“An Inquirer reader attending a conference in Japan was sat just feet away from a laptop computer that suddenly exploded into flames, in what could have been a deadly accident,” The Inquirer reports.
“Guilhem, [the] astonished reader reports: ‘The damn thing was on fire and produced several explosions for more than five minutes… For the record, this is [was] a Dell machine… It is only a matter of time until such an incident breaks out on a plane,’ he suggests,” The Inquirer reports.
“‘Fire extinguishers leave a mess on your suit and belongings; pack your stuff (if you can) and leave, leave, leave!’ he advises,” The Inquirer reports. “We don’t have any further details of the model of the computer in question. In light of the evidence, however, we’d suggest you avoid actually using a laptop on your lap.”
Full article with better photos here.
MacDailyNews Take: Almost always, this is an issue of shoddily-produced batteries. Virtually every PC company, including Apple, have not been immune to such issues in the past. Hopefully, this will never happen on a plane (or anywhere else again). Generally, we’re of the opinion that as PC companies race to the bottom in a desperate price race, we feel much safer with Apple’s quality vs. all others as Apple is not dependent on operating on razor-thin margins that might affect product quality.
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Probably overclocked.
A new feature of Windows Live virus protection?
return all your money to the shareholders…Dell’s mediocrity has been a hazard to society for decades…now this.
Headline: Dell computer explodes, MDN web sites errupts with flames.
and people complain about the macbooks heat…
Who says Dell laptops aren’t Hot!
even the computers are rebelling against windows now
That’s hot!
I guess this qualifies as “much worse” than the mild burns caused by a few iBooks foolishly rested on the user’s lap. Maybe Dell left a “protective cover” over the vent … like the ones Apple eventually discovered had been left behind.
Good morning Mr. Phelps. Windows has detected that this may not be an authentic version of Windows. Your laptop will self destruct in 5 seconds…..
FSCKING A COOL $HEEET MAN!!!
I love it, video too!!
That’s what you get you cheap PC b*sterds!!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
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Who knew you needed a fire suit to use a Dull?
Hmmm…this didn’t make it to MDN:
http://labnol.blogspot.com/2006/06/apple-laptop-engulfed-in-flames-real.html
“we feel much safer with Apple’s quality vs. all others…” Ba-aah!”
Who says Dell laptops aren’t Hot!
Hot?
Hot??
They are not even cute!!
Another Dell explodes
http://iafrica.com/news/sa/3030.htm
Seems this is a widespread problem, Mac laptop explodes too
http://www.axehole.com/2006/06/05/mac-laptop-explodes-into-flames/
“Probably overclocked”
OMG that’s funny, I hope you’re not serious.
Anyway, the MDN take is dead on, could happen to
anybody. Batteries fail, very unfortunate.
Could be a hoax. If not, probably a cheap battery replacement instead of the real thing.
Who cares. Dell is a piece of shit. And libs are gutless, yellow belly cowards.
With what I’ve heard about the new laptops, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear about an apple in flames.
Also, remember, there are FAR fewer apple computers, so logically, there should be far fewer flames.
“there’s no such thing as a chemical imbalance”
Actually there was A scanner in the audience who happened to be an Apple fan that cased it to explode. Long live the new flesh!
anybody wanna buy a used dell laptop?
going for real cheap… lol.
and they say MacBook’s run hot!
“A new feature of Windows Live virus protection?”
William, that’s pretty funny.
Macs burn too. Bullshit.
Apple laptop on fire on pavement. An old, cheap iBook at that. He took it out to the driveway and it caught fire all by itself. Yah right.
It burned on the driveway and he had a still camera and video camera ready to record the event. How convienent.
Who the hell uses a computer on the driveway? This was a staged event, unlike the Dell bursting into flames at a well attended conference.
Someone call 911, the MDN editorial staff has been kidnapped and replaced by someone with objective and coherent remarks.
I concur with the people who suspect a cheap replacement battery to be the cause. Assembling LiIon batteries is not a job for the battery clinic on the corner.
