An anonymous reader writes "A laptop reported to be a Dell burst into flame and was caught on camera during a recent Japanese conference. Guess this laptop could be a poster child to prove that laptops really can cause sterility if they are on your lap."
It's not just Dell. A friend of mine bought his son a tricked-out HP laptop last week as a graduation present. The brick (external PS) was making a gurgling sound the whole time it was plugged in. He took the whole kit back and bought a Toshiba, which seems to be performing better.
by Anonymous Coward
on Wednesday June 21 2006, @12:37PM (#15577082)
When you've seen a photo like that you're gonna pay a lot more attention to a product recall.
I work for Dell, my job is to decide whether to recall. Everywhere I go I apply the formula.
It's simple arithmetic. If a new laptop built by Dell is sitting on someone's lap, and it bursts into flames, sterilising and disfiguring the user, does Dell initiate a recall?
You take the population of laptops in the field (A) and multiply it by the probable rate of failure (B), then multiply the result by the average cost of an out-of-court settlement (C).
A times B times C equals X. That is what it will cost if we don't initiate a recall.
If X is greater than the cost of a recall, we recall the laptops and no-one gets hurt.
If X is less than the cost of a recall, then we don't recall.
Everywhere I go, there's the burned-up wadded-shell of a laptop waiting for me. I know where all the fried testicles are. Consider this my job security.
One story like this costs the company a LOT more than the cost of a settlement or the cost of replacement of 1000 units.
The questions I have are.. Has this story been verified and not staged? Maybe it was just someone who hates dell? What news conference did this happen at? Why's it so difficult to get a model #, or get another closer shot after the fire was put out?
you forgot about (D) Possible backlash and bad PR from not issuing a recall.
Sure 10 people get hurt by the computer and you settle out of court with 9 of them, the 10th one doesn't want money they want to know why it failed.
It trickles along untill the media needs a story cause it's a slow news day, they find it and blow it out of perportion, suddenly you have 50 other people showing up claiming they got hurt by your computer (even though they never owned one or they own a different company's but hey, that's technicalitys), you get a big class action lawsuit against you now. Suddenly those little settlements become one big settlement for everyone who has your computer.
Then you have to get someone to do the corral the negative PR that is happening against your company, so you only had 10 reported cases of a machine blowing up, one just wanted to know why it wasn't thought of somewheres before hitting retail and 59 (not doing actual numbers because it would be in the thousands, cause where there is money to be made by doing nothing, people will show up and want a peice of that pie) others want money from your company and you are now out of a job.
Sure this is just one computer but now the questions will slowly start happening,
First step: Deny Deny Deny, Your company did nothing wrong.
Second Step: Claim it was the users fault, They weren't using the proper power supply/battery for the notebook, it's not the companies fault.
Third Step: Claim it's a small problem, Your company is presented with proof it was their fault it happened so now it's time to claim that it's a small isolated problem and out of the millions you have sold worldwide there is only the one.
Fourth step: People see the chance to make money, Now you have people coming out claiming it happened to them and naturally they have no proof cause they got rid of the notebook since it "Blew up and no longer worked!" and then a lawyer sees a chance to make a name for him/herself and make some nice change from it. Time to issue a recall on all of them regardless.
Atleast that's how it works in the USA, not sure if other people are quick to think "10 problems around the world = EVERYTHING done by this company is flawed so I should get paid for not even being a part of it!".
There's a reason all the big OEMs stopped calling them laptops. They really don't intend fo you to put it in your lap. I used to work for notebook support for a company, we actually had some people get burned by the more powerful notebooks because they had them in their laps for too long. It's even in the documentation that they can get too hot to be comfortably used in the lap.
That's why I went to a local electronics junk/surplus store and got a large aluminum plate with fins (a heatsink off of something huge) about the size of the base of my laptop, and place it between my lap and my laptop. It's relatively thin aluminum, so it's not too heavy, and it keeps my nuts from roasting.
Agreed. My boyfriend's notebook gets so hot, that he puts it on a pillow if he wants to use it sitting in the recliner. I finally bought him a "chill pad" from Target that plugs into a USB port to power a couple of fans that draw the heat away. He loves it. =)
Perhaps this is a sign that computers (through the mega-computing power of the internet) have become self-aware. This is just the start to their war against the fleshlings... I mean, what better way to take out your opponent than to get him to put you in his lap, then you detonate yourself -- even if you don't destroy him, you take out his ability to reproduce. Fear the machines!
