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Another Dell laptop catches fire

theinquirer.net — Next thing he knew, fire extinguishers were going off and the place was filled with smoke as another Dell burst into flames. "The battery burned its way straight through the laptop creating the beautiful hole with which is so beautifully depicted in the picture," he says.

Who dugg this? Made popular Jul 28, 2006

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  • helikopter, on 10/12/2007, -6/+45and everyone complains about macbooks running a little hot.... ;)
  • vbsurfer, on 10/12/2007, -22/+58YET another INQUIRER link with no pic.
  • technique, on 10/12/2007, -5/+31You have an Acer? :)
  • cavtroop, on 10/12/2007, -4/+28no digg. for gods sake, link directly to the article, not some useless blurb about the article.
  • onedobb, on 10/12/2007, -1/+24Here's a link to a article about it. Has a tosty picture too.

    http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/07/28/another_dell_laptop_burns/
  • punkrockxtian, on 10/12/2007, -2/+23"Dell Laptop Goes Kabloom" What are we two years old now or something? No wonder this article got dugg instead of that one.
  • Quix, on 10/12/2007, -0/+21You gotta admire Dell Onsite Support. They'll even send a fire truck! Now THAT'S service.
  • sugardaddy4242, on 10/12/2007, -2/+21I'm using a dell laptop and I don't seem to have any prob.................... Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • JerMe, on 10/12/2007, -0/+16Pictures for the lazy:

    http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y91/HenrikGustavsson/Dude_Your_Dell_Is_On_FIRE/
  • rolosworld, on 10/12/2007, -1/+15Right now I'm writing this comment from my De
  • ksgant, on 10/12/2007, -0/+11Dell laptops are now being dropped by our warplanes in Iraq.

    Do no taunt Dell Laptops.
  • calebegg, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10Didn't you hear about photoshop's new "burn" tool?
  • inactive, on 10/12/2007, -4/+13No... as you can see that's not where the battery is located.. that's where the CD-ROM is located. And what the article fail to mention was it was playing "Battlefield Earth" starring John Travolta and the laptop had no choice but to self destruct. This article is marked as inaccurate.
  • buba447, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11Don't you mean
    Another one bytes the dust?
  • eddiddiums, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9Well the picture link works on that one, so I know where my digg goes.
  • MrKite, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10"Another Dell laptop catches fire"

    Cool. Well now I know which laptop to choose if I were to be stranded on a deserted island.
  • motang, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9Another one bits the dust!
  • op12, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9The story said the laptop had to be pried open as it had melted together. I'm assuming that's not a reflection, but rather the impressions of the keys melted into the screen.
  • jasqwerty, on 10/12/2007, -5/+12And watch it catch fire as well, eh computerdude?

    https://depot.info.apple.com/batteryexchange/index.html?lang=en
    http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=2607

    Face it, there is a batch of bad batteries circulating right now, independent of computer maker.
  • computerdude33, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9I was referring to the terrible support... Laptops can and will explode from time to time.

    On that note, my P-P-PowerBook! has an excellent battery, and will self-destruct right now.
  • technique, on 10/12/2007, -6/+13Call me when Dell stops cutting corners and buys a decent battery to sell with their laptop.
  • johnie1, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8it's said that when you die, an image of you killer is left in you eye (:
  • punkrockxtian, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6R.I.P. rolosworld. You will be missed.
  • chapium, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6I presume you were dictating?
  • QueenOfSwords, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8http://www.flickr.com/photos/31808593@N00/sets/72157594215009904/

    Here's the full photo set from Flickr. Check out what it did to his desk and office!!
  • Kypt, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6"On that note, my P-P-PowerBook! has an excellent battery, and will self-destruct right now."

    Don't digg the p-p-powerbook if you don't know what he's talking about. Read http://www.zug.com/pranks/powerbook/index.html and understand :P
  • inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6http://regmedia.co.uk/2006/07/28/dell_fire_2.jpg
  • jeshjohn, on 10/12/2007, -4/+8AH If I hear any thing more about dell I am going to go insane. I have been dealing with dell for the last 2 weeks trying to get my laptop fixed and I got it back today and the laptop drive connector is missing. Currently waiting on dell tech to call back.
  • dimmer, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7how about a direct picture link...
  • Xibby, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Looks like a Latitude D series. They have the battery in the lower right corner in a bay underneth the laptop. Lattitude C series generally have the battery on the front right in a bay. Lattitude C series (and older Percision M) laptops have a modular bay on the frong right that can be changed between CD/DVD rom module, floppy, and spare battery.

    D series laptops have the drive bay on the right side tward the rear. There is also a special drive shaped battery that can be put in this bay.

