“Another Dell laptop has undergone spontaneous combustion, prompting the evacuation of the office it was situated in and the urgent intervention of the local fire brigade. Pictures of the incident point to a battery meltdown as the cause of the conflagration,” Tony Smith reports for The Register.
Full article with photo here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “James” for the heads up.]
More photos and info here.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Dell laptop fires may have been downplayed – July 22, 2006
Temperature Test: Apple MacBook vs. Dell Latitude D620 – July 18, 2006
NY Times: Dell’s exploding laptop and other image problems – July 10, 2006
Dell laptop explodes into flames at Japanese conference – June 21, 2006
Why buy a Dell when Apple’s Intel-based computers will run both Mac OS X and Windows? – June 08, 2005
Break out the marshmallows!
And now for an iBook on fire: http://www.tuaw.com/2006/06/01/ibook-battery-catches-fire/
Are rports of self-immolating Dells are due to poor design of the computers themselves, faulty batteries, or both? It would be helpful if reliable and accurate statistics were recorded of the makes and models of both laptops and batteries known to burst into flame.
I quake at the site,
as the smoke starts to thin,
Because I thought we had them beat,
but now the machines will surely win.
Are rports of self-immolating iBooks and Dells due to poor design of the computers themselves, faulty batteries, or both? It would be helpful if reliable and accurate statistics were recorded of the makes and models of both laptops and batteries known to burst into flame.
Jeff:
Never had an original thought, eh?
I thought to correct your spelling mistake, but decided against it.
You did notice the extra word (Hint: ‘iBook’) which I lifted from g’s post to put irony and context into the brouhaha.
I satire you!
New slogan: “Get a free fire extinguisher with every Dell laptop”
Jeff:
The derision is all yours.
I want to know where the Apple suing lawyers are now. I haven’t heard of asingle suit against Dell on this, or any other, issue.
SCAM! They carried in out of the house on fire? While its still plugged in? Isn’t the battery on the left side?
Nahhh, just whining customers. With the right service plan ($49) Dell will come to your house and replace the burned out machine.
Your house – though – is not covered.
MDN “plans” – Simply amazing!
D’ya think that when it’s closed there’d be enough space between the keyboard and the screen to get a slice of bread in?
I need to get a new toaster…
I’m starting to wonder if it really was oxygen tanks that started that JetBlue fire in the cargo hold or if it was someone’s Dell laptop. Might be time to ban laptops from planes. Or at least require that the come out.
Dell laptop owner arraigned with terrorist charges. While FBI was taking her away from the airport aisles she was screaming “It’s just a laptop, IT’S JUST A LAPTOP”
The Dell customer later confessed she had not noticed that restriction on inflammable objects included Dell laptops as well.
Investigator are still checking her background and ties with suspected terrorist cells misguiding themselves as dull Dell users.
MW: RECALL
It’s more like the Cell wanted to commit suicide, having been infested with Windows.
Just so we’re clear.. the iBook was found to be purposely torched, not a result of self combustion. In previous posts a fire inspector proclaimed his surprise that the burning iBook folks weren’t charged with arson!
Bartsimpsonhead & Next in the news:
Two wonderful comments!
thank you!
Are rports of self-immolating Windowz crappy Dells are due to poor design of the computers themselves, faulty batteries, or both? It would be helpful if reliable and accurate statistics were recorded of the makes and models of both laptops and batteries known to burst into flame.
Hey Jeff,
Did you just re-boot your brain like in that Mac ‘Restarting’ TV ad?
You seem to have asked that question before…
Hey maczealot,
You could have an original thought and come up with an original handle. I was here first!
Smokey the Bear says:
Only you can stop office fires….so don’t buy a Dell
Are rports of self-immolating Windowz crappy Dells are due to poor design of the computers themselves, faulty batteries, or both?
From a consumer’s standpoint, what’s the difference?
I don’t care what the percentage is; even one fire is one too many.
Going by the numerous fire reports, IMO the Dell models in question are completely unsafe and should be recalled & replaced.
FWIW: Apple should pull a sweet public-image coup, and get all their notebooks FAA-certified as airworthy. That way when the Dell fire reports go mainstream & there’s all sorts of fear-mongering, Apple can step forward and say “Ours are safe”.
It’s only a matter of time before a Dell ignites on an airplane.
Sure Dell is “investigating”, but we’ll see. With a typical bottom-feeder like Dell, it’ll take a very high-profile incident to get any action.
Remember, Dell, at one time Detroit put dollars ahead of lives too.
odds: It’s only a matter of time before a Dell ignites on an airplane.
Guess what? It may have already happened:
http://www.tgdaily.com/2006/07/13/ntsb_laptopbattery_upsfire/
“FAA official William Wilkening testified that there have been 60 incidents since 1991 that involved batteries catching on fire, smoking or getting hot. According to Wilkening, most of the batteries were lithium or lithium-ion. He added that in the past ten years the FAA has given 49 fines totaling $517,000 for improper packaging of lithium batteries. Harry Webster with the FAA Technical Center testified that lithium-ion batteries could vent flammable liquid and “pose a risk to the cargo compartment.””
It’s too bad you can’t see any of the photos. (except one) “Bandwidth Exceeded”
Wow another one bites the dust. Isnt the same thing happening to ipod nanos?