While it's never caught fire, my Latitude D600 can get quite hot after several hours of World of Warcraft/Call of Duty/etc.
The hard drive is right under the left palm-rest area, and it has quite literally burned my hand several times. It's not suprising to me to see one on fire.
When the D600 battery goes defective they can get insane hot to melt the case plastic a bit when left on the charger.
Of the fleet of D600's we have here (190 laptops) I have replaced about 50% of the batteries and of them 25% damaged the laptop case. (laptops were rolled out last year this time.)
I'm betting the laptop in the photos is a D600 with a bad battery that was left on the charger for a long time causing it to fail dramatically.
My D800 and D400 both get insane hot but the D600 is the only one that scares me.
Mow your lawn Make your lunch Give you a hug Smile Hold your hand Carry your bag Laugh Get sick Cry Call you at work Run into you
No matter how many laptops you buy, you won't be able to share your life, your lessons, your beliefs, or your ideas with a laptop. Though if you get sterilized, at least you can adopt a kid.
Perhaps this will convince manufacturers to start thinking about the temperatures that their computers run at. Sure, they make sure that the processor and hard drive run below their rated maximum temperatures, but in a practical sense, they've been letting computers run too hot. My Asus M2400Ne runs pretty cool most of the time, but the hard drive and AC adapter (both the power brick and the plug) can get so hot that they burn you a little if you hold them for a few seconds. This is ridiculous. You can't build a product that reaches insane temperatures, and then stick a little label that says "Do not use with less than 3 feet of space next to eachvent" on it! Let's see some better cooling. Personally, I think a laptop with one big (4 to 6 inches), slowly rotating fan in the middle of the bottom, plus exhaust vents on the sides and back, would actually look nice, keep the laptop much cooler (no more "hot spots" on the keyboard), and run quietly. (You'd need rubber feet to hold it up enough, but most bottom vents need them.) This would probably also help with blocked vents, since it's much harder to block a huge circle-shaped vent in the middle of the case than a small square vent near the side, where the laptop is likely to rest on your leg.
It's not the temperature of the CPU that I think is the issue. It's the amount of energy stored in the battery. A Lithium Ion battery has an energy density [answers.com] that is less than an order of magnitude from that of TNT!
So, if your battery weighs two pounds, you have the potential energy of roughly a third pound of TNT -- more than enough to cause some serious damage.
I for one don't want to be killed by keyboard shrapnel!
I was going to make a joke linking this story and a recent story about an iBook catching fire [wcco.com] (on video as well) with Dell now listing Apple Mac OS X [tuaw.com] as a choice on their driver download page. This is serious though.
People, do not use your laptop on carpet or in situations where it may not get ample ventilation. It can burst into flames and harm people or property... well definitely the laptop at least. Read your manuals and follow the disclaimers.
Warning: Do not place your iBook G4 on a pillow or other soft material when it is on, as the material may block the airflow vents, in particular the rear vents, and cause the computer to overheat. -Apple iBook manual (Page 70)
I like the way that in the second picture, the laptop is still burning, yet just in the shot you can see some geek typing on another laptop, just a couple of feet away. Not even a fire can stop a geek from bashing out some code! Or maybe he's on IRC: "d00dz, a laptop just caught fire in front of me!!! Freaky!! Its still burnin..."
Very obviously a LiIon/LiPoly/LiEtc battery explosion. They go off like small bombs when abused to an extreme (short circuit, overcharge). My guess is that something went terribly wrong with the charge controller, and fried the pack. The phenomenon isn't news, just that some other failure caused it. It's unfortunate that it happened, but it's a good lesson about why extra care is needed with volatile technologies. As a EE, I can say with authority that it's easy to design a very safe battery management system. It's when production cost reduction folks get involved and cut corners that things often go wrong, or when someone thinks they can optimize something without a full understanding
How is it possible that even images of their own device on fire could look so boring. They're so devoid of composition, of sensitivity.
