Dell probes exploding laptop incident (Sony lithium Batt. looked): UPDATE! Aug 16

[Dennik]

I don't see why its so difficult to figure out. I'm sure any people in here with some electronics expertise could tell us what parts of an electronic circuit have potential explosive capabilities due to overheating or voltage spikes.

[Charkins]

Anyone have the pictures? I'm up for a good laugh. Trying to "capture" an exploding laptop has got to be interesting to watch.

/ An exploding laptop in your lab might not be so funny ha-ha though.

[mech7]

It could be the batteries that can explode..

[heavyness]

http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/laptops/dell-laptop-explodes-in-flames-182257.php

http://cache.gizmodo.com/assets/resources/2006/06/dell_explodes.jpg


i was listening to "this week in tech" podcast and someone made a good point... "when will this happen on an airplane?"

i'm guessing the notebook was overclocked or something because every computer has safe guards that shut down your system if it gets to hot.

[PROVIDE3D]

Oh no !... Al Qaeda strikes again... ( SARCASM )


Martin

[Serapis]

I wonder if it has anything to do with the open caraf to the left. Maybe it was running a beta test of Vista? In a related note they recovered the laptop containing the data of 26.5 million veterans. Coincidence?

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/06/29/vets.security.ap/index.html

[mech7]

I believe even when it's overclocked it should turn off when it gets too hot, I think it it's the batteries you have this on cell phones too..

edit*

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium-ion_battery

Warning


Lithium-ion batteries can easily rupture, ignite, or explode when exposed to high temperatures or direct sunlight. Never store them inside of a car during hot weather. Short-circuiting a Li-ion battery can also cause it to ignite or explode. Never open a Li-ion battery's casing. Li-ion batteries contain safety devices that, if damaged, can cause the battery to ignite or explode. See example: Dell laptop explodes at Japanese conference (http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=32550)





i'm guessing the notebook was overclocked or something because every computer has safe guards that shut down your system if it gets to hot.

[Saurus]

Could be a faulty charger. I heard they use them batteries in flying model airplanes and there was an incident where a dude was charging his batteries in his truck...batteries exploded and truck caught on fire.

[Bliz]

If I were cynical, I'd wonder if someone spilt a bit of water into the vents and then sat back, ready to take photographs?

But I shouldn't be cynical :D

[Xevious]

Laptop thefts are on the rise in my neighborhood (San Francisco Bay Area). It would be great if you can trigger your laptop to explode on command. If someone runs in the coffee shop and steals your laptop.....BOOM!!!

What do you think? Is it a good idea? :)

[pgp_protector]

Laptop thefts are on the rise in my neighborhood (San Francisco Bay Area). It would be great if you can trigger your laptop to explode on command. If someone runs in the coffee shop and steals your laptop.....BOOM!!!

What do you think? Is it a good idea? :)

Love it



Tell you hit the wrong keys :D

[Xevious]

Love it



Till you hit the wrong keys :D

It would have to be a remote control detonation device.....:thumbsup:

[pgp_protector]

It would have to be a remote control detonation device.....:thumbsup:

(enter's little child)
Daddy what's this button do ?
(child pushes button on remote)

[Xevious]

(enter's little child)
Daddy what's this button do ?
(child pushes button on remote)

You and I are like Ying and Yang.:buttrock::) We can go on forever. I invent something and you find a flaw. It will be an endless cycle...

[Fredl]

http://www.theinquirer.net/images/articles/dell%20banger1.jpg

More news in The Inquirer (http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=32723)
The owner of the laptop was said to be working for an American telecommunications company, but our source declined to reveal more "out of respect for the owner of the laptop and other attendees".

"All his colleagues used Dell laptops too, and the incident must have spelled some anxiety throughout their company for years to come.

"There was damage to one table and mess of the fire extinguisher throughout the room, which was closed for the rest of the day," said Gaston.

Dell fessed up to ownership of the exploding machine. In a statement to the INQUIRER, Dell said its investigations had so far concluded that the incident, "involved a fault in a battery cell".

The computer maker said its investigation into the incident is continuing.

Luckily the laptop was not atop a lap.