    If you abuse your lithium-ion battery, bad stuff happens.
  • nogami, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5And having a laptop catch fire because it's a on a carpet is OK? Shouldn't it just shut-off with an overtemp warning?
  • bhawkins4194, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5http://www.engadget.com/2006/07/28/another-dell-laptop-ignites/
    Link to story with pictures. There are more pictures if you click on the laptop one but it looks like tomshardware is down right now where the pictures were.
  • dopi1, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Yeah, I agree. When there were reports of MacBooks running too hot or catching on fire, all the Mac bashers were like "hahaha". Now, karma has struck back. Intel and AMD are probably thinking "hmm, need better power management in our notebook processors".
  • javierror, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4The laptop was closed when it happened so the keyboard left an imprint on the screen.
  • Quix, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5Because Apple draws blathering haters like moths to a flame. There's no logic to it - it just is.
  • DoctorOrpheus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3my God you people.. Every manufacturer that makes Portables has had an incident like this, Apple included.. The majority are caused by a fault in the battery either through bad design or sub standard parts used by the manufacturer (like Sony, Sanyo or Panasonic). There are instances where the computer manufacturer makes a mistake in the charging circuit and the like as well. Furthermore, the picture of this event is completely plausible, having seen pictures of plenty of these "events" in a former position. Any device that uses lithium ion, or lithium polymer (Li-poly) could do this. Think of that the next time you have your cell phone jangling around your pocket. When lithium ion batteries have a "release" and vent, think bottle rocket.. Yet another reason why they are called Portables or notebooks (that with the heat they generate today)

    PS.. all Notebook computers from your coveted Mac down to the lowly Dell are made either in Taiwan if you are lucky, or their Taiwanese subsidiary in China.. Companies like Compal, Quanta, Wistron etc..
  • ipodman715, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4My mirror: http://www.twitmirror.puffinhost.com/dell/

    Article: http://digg.com/gadgets/Another_Dell_Laptop_Explodes_Mirror_w_Photos
  • hwood, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I know that this could happen to any Li battery powered device, so i place a cookie sheet between my iBook and my lap; it works pretty well.
  • LiquidPenguin, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Just a thought. A few years ago, there was a report of a electronic component company cheating and cutting corners on the chemical formula for this electrolyte(?) goo that goes into capacitors. This cheap goo, in turn, caused the capacitors to eventually leak, short circuit, and/or explode. This affected almost all electronic hardware, even the high end stuff since the end manufacture had no way to ensure that the capacitors they purchased would have the good goo or the bad goo. It was reported that the bad batches of capacitors would stay in circulation in some fashion for years as warehouses sold their stock.

    Could this possibly be something similar? Some manufacture out there decided to cut corners on the chemical formula for the stuff in batteries and, in turn, is causing the batteries to explode? Or perhaps we're continuing to see these bad capacitors? I have no idea how the batteries for laptops are constructed, but it's a thought to consider.
  • astrotrain, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Exploding Dell Laptops sound like something out of an old Warner Bros
    Cartoon:

    Yosemite Sam: "No you fool, try typing again"
    **Bugs Bunny types 'Dell' successfully on Dell Laptop**
    Yosemite Sam: "No like this" **Types out D-E-L-!Explosion!!**
  • chris86wm, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5as i read the article, my inspiron laptop quickly moved from my lap to the desk.
  • GravyTrain6, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3http://www.fototime.com/ftweb/bin/ft.dll/detailfs?userid={6184CC74-071D-4B78-A5F6-619CDE03080E}&AlbumId={002FAEFE-B116-4676-83A3-3461DE1F901E}&GroupId={1A6314BC-F42D-4EEE-A0A0-2A71B81AB023}&ndx=0
  • inkswamp, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3> none of it burns a hole through a laptop like this.

    You've done rigorous testing to this effect, I take it?
  • Rio517, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2record your conversations with their tech people. Blog about it and post it on digg!
  • Kazrog, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Bam Margera, on the other hand, could make ANY laptop explode.
  • gweedo767, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2To bad that it appears to be an OEM license and is tied to his now exploded laptop. Though I am sure his warranty replacement laptop will include a new license :)
  • scotticus, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3There are very few PC users who have irrational love for Dell. Their product has been swirling the bowl for a while now... Lenovo or Toshiba are way better (although I've heard Toshiba has customer service issues).

    It's easy to bust on Macs because their hardware is overpriced and because Mac fans are so emotionally invested in their love of Apple. It's like smacking the snot-nosed knowitall when he fails an exam.
  • inkswamp, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4So, I'm not trying to start a flame war (har! har!) but why is it whenever someone posts to their blog about feeling a little heat from their MacBook, tons of anti-Mac folks rush in to denounce the machines as fire hazards and badly manufactured, etc., etc. But now that we have a Dell that has literally burst into flames, there's nothing from that contingent of Digg users.

    I'm posting this not to stir up trouble but with the hope that some of you who do that kind of thing realize that these companies crank out millions of machines and there is simply no way around the fact that they will occasionally turn out a dud of a machine. I'm no fan of Dell but I wouldn't rush in here to denounce the company and their machines based on one incident. You should consider doing the same next time a MacBook "overheating" article is posted.
  • Ishtumba, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2At least it looks like his windows cd-key is still in tact........
  • jasqwerty, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2"Dell uses cheap electronic components made in china... THAT is why it does'nt suprise me that these Laptops are blowing up"

    LOL, retard...

    Please see my link. Apple & Dell BOTH use the same battery manufacturer, who happens to NOT BE CHINESE ANYWAY, and thus jointly issued a battery recall along with other companies.
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