In this other example, the victim has taken time to place the burning device against a backdrop of roughly hewn rock, and has done so at a time of day
deserving of the generous tones cast by the flames as they lash, even swagger about the white plastic.. [wcco.com]
Dell, here this: even in death, one should look positively gorgeous.
First, he would carefully return his pristine copy of American Rifleman to its snug sealed fold within his kevlar jacket, then reach into his jacket holster and withdraw his standard issue SIG-Sauer P228. Then, in one brisk motion, he would adjust his stetson/baseball cap, stand out of his seat, face the explosion and flick back his jacket revealing; one flawlessly polished United States Marshals Service badge, one flawlessly polished State of Texas belt buckle(large), one flawlessly polished non standard issue Smith and Western Model 500 holstered to right of belt buckle.
He would then proceed to unload all fifteen rounds of the P228 into the laptop and its owner, causing further combustions of the laptop, and naturally killing the misfortuate passenger come terrorist, who only moments before would have been enjoying a quiet morning flight while reading left wing Californian blogs over the inflight coffee. A number of the bullets would obviously rupture the aircrafts fragile hull, and as a result of the altitude, the entire plane would begin to depressurise and disintegrate.
As the wind howls about him and as passengers begin to be sucked out of the plane still vainly clutching at their chairs, the marshal would leap forward, land a solid punch on the jaw of the laptop owner's corpse, and, just before the chair that now contained them both was torn away by the wind, the marshal would reach for his handcuffs, and neatly clamp one end about the corpses wrist, and one about his own.
As the gale finally takes the pair, the remaining doomed passengers will just faintly make out the brave hero's final words, carried by chance on swirling eddies:
A number of the bullets would obviously rupture the aircrafts fragile hull, and as a result of the altitude, the entire plane would begin to depressurise and disintegrate.
no it wont. popping several holes in a pressurized plane even a window will not destroy or even cause major damage to a plane.
Anyone into avionics and avaiation knows this as well as mythbusters also proved it. the only way they did any major damage was lots of primercord and shaped explosive charges.
When will those idiots at Dell learn? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:When will those idiots at Dell learn? (Score:5, Insightful)
When you've seen a photo like that you're gonna pay a lot more attention to a product recall.
Parent
Re:When will those idiots at Dell learn? (Score:5, Informative)
Parent
Re:When will those idiots at Dell learn? (Score:5, Funny)
That's normal for Zerg technology.
Parent
Re:When will those idiots at Dell learn? (Score:5, Interesting)
That made me certain that Dell incompetence would make my bricks explode.
I replaced them at my own expense. And considered sneaking into a Dell office and swapping mine in for theirs.
Parent
Re:When will those idiots at Dell learn? (Score:5, Funny)
I work for Dell, my job is to decide whether to recall. Everywhere I go I apply the formula.
It's simple arithmetic. If a new laptop built by Dell is sitting on someone's lap, and it bursts into flames, sterilising and disfiguring the user, does Dell initiate a recall?
You take the population of laptops in the field (A) and multiply it by the probable rate of failure (B), then multiply the result by the average cost of an out-of-court settlement (C).
A times B times C equals X. That is what it will cost if we don't initiate a recall.
If X is greater than the cost of a recall, we recall the laptops and no-one gets hurt.
If X is less than the cost of a recall, then we don't recall.
Everywhere I go, there's the burned-up wadded-shell of a laptop waiting for me. I know where all the fried testicles are. Consider this my job security.
Parent
Re:When will those idiots at Dell learn? (Score:5, Interesting)
The questions I have are.. Has this story been verified and not staged? Maybe it was just someone who hates dell? What news conference did this happen at? Why's it so difficult to get a model #, or get another closer shot after the fire was put out?
Parent
Re:When will those idiots at Dell learn? (Score:5, Insightful)
Sure 10 people get hurt by the computer and you settle out of court with 9 of them, the 10th one doesn't want money they want to know why it failed.
It trickles along untill the media needs a story cause it's a slow news day, they find it and blow it out of perportion, suddenly you have 50 other people showing up claiming they got hurt by your computer (even though they never owned one or they own a different company's but hey, that's technicalitys), you get a big class action lawsuit against you now. Suddenly those little settlements become one big settlement for everyone who has your computer.