[ecco]

edit: double post, deleted- sorry

[ecco]

I´ve not read the article but in my experience (in school many years ago) capacitors can explode, if they´re unstressed they make a very loud bang too. I won´t forget that. It was done on purpose by the teacher as a demonstration.

[Dennik]

I´ve not read the article but in my experience (in school many years ago) capacitors can explode, if they´re unstressed they make a very loud bang too. I won´t forget that. It was done on purpose by the teacher as a demonstration.

Yeah, i had a friend that got involved in electronic circuits when we were kids. But then a capacitor exploded, and his parents ended his hobby right there.

[Neil]

I wonder if there was a power converter used and maybe that messed with the voltage or shorted it out.

[havokzprodigy]

There was a story in those crazy tabloids awhile back saying a hacker can hack into your computer and blow it up.

[Fredl]

There was a story in those crazy tabloids awhile back saying a hacker can hack into your computer and blow it up.
No, that's the CIA.

[viper550]

Yes capacitors can blow up.A few months ago i was working in a company where they had many old computers stored in a warehouse.My job was to see which of them were working and rebuild as many of them as i could gathering parts from the ones that could not be repaired.


Well the first thing i did was to open each one to check if anything is missing(ram,hard drive,cpu etc.).When i checked one of them and saw that everything was in place i connected the power plug and pressed the power button.That moment a few of the capacitors that were near the cpu blew up in front of my face.After that every time i pressed the power button i kept a safe distance:wise:

[CupOWonton]

I had an old old OOOOLD server board several years ago that caught fire because one of the capacitors took a big jolt durring a storm months prior. It had smelt like burning plastic in my office, but It didnt seem to be coming from anywhere. then finaly the computer started making an allarm noise. Opened it up to find it was still running wile a corner of the board was essentialy frying away.

Damn those things were tough.

[White Boy]

That's kinda scary.

Would it be possible for a power supply to rupture like that? I was using my lappy last night and the power supply on that thing got hotter than I've ever felt before. I could barely handle the thing. I turned it off to cool, of course, and it didn't happen again the rest of the night, but it still worries me a bit.

[RobertoOrtiz]

Quote:

"Dell notebook computer that burst into flames last month in Osaka, Japan, has damaged more than just the conference table where it sat smoldering.

The incident, publicized by photos on the Internet, has also hurt Dell's recent attempts to improve its image.
The company said the incident got more publicity than such incidents usually get when they happen to other manufacturers. In part, that is because Dell's reputation for responsive customer service was already under attack after the company, the world's largest PC manufacturer, started to cut costs at its call centers last year.
Photographs of the flaming and smoking notebook were posted on a technology news Web site called The Inquirer on June 21. The material was passed around to other Web sites and blogs. It was also the subject of a brief story that ran later that day on the Dow Jones Newswires.
Two days later, Cindy Shaw, a securities analyst with Moors & Cabot, notified her clients about the publicity. Last Thursday, citing reports of a second smoking laptop, this one in Pennsylvania, she advised them that "should this story also hit the mainstream press, we believe there is headline risk and potentially negative demand ramifications for Dell." "

>>LINK<< (http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/07/09/business/dell.php)

-R

[eek]

Quote:
The company said the incident got more publicity than such incidents usually get when they happen to other manufacturers.


Partially due to a known cg forum? :thumbsup:

[Howitzer]

I'm sure as hell not buying one of them things. I want to keep my manhood.

I wonder if Apple will make use of this in one of their future ads. I can see it now... that dorky Bill looking character will explode. Funny, true, and effective.

Then a Macbook will explode...

[Saurus]

I'm sure as hell not buying one of them things. I want to keep my manhood.

I wonder if Apple will make use of this in one of their future ads. I can see it now... that dorky Bill looking character will explode. Funny, true, and effective.

Then a Macbook will explode...

I don't think Apple would want to touch this subject. They too been guilty of flaming laptops:

"To curb this trend, laptop companies have recalled more than 150,000 batteries since Jan. 1, 2005. Hewlett-Packard recalled 15,700 of them in April alone. Dell retrieved 22,000 batteries in December and Apple recalled about 120,000 batteries in 2005."

Link (http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/276742_burninglaptops07.html)

[imgumbydammit]

Could be a faulty charger. I heard they use them batteries in flying model airplanes and there was an incident where a dude was charging his batteries in his truck...batteries exploded and truck caught on fire.

