn't smell, and also if something does stick to the screen (usually when hashing or sticky bud) it vaporizes in a few minutes or less and then doesnt really smell any more (but I would remove it ASAP).
The vapor you exhale is going to smell though, with pretty much any vape, if that's what he means. You can use a smokebuddy or similar smell filters.
If he is just starting up again then one way to maybe be less smelly is ask for the strains/varieties that don't smell much or are just less fragrant/potent.
I vaped some X-18 that smelled fairly faint and is gone pretty fast if you open the window, and on the other hand some OG Amnesia which just is impossible to hide because it's just so amazingly pungent
But personaly, with my nano I love to take massive rips through the recycler and fog up the room