Then you have to get someone to do the corral the negative PR that is happening against your company, so you only had 10 reported cases of a machine blowing up, one just wanted to know why it wasn't thought of somewheres before hitting retail and 59 (not doing actual numbers because it would be in the thousands, cause where there is money to be made by doing nothing, people will show up and want a peice of that pie) others want money from your company and you are now out of a job.
Sure this is just one computer but now the questions will slowly start happening,
First step: Deny Deny Deny, Your company did nothing wrong.
Second Step: Claim it was the users fault, They weren't using the proper power supply/battery for the notebook, it's not the companies fault.
Third Step: Claim it's a small problem, Your company is presented with proof it was their fault it happened so now it's time to claim that it's a small isolated problem and out of the millions you have sold worldwide there is only the one.
Fourth step: People see the chance to make money, Now you have people coming out claiming it happened to them and naturally they have no proof cause they got rid of the notebook since it "Blew up and no longer worked!" and then a lawyer sees a chance to make a name for him/herself and make some nice change from it. Time to issue a recall on all of them regardless.
Atleast that's how it works in the USA, not sure if other people are quick to think "10 problems around the world = EVERYTHING done by this company is flawed so I should get paid for not even being a part of it!".
Parent
Gives a whole new meaning to DVD BURNER!! (eom) (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Re:When will those idiots at Dell learn? (Score:5, Insightful)
There's a reason all the big OEMs stopped calling them laptops. They really don't intend fo you to put it in your lap. I used to work for notebook support for a company, we actually had some people get burned by the more powerful notebooks because they had them in their laps for too long. It's even in the documentation that they can get too hot to be comfortably used in the lap.
Parent
Re:When will those idiots at Dell learn? (Score:5, Interesting)
Parent
Re:When will those idiots at Dell learn? (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Re:When will those idiots at Dell learn? (Score:5, Informative)
Parent
Re:When will those idiots at Dell learn? (Score:5, Interesting)
Maybe it ties into the explosion/fire.
Parent
Re:When will those idiots at Dell learn? (Score:5, Funny)
Maybe it ties into the explosion/fire
Parent
Re:When will those idiots at Dell learn? (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Re:When will those idiots at Dell learn? (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Re:When will those idiots at Dell learn? (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Thinkpad users safe... (Score:5, Funny)
I've built balls of steel lugging that thing around. Not even an exploding Sunblade100 could sterilize my boys.
Re:Thinkpad users safe... (Score:5, Funny)
Why would you have a sunblade100 on your lap?
Parent
it was probably... (Score:5, Funny)
artificial intelligence? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:artificial intelligence? (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Re:artificial intelligence? (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Sage words of advice (Score:5, Funny)
Should you witness such an event, his advice is, "Don't try anything courageous/stupid, stay away, away, away!"
But take pictures first!
-h-
Fire Precaution (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Re:Sage words of advice (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Feeling hot, hot, hot... (Score:5, Informative)
The hard drive is right under the left palm-rest area, and it has quite literally burned my hand several times. It's not suprising to me to see one on fire.
Re:Feeling hot, hot, hot... (Score:5, Interesting)
When the D600 battery goes defective they can get insane hot to melt the case plastic a bit when left on the charger.
Of the fleet of D600's we have here (190 laptops) I have replaced about 50% of the batteries and of them 25% damaged the laptop case. (laptops were rolled out last year this time.)
I'm betting the laptop in the photos is a D600 with a bad battery that was left on the charger for a long time causing it to fail dramatically.
My D800 and D400 both get insane hot but the D600 is the only one that scares me.
Parent
Nursery rhyme come true. (Score:5, Funny)
can't wait (Score:5, Funny)
Yay, sterility! (Score:5, Funny)
Am I the only person out there who thinks that sterility is a good thing? I can buy thousands of high end laptops for what one kid costs.
Laptops can't... (Score:5, Insightful)
Make your lunch
Give you a hug
Smile
Hold your hand
Carry your bag
Laugh
Get sick
Cry
Call you at work
Run into you
No matter how many laptops you buy, you won't be able to share your life, your lessons, your beliefs, or your ideas with a laptop. Though if you get sterilized, at least you can adopt a kid.