I am one who uses lithium polymer batteries in RC airplanes as power packs and have witnessed firsthand explosive failure (in someone elses plane thank goodness ) and it looked just like the photos of the laptop going up..very bright ..hot..and slinging flaming goo everywhere.The person was charging the pack in his plane on his open car hood and had either recharged too quickly..whle the battery was too hot after a recent discharge....shorted it somehow..or over charged/discharged it somehow...burned his $600 airplane down to smoldering balsa and burnt electrical gear and power system..total loss.He did see it in time to save his car however :thumbsup:
IGD

[RobertoOrtiz]

Quote:
"Dell is enlisting the help of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in its autopsy of the now-infamous "exploding laptop" (http://www.crn.com/sections/breakingnews/dailyarchives.jhtml?articleId=189601387). According to Lionel Menchaca, a Dell Digital Media Manager, on the company's new blog: (http://www.dellone2one.com/one2one/archive/2006/07/13/431.aspx)


Dell's engineering teams are working with the Consumer Product Safety Commission and a third-party failure analysis lab to determine the root cause of this failure and to ensure we take all appropriate measures to help prevent a recurrence.

"

>>LINK<< (http://www.crn.com/sections/dell/dell.jhtml?articleId=190400211)

[CupOWonton]

Wow.. youd think if it was just a faulty battery pack they would have figured this all out by now.

[Fredl]

http://www.theinquirer.net/images/articles/explosion_dcrop1.jpg

Looking at that image, the explosion is quite fierce. There must be some fuel propelling it. It may not only be the battery. Certain metals, when heated, can erupt in flames.

These metals are inflammable:
magnesium, titanium, sodium, potassium, lithium, zirconium, hafnium, calcium, zinc, plutonium, uranium, and thorium

Image of magnesium burning.
http://www.scienceproject.com/projects/intro/Senior/images/SC102.jpg

Titanium can also burn fairly easily. The investigation must find out why the laptop exploded. Really, the FAA should be involved, because it is a risk for aircraft.

[imgumbydammit]

There are some very good videos of lithium polys (lipo's) being abused here >>> http://utahflyers.org/ left side menu towards the bottom... :eek:

IGD

[Womball]

Partially due to a known cg forum? :thumbsup:

And would that forum be notebookforum?

I wonder if that means I get a E1710 cheaper now?

[Fredl]

http://opinion250.com/Files/Image/2005/july/plane%20crash.jpg

The Washington Post examines whether exploding laptops and batteries may have caused numerous past plane crashes.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/12/AR2006071201259.html

"Did laptop batteries aboard a UPS cargo plane catch fire, causing it to ignite into flames? (Philadelphia, Feb 8)."

"Less than two months ago in Chicago, a spare laptop battery packed in a bag stored in an overhead bin started emitting smoke"

"In 1999, a shipment of lithium batteries ignited after it was unloaded from a passenger jet at Los Angeles International Airport. Another shipment erupted into flames in Memphis in 2004 when it was being loaded onto a FedEx plane bound for Paris."

[Fredl]

According to WebproNews and Engaget:
"Dell knew about "dozens" of burned laptops two years before recall"
"The Incredible Exploding Laptop of Osaka could be the culmination of incidents stretching back years."

"That evidence included photographs detailing where overheating had taken place. On many machines, black charring around the Ethernet port could be seen. Others had melting around the cooling fan, and still more had areas melted and burned away over and around the battery."

"It is extremely likely that the term "laptop" will no longer be used in association with any portable computer from now on."
LINKS:
http://www.engadget.com/2006/07/20/dell-knew-about-dozens-of-burned-laptops-two-years-before-reca/
http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/topnews/wpn-60-20060721HeatTurnedUpOnDellOverNotebooks.html


http://images.tomshardware.com/2006/07/13/ups.jpg
TG Daily News carries a picture of the airliner that was destroyed in flames at Philadelphia International Airport. The fire was thought to have been caused by an exploding laptop battery.
http://www.tgdaily.com/2006/07/13/ntsb_laptopbattery_upsfire/

[eek]

Found this off the web:
When lithium-ion batteries replaced nickel metal hydride, researchers increased the energy density (the amount of power they could pack into the space), eliminated the memory effect, and made batteries lighter. But lithium ion in most cases uses cobalt oxide, which has a tendency to undergo "thermal runaway," explains Joe Lamoreux, vice president of research and development at Valence Technology. "When you heat this material up, it (can) reach an onset temperature that begins to self-heat and progresses into fire and explosion."