People have got to understand that all these companies — Dell, Apple, Sony, HP — are using the same components in their products (this is especially true since the Intel switch). The lower end PCs tend to use a lot cheaper components, and Apple really doesn’t have products to compete in that price range. When you put Dell and Apple in the same price range, we are talking about roughly the same components in each system. I’ve used Apple my whole life. However, Dell isn’t any less of a computer designer than Apple.
The biggest advantage to Apple hardware is simply that it is compatible with their awesome software package and the best operating system in the world. However, since the majority of computer users make purchases in that sub 500$ price range, Apple has a major obstacle to surpass to gain market share. An interesting statistic I’d love to see is what market share Apple has of the +1200$ price range. I wouldn’t be surprised if it were 40-50%.
Personally, I’d love to see Apple have a sub 500$ mac that comes packaged with a moniter, keyboard and mouse. It wouldn’t have to be a piece of junk, but it could just be a bare-bones unit to take care of basic computer needs. It would be great for them to offer a similar product in their Laptop line. Use a cheaper intel chip, with maybe a 40 GB harddrive, 512 MB of RAM, and a basic software package, throw in a 13 inch display and a keyboard and mouse for like 300$, and people would start buying apple like crazy.
As much as we’d make fun of such a system now, it would have been a top of the the line iMac 5 years ago. That’s basically all Dell does anyway. I think Apple would make a lot of money on such a system. The mac mini is just slightly too expensive, and doesn’t have a moniter, keyboard, or mouse. Honestly, to the average computer user, that’s what they need. They don’t have a lot of money, and they just need something to check email and go online.
Hate to tell everybody this, but Apple laptops can do very similar things. I’ve seen it. Fire department had to come and put out the fire.
What was it?
An expiring Inspiron?
A Latitude 666?
Either way, it’s a Dell gone to Hell.
It has deceased. It is no more. Shuffled off this mortal coil.
It has XP-ired…
Readers of macdailynews should know that the new Apple laptops with intel processors are using other type of batteries that aren’t inflammable like older battery technologies like ion-lithium and ni-cd/hm..
Both MacBook and MacBook Pro are the unique laptops in the market (PC&Mac;) using lithium-polymer battery, these type of batteries aren’t inflammable. So these laptops shouldn’t turn into flames by itself in any condition..
More info, at wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_polymer
Lithium-polymer batteries also have other benefits other than safety..
That have been demonstrated in the C|NET comparison of the MacBook Pro vs Acer TravelMate 8200…
The battery of the MacBook Pro (60w/h) lasted nearly the same as the battery of the Acer Travelmate 8200 which is of 45% more capacity (87w/h) and that was with a screen brightness of 60cd/m2 on the Acer and ~134cd/m2 in the MacBook Pro…
http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-10442_7-6511774-1.html?tag=lnav
It was running OSX.
Brrr. If this happened on a plane, I’d fear panic. Everyone is terrorist-phobic when they fly these days.
Flying in a plane anf this happens… scary stuff… Maybe Dells should be left on the ground.
Ha! Just let the DOJ try to make something out of that! Er, I mean, Oh my goodness! My laptop exploded!
“Dell isn’t any less of a computer designer than Apple.”
wake up!..
I beg to differ with that statement. Have you ever seen a Dell up close? There is no design there, it is fugly. Against my advise, my friend bought a 17″ Inspiron and let me tell you it’s very ugly. It looks like someone slap two pieces of plywood together with a door hinge in the middle.
Already he had to reload win XP to get it working again.
Anyway, as far as design is concerned, Dell is no comparison to Apple.
Pyg: Dude, he was using that laptop on CARPET! Come on!
oh damn… I have one that I rub my feet on.. I guess I have to look for areal doormat.
It’s actually James Bond’s anti-theft device, similar to the one installed on his cars.
Here’s an article about an iBook that caught fire:
http://wcco.com/consumer/local_story_148150249.html
This sort of thing is typically caused by faulty batteries, like Apple and every other laptop maker has had to recall from time to time.
YEAHHHH, it WORKED.
new virus “hellfire” in action! A blast!
Time to get physical.
Macs burn too. Bullshit.
Apple laptop on fire on pavement. An old, cheap iBook at that. He took it out to the driveway and it caught fire all by itself. Yah right.
It burned on the driveway and he had a still camera and video camera ready to record the event. How convienent.