Parent
If I were a Dell laptop... (Score:5, Funny)
Imagine.. (Score:5, Funny)
Temperature issues (Score:5, Interesting)
Perhaps this will convince manufacturers to start thinking about the temperatures that their computers run at. Sure, they make sure that the processor and hard drive run below their rated maximum temperatures, but in a practical sense, they've been letting computers run too hot. My Asus M2400Ne runs pretty cool most of the time, but the hard drive and AC adapter (both the power brick and the plug) can get so hot that they burn you a little if you hold them for a few seconds. This is ridiculous. You can't build a product that reaches insane temperatures, and then stick a little label that says "Do not use with less than 3 feet of space next to eachvent" on it! Let's see some better cooling. Personally, I think a laptop with one big (4 to 6 inches), slowly rotating fan in the middle of the bottom, plus exhaust vents on the sides and back, would actually look nice, keep the laptop much cooler (no more "hot spots" on the keyboard), and run quietly. (You'd need rubber feet to hold it up enough, but most bottom vents need them.) This would probably also help with blocked vents, since it's much harder to block a huge circle-shaped vent in the middle of the case than a small square vent near the side, where the laptop is likely to rest on your leg.
Re:Temperature issues (Score:5, Insightful)
So, if your battery weighs two pounds, you have the potential energy of roughly a third pound of TNT -- more than enough to cause some serious damage.
I for one don't want to be killed by keyboard shrapnel!
Parent
This is a common occurence (Score:5, Informative)
People, do not use your laptop on carpet or in situations where it may not get ample ventilation. It can burst into flames and harm people or property... well definitely the laptop at least. Read your manuals and follow the disclaimers.
Just curious... (Score:5, Funny)
Second picture (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Second picture (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Let me guess (Score:5, Funny)
Battery explosion... (Score:5, Insightful)
Typical Dell. (Score:5, Funny)
How is it possible that even images of their own device on fire could look so boring. They're so devoid of composition, of sensitivity.
In this other example, the victim has taken time to place the burning device against a backdrop of roughly hewn rock, and has done so at a time of day deserving of the generous tones cast by the flames as they lash, even swagger about the white plastic.. [wcco.com]
Dell, here this: even in death, one should look positively gorgeous.
Apparently... (Score:5, Informative)
...this happens more often than Dell admits [consumerist.com].
Re: Linux On Fire? (Score:5, Funny)
Parent
Re:Dude U got NO BALLS (Score:5, Funny)
Dude, Where's my balls?
Parent
Re:I wonder... (Score:5, Funny)
First, he would carefully return his pristine copy of American Rifleman to its snug sealed fold within his kevlar jacket, then reach into his jacket holster and withdraw his standard issue SIG-Sauer P228. Then, in one brisk motion, he would adjust his stetson/baseball cap, stand out of his seat, face the explosion and flick back his jacket revealing; one flawlessly polished United States Marshals Service badge, one flawlessly polished State of Texas belt buckle(large), one flawlessly polished non standard issue Smith and Western Model 500 holstered to right of belt buckle.
He would then proceed to unload all fifteen rounds of the P228 into the laptop and its owner, causing further combustions of the laptop, and naturally killing the misfortuate passenger come terrorist, who only moments before would have been enjoying a quiet morning flight while reading left wing Californian blogs over the inflight coffee. A number of the bullets would obviously rupture the aircrafts fragile hull, and as a result of the altitude, the entire plane would begin to depressurise and disintegrate.
As the wind howls about him and as passengers begin to be sucked out of the plane still vainly clutching at their chairs, the marshal would leap forward, land a solid punch on the jaw of the laptop owner's corpse, and, just before the chair that now contained them both was torn away by the wind, the marshal would reach for his handcuffs, and neatly clamp one end about the corpses wrist, and one about his own.
As the gale finally takes the pair, the remaining doomed passengers will just faintly make out the brave hero's final words, carried by chance on swirling eddies:
United States Marshalls!!!! Freeze!!!
Parent
Re:I wonder... (Score:5, Informative)
no it wont. popping several holes in a pressurized plane even a window will not destroy or even cause major damage to a plane.
Anyone into avionics and avaiation knows this as well as mythbusters also proved it. the only way they did any major damage was lots of primercord and shaped explosive charges.
Parent
Re:How? (Score:5, Funny)
Like this...
BOOM!!!!!!!!
Parent