Because Valence claims to offer a safer alternative, I also spoke with Atakan Ozbek, director of energy research at Allied Business Intelligence, an independent technology research think tank, and to Sandrine Colson-Inam, general manager at Cell Expert North America, another independent technology research company. Ozbek and Colson-Inam confirmed what Lamoreux told me. Both also agree that Valence's phosphate technology, registered as Saphion Technology, is definitely safer.

Explosions and fire happen "rarely" but as Lamoreux said, this problem is a "tiger in a cage" just because of the sheer number of batteries out there. Battery problems that result in fire, lots of smoke, and explosions can be caused by a short circuit, excessive heat, overcharging, or abuse.


Keep It Cool

Ozbek advises users to replace lithium-ion batteries every two to three years. Two years is the safest time period, as constant recharging weakens the battery.

Colson-Inam advises users not to leave a laptop or cell phone in the trunk of a car where the temperature can easily go above 140 degrees Fahrenheit, the point at which a thermal runaway can start.

Valence has come up with a new active material for lithium-ion batteries based on phosphates rather than oxides. These batteries behave like the traditional lithium-ion version but don't have a thermal runaway characteristic.

Currently, Valence is shipping outboard devices--N-Charge, weighing just under three pounds--as backup batteries to notebooks. They also sell a 60-pound version, K-Charge, to the telecommunications industry as backup for big switches.

[Jeepy]

An other flaming hot Dell burning laptop!

http://www.twitmirror.puffinhost.com/dell/

I hope mine does not do that when I have it on me!!

Cheers!

[Fredl]

http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2006/07/30/470_dell4,0.jpg

Oh no! Another Dell laptop has exploded. This one in Singapore!

LINK:
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=33360

"The man was working late in the office when the computer suddenly began to make "popping noises".

"White smoke began to pour out of the machine, completely filling up the room, and there were flames coming up the sides of the laptop."

He said, "I don't use my laptop on flights anymore." "If it had actually been on my lap I would have been burned in quite a serious way."


BELOW: The remains of the Dell Latitude D410 laptop computer.
http://blogs.smh.com.au/mashup/images/470_dell4.jpg
http://blogs.smh.com.au/mashup/images/470_dell5.jpg
http://blogs.smh.com.au/mashup/images/470_dell6.jpg

[Fredl]

There's some good news about this. Dell will make an announcement on Tuesday about the exploding laptop saga, and will likely recall thousands of laptop batteries.
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=33642

Meanwhile, another Dell Inspiron laptop has exploded, completely destroying a Ford truck.
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006/08/images/dell1.jpghttp://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006/08/images/dell3.jpg

Full story here:
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006/08/dell_fire.html

Listen for Dell's announcement on Tuesday (Aug 14).

[RobertoOrtiz]

Ouch, I am stunned at the explosive power of these things.


Any idea why they get so much bang?

-R

[Womball]

I hope they clear this up soon. Or I may have to get another Sager. The one really appealing thing about Dell is that they supposedly come to your house to repair your computer. This beats mail in repairs imo.

[Fredl]

///NEWSFLASH:

DELL ANNOUCES RECALL OF 4.1 MILLION LAPTOP BATTERIES

EXPLOSION RISK

This is the largest battery recall in the history of consumer electronics. The computers at risk are Dell Inspiron, Dell Latitude, and Dell Precision laptop computers manufactured between April 1, 2004 and July 18, 2006.

Dell is urging owners of these computers to remove the batteries immediately. They may be at risk of explosion.

Dell is blaming Sony for the exploding batteries.

News links:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/14/technology/14cnd-battery.html?hp&ex=1155614400&en=499692c95b993103&ei=5094&partner=homepage
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2006/08/15/1155407776670.html
http://news.com.com/Dell+to+recall+4+million+batteries/2100-1044_3-6105486.html?tag=nefd.top
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/08/14/dell_laptop_recall/

[trthing]

///NEWSFLASH:

Dell is blaming Sony for the exploding batteries.