Who the hell uses a computer on the driveway? This was a staged event, unlike the Dell bursting into flames at a well attended conference.
Big Al,
That’s a ridiculously stupid comment. If you’d seen the video report you’d have known that a) they claim it was melting the carpet after making cracking and popping sounds, so b) they took it outside, on a pavement where it excessive heat would not cause further damage. In their place I’d have done the exact same thing.
Further – “old, cheap iBook” – it clearly showed an iBook G4. As in, only a generation or two old; at the time it caught fire (the report was late May), Macbooks might not have been announced yet, so it might even have been the current generation of Apple’s consumer laptop. That it’s cheap is redundant and more to the point, irrelavent – it’s still an Apple notebook.
Finally – You’d better believe I’d be documenting a notebook fire with pictures and video before putting it out, if it were reasonably safe to do so! It happened at their home, so it would be mere seconds to a minute to grab a camera.
maybe this is one of those new FireWalls from Symantec. Now that M$ has a full protection scheme installed with VISTA, they’d to come up with something new.
Just noticed something
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Why does MDN use emoticons identical or very similar to microshoft’s MSN ones? Something they aren’t telling us? Ill leave it to you to discuss…
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”raspberry” style=”border:0;” />
Pyg Mallion,
I’m sure MDN would feel much safer since there will be lots of Apple KoolAid to douse the flames. And the burn will have an Apple logo on them…
RE the links to the burning iBook:
Besides the obviouslu suspiciousness of the iBook beeing on fire, it appears theat the fire started outside, not inside the case.
This was ARSON. Arson is CRIME. Suing Apple in this case is FRAUD.
I am a firefighter, and we are trained to look at fires to determine how they were caused. There is no melting of the plastic case. Also the battery is to the side, not in the center where the flames started.
My trained opinion – it was staged.
Anyone else notice that they didn’t even pull out the power cord on the burning iBook?
The iBook fire was clearly staged. The story tellers (and some posters here) claim that it was taken outside after it started flaming up. Then why is it still plugged in? Did they take it outside and plug it in on the driveway?
Good grief, people, wake up! The iBook flame hoax obviously staged. I’m amazed that any of you can be stupid enough to believe such tripe. You’d think this was Paul Turdrot’s site.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”raspberry” style=”border:0;” />
(NOTE: MDN Magic Word is “getting” – as in you idiots are GETTING too worked up.)
You guys are clearly right. How could I have been so foolish? The iBook flame-out is obviously a fake. Please just slap me silly the next time.
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Atomic Bomb,
I noticed the same thing – the iBook was plugged in. They claim that they took it outside while it was on fire. Why would they plug it back in? Doesn’t make sense.
MW: subject, as in “This iBook incident should be the subject of a fraud investigation.”
Atomic Bomb,
I noticed the same thing – the iBook was plugged in. They claim that they took it outside while it was on fire. Why would they plug it back in? Doesn’t make sense.
MW: subject, as in “This iBook incident should be the subject of a fraud investigation.”
Luckily it is powered by batteries, not nuclear.
Everyone,
That fellow is a secreat agent. He is just accidently click on one of the secreat file which will be self destructive after viewing.
“secreat file”
Is this related to the well-known secretion files? Or is it the lesser known sea creation files? Dick Cheney is heavily invested in both.
“This was ARSON. Arson is CRIME. Suing Apple in this case is FRAUD”
Arson requires, at common law the malicious burning of the dwelling house of another.
Modernly the dwelling house part is dropped, but part of the structure must burn.
It’s not Arson just to set your neighbor’s possessions on fire, or even to burn down your own house (although it’s possibly some other crime, depending on how, where and why you do it)
So setting fire to a PC is not arson.
Surely they covered that in firefighter school when they taught you how to investigate fires?
For those people saying apple laptops don’t burn, I beg to differ. We’ve had one melt at the company I work for. Apples battery technology is the some as most other laptop manufacturers. As this item shows:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/05/20/apple_recalls_batteries/
After reading the story about a scientist who bought a Dell laptop that he nevr got to use because it didn’t work, ever, even after sending it in for service I’m not surprised one of them exploded. You’d have to be a dill to buy a Dell!