Oh, man... not Sony again... :twisted:

[SONIC-X]

Danm ,
My Precision was shipped out of Irland factory on the 22 July 2006, makes me wonder if it falls in this recall group or not.
I think I must phone Dell today and find out!

[JDex]

Dell Laptops... the fastest, most reliable incindiary devices you can put on your lap. :p

Customer Testimonials
"Man this thing smokes balls!"
Jake - Walnut Hills, California

"Runs like firey bat outtahell."
Bobby Jo - Hickory, Tennessee

"Saved me $30,000 on my vasectomy... I love my Dell."
Dave - New York, NY

[RobertoOrtiz]

Dell Laptops... the fastest, most reliable incindiary devices you can put on your lap. :p

Customer Testimonials
"Man this thing smokes balls!"
Jake - Walnut Hills, California

"Runs like firey bat outtahell."
Bobby Jo - Hickory, Tennessee

"Saved me $30,000 on my vasectomy... I love my Dell."
Dave - New York, NY
LOL!!!


-R

[SONIC-X]

One the linked articles takes you here http://www.dellbatteryprogram.com/ were you can

check the number of the battery,luckely mine does not need to be recalled.
Now I can enjoy the rest of my day and not worry any more.

[froggyplat]

Ouch, and my Inspiron 9400 is arriving at my door today. At least it was ordered last week, so hopefully it has whatever replacement battery they are using.

[Jadetiger]

I think this is the first time you can ever read "You have made a fatal error" on your monitor and actually have to worry about it.

[leigh]

Oh bollocks... I'd better check mine :hmm: I really hope I don't have to send my batteries back, since I am on the other side of the planet now.

[PhilWesson]

Phew,
checked mine and i'm good to go.
my lap is safe for another day....

[leigh]

Yeah thankfully mine's fine too :)

[krisr]

I have a Dell XPS Gen2 laptop I bought last year. I nervously looked at my battery thinking it would explode only to find thats its not recalled.....woohoo!

[pgp_protector]

Phew,
checked mine and i'm good to go.
my lap is safe for another day....

Or tell the next Recall :D

[RobertoOrtiz]

Consumer safety officials said on Tuesday they are reviewing all Sony-made lithium-ion batteries in laptop computers for fire hazards after Dell Inc. announced the largest electronics recall in the United States.


Dell, the No. 1 maker of personal computers, on Monday said it is recalling 4.1 million notebook batteries made by Sony Corp. (6758.T) because they could overheat and catch fire. A battery of the type involved in the recall was in a Dell laptop that erupted in flames in Japan earlier this year.

The Sony batteries are also used in laptops from Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE:HPQ - news), Apple Computer Inc. (Nasdaq:AAPL - news) and Lenovo Group Ltd. (0992.HK).


http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060816/tc_nm/laptops_batteries_dc


-R

[Neil]

This is Sony's fault, not Dells. I'm not sure why Dell isn't making this more prominent. Their reputation is failing because of this.

[Fredl]

This is Sony's fault, not Dells.
So, it may be Sony's fault. But does that matter to the average consumer? Most people don't care which manufacturer has been subcontracted to make parts for the Dell laptop.

They just think "Dell laptop = Explosion."

Dell should be more careful about where they source components from. In the meantime, Sony will be punished by having to pay out $430 million compensation.
Link:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/08/16/sony_recall_cost/

And Sony will also have to replace the pick-up truck that exploded (seen in the previous page in this thread).

I wonder if the share prices of both Dell and Sony will go down the toilet because of this. We'll wait and see.

[JDex]

The fact of the matter is that batteries only generate the most minimal amounts of heat themselves... the poor internal design and placement of the extremely hot components are what are heating the normally low-combustable battery packs. Dell is entirely to blame.

OMG... I just defended Sony. I need a bath.

[Fredl]

http://www.theinquirer.net/images/articles/sunsteal3.jpg

"DELL CUSTOMER SUPPORT IMPLODES"


"DELL'S notorious customer support operation seems set to implode under the weight of millions of complaints following the huge 'exploding battery' recall."

"The phones are overloaded most of the time.
"However the average waiting time, listening to classical music, to get to a human is now 30 minutes."

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=33747

From BusinessWeek:
"After 21 minutes of listening to Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons," and repeated assurances that my call is very important to Dell, I finally got through to a customer service rep who explained that the company is recalling the batteries because Dell doesn't want to "take any chances."

"We don't want to have your house catch on fire or anything," she said."

"I was told I wouldn't be able to get my hands on a replacement battery for up to 20 business days"
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/tech/D8JHP5IO0.htm?sub=apn_tech_down&chan=tc

[ecco]

I have just confirmed I do indeed have one of those dodgy batteries.

However, I'm pleased they're sending me a new replacement as mine is completely knackered. Anyone else here need a replacement?

[Fredl]

OMG!!! Another Dell laptop has exploded. This time, completely destroying a house.

http://cache.gizmodo.com/assets/resources/2006/08/bilde.jpg


>>LINK to full story, Herald Tribune. (http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060818/NEWS/608180446/-1/Help0530)

>>LINK#2 Inquirer (http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=33847)

[PROVIDE3D]

OMG!!! Another Dell laptop has exploded. This time, completely destroying a house.

Great. Dell is now guilty of EVERY-FIRE-ACCIDENT in this world. Give me a break.


Martin

[Apoclypse]

Maybe I should burn my house down and blame Dell. Sue them or something. Thats basically what is going to happen now. Dell shoul know better than to deal with Sony. They are known for bad hardware.

[Trident_2K5]

.normally low-combustable battery packs..

Are they? All li-pol batteries DO come with warning that they ARE combustible and explosive if mishandled (shorted, overheated, etc).

And charging could generate quite enough heat. I saw personally, how old, but still quite useable battery charged by below-average-quality-but-still within-the-limits current on a hot summer day was about 50Co hot. Nothing else worked, only battery and charger.

That's why it requires lots of research to say definitely why these particular Dell/Sony batteries exploded. Faulty materials? Bad design of laptop itself? Or one of battery? Voltage spike? Insurance scam? Gremlins? :)

P.S. I thought that amazing stunt with "ink service module" on HP DJ 460 (yes, you need to replace one once a 9 or so months, if you do lot of B&W prints. No, it's not in the manual (or so deep in fine print what nobody sees it anyway), no only handful of stores here have that replacement part, and yes, they sell it only as part of their "maintenance program") is "bad product of the week". I was wrong.

[eek]

For the love of god! dont say "DELL" - things may just spontaneously explode!

[Trident_2K5]

For the love of god! dont say "DELL" - things may just spontaneously explode!
Hmm... S-word and D-word are both four-letter words anyway. I long ago decided to awoid both, be careful about HP, we cursed the BIOS, OS and Universe doing mass rollout of IBM desktops year ago... Stop. After some thinking... There are absolutely no companies that produce good PCs for reasonable price these days. :(

[Neil]

The fact of the matter is that batteries only generate the most minimal amounts of heat themselves... the poor internal design and placement of the extremely hot components are what are heating the normally low-combustable battery packs. Dell is entirely to blame.

Entirely? I don't work for Dell, but I'm sure when you're manufacturing something you work within restrictions. And if you're told that a component can work within xyz restrictions (be it, heat, size, voltage..etc), you're going to push it to the edge. That's why everything is smaller and faster. So if Firestone tires explode on a Ford car, is Ford to 'entirely' blame?

[Neil]

Hmm... S-word and D-word are both four-letter words anyway. I long ago decided to awoid both, be careful about HP, we cursed the BIOS, OS and Universe doing mass rollout of IBM desktops year ago... Stop. After some thinking... There are absolutely no companies that produce good PCs for reasonable price these days. :(

Yes, Dell is junk. Gateway is junk. IBM is junk. HP is junk. Apple is junk. Windows is junk. Microsoft is junk. Alienbrain is junk. Am I missing anything else?

[Trident_2K5]

Yes, Dell is junk. Gateway is junk. IBM is junk. HP is junk. Apple is junk. Windows is junk. Microsoft is junk. Alienbrain is junk. Am I missing anything else?
No, but we both missed smilies. Actually computers are in many ways more reliable now than they used to be in $10 000-for a 386 box days. CRTs no longer burn out that quickly, HDD does not require formatting every year, and decent cases, fans and PSUs are here, if yo'ure ready to pay. But... There are no "legends" anymore, no companies you can 100% trust that they'll do their best for every product they offer. Maybe there never was, but it's still just a bit frustrating.

[Fredl]

Qantas makes passengers remove Dell batteries

Qantas is the world's first airline to ban Dell laptop batteries from being used inflight.
(Before the flight) security staff removed Dell batteries and taped up the contact points.

The prohibition, where it's enforced, applies to all Dell notebooks and not just for machines the firm warned might have problems with batteries.
LINK>> The Inquirer (http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=33876)

Passenger quote:
"They stopped me at the security gate where I was told I couldn't use my Dell laptop on the plane. I told them it wasn't one of the affected units, but they said all Dell batteries had to be taped"
LINK>>The Register (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/08/23/qantas_dell_measures/)

"These batteries aren't safe to use under any circumstances. Any battery affected by the recall could potentially short circuit and cause a fire, even if the notebook is turned off and stowed in an overhead compartment."
LINK>>CNET (http://news.com.com/2061-10810_3-6108800.html?part=rss&tag=6108800&subj=news)

[havokzprodigy]

More Sony top notch hardware.

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/technology/9728922/detail.html

[Saurus]

Apple recalls 1.8 million batteries

Looks like Apple is also going to do some recalling.

LINK (http://news.com.com/Apple+recalls+1.8+million+batteries/2100-1041_3-6109198.html)

Here's some scary pics
http://cache.gizmodo.com/gadgets/images/apple_firebook.jpg

[Neil]

More Sony top notch hardware.

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/technology/9728922/detail.html

This all seems really fishy. Why is so much stuff suddenly "exploding"?
Maybe it was just a matter of time, but I'd be curious to know how long people have owned this hardware before it just 'started on fire'.

[havokzprodigy]

Yes curious indeed.

My guess is since it's a big story now, every little incident is getting attention by the media.

[RobertoOrtiz]

guess what..

CNN: Apple recalls 1.8 million laptop batteries (http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?t=397177)

-R

[Fredl]

Britain: Dell Latitude C600 explodes, house catches on fire.

(Dell says it may not have been the original battery supplied by them.)

A family today revealed how they narrowly escaped injury when a laptop computer exploded in their home.

Hot pieces of battery started firing from the Dell Latitude C600 like fireworks, rockets. "They even bounced off the ceiling, they went up that high", Mr Allen said.

"I tried to extinguish the laptop and cover it over with a towel. I tried to carry it outside, but it was still exploding and I let go of it.

"As I dropped it, more batteries came out like fireworks. A couple of them hit the ceiling then bounced on the floor. Another one hit the ceiling and set fire to the carpet. My wife was jumping on it to put it out."

http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=132935&command=displayContent&sourceNode=132702&contentPK=15298243&folderPk=77465&www.reghardware.co.uk

[RobertoOrtiz]

Quote:
"Virgin Atlantic Airlines announced yesterday that passengers with any Dell or Apple laptop will not be allowed to use a battery while on the flight.
The announcement, posted on Virgin’s website, said that Passengers may carry on the laptop itself, but batteries must be properly wrapped and stowed away in carry-on for the duration of the flight. However, the airline provided no details as to what proper wrapping entails. For those who wish to use a laptop while on the plane, Virgin plans to provide power adapters on flights where outlets are available.

Virgin’s new laptop policies aren’t without inconsistencies, though. While the Sony battery recalls applied only to certain models of Apple and Dell laptops, Virgin has disallowed all laptops of these brands from being used with batteries on their flights. Apple and Dell are currently in negotiations with Virgin to lift the ban on their laptops, which Virgin intends to do once battery woes are resolved. Also, Virgin will allow battery-equipped laptops to be stowed away in luggage, which seems to pose some comparable degree of threat compared to powered-on laptops on board. "


>>LINK<< (http://techfreep.com/virgin-atlantic-bans-dell-apple-laptops.htm)

-R

[CGTalk Moderation]

This thread has been automatically closed as it remained inactive for 12 months. If you wish to continue the discussion, please create a new thread in the appropriate forum.