RSSApple MacBook Fire Poses New Safety Questions
By Ed Oswald | Published March 12, 2007, 12:27 PM
Apple finds itself in a peculiar situation after a MacBook in Australia catches fire, apparently from a malfunctioning battery. However, the battery was not on the list of recalled units.
The report, first posted on the Australian Mac enthusiast site MacTalk, indicates that the user awoke in the middle of the night to find the laptop on fire. According to witness accounts, before the fire started, a hissing sound and large amounts of smoke poured out of the device.
Damage was confined to the laptop along with the bookshelf it was placed on and some magazines nearby.
"Strange thing is, there was no symptoms like excessive heat or deformation of the battery or anything like that at all," the user 'mattyb' wrote. "I also checked quite a while ago to see if my battery was one of the recall units. It was not."
Apple did recall some 1.8 million Sony-produced batteries in August of last year due to safety concerns, saying they could overheat and catch fire in "rare circumstances." At the time, no incidents of fire were reported.
It is not immediately clear what Apple may do in response to the issue, as requests for comment went unanswered as of press time. However, the issue once again highlights the quality control issues in some laptop batteries produced by Sony, Apple's supplier.
"We were damn lucky not to have a house burnt to the ground," 'mattyb' said of the incident. "I have been out for most of the weekend and this night was the only night I had it charging."
"Sony issues another battery recall after more faulty models are found."
Tomorrow's headlines? Poor Sony. Can't get anything right these days!
Score: 0
The magazine looks like a porno mag to me. Maybe the laptop just got "overheated" from the "dirty pictures"? Same thing happens with lap top dancing as well. :)
Score: 0
More problems for Sony/Lenovo battery recall!
More problems for Sony/Lenovo battery recall!
Score: 0
To me, it appears the magazine may have been under the Mac, since the burned places seem to match up on the magazine cover where the machine caught fire. Not saying there wasn't a problem with the battery, just wondering if the magazine "helped"...
Score: 0
If that's the case, I fail to see how it would help to cause the mac to catch fire. A magazine is no different than any other solid surface that a laptop rests upon. Personally, I got rid of my MBP because of the overheating issues... especially when running Windows. I saw the temperature get as high as 135 degrees F and that was with both fans blowing full speed.
~dnc
Score: 0
135 for what? processor or MB? Processor that ain't too hot. MB, um yeah.
Score: 0
A magazine is no different than any other solid surface that a laptop rests upon.
Except most solid surfaces don't have pages that can be lightly-but-effectively held against air intakes due to the air currents created...not that I am saying that is what happened, just pointing out the possibility. Personally, I am trying to figure out how the magazine survived so well.
Score: 0
It must have been the user! He should have never put it on a bookself next to paper!
Apple makes great laptops and they NEVER have problems!!
Steve Jobs for GOD 2008!
Score: 0
I hope you were being sarcastic. If not, well.... "a sucker is born every minute."
Score: 0
"a sucker born every minute believes what he is told"
that means you natrunner.
Score: 0
Another fanatic Mac user are you Program86? I guess Apple's 5% of the PC market doesn't lie does it. God I wish these apple fanatics would just go away.
Score: 0
i have a Mac Book Pro and i know exactly what they are the talking about the apple laptop is good and dandy but its one hot laptop maybe the hottest i've ever used and thats not good sometimes i feel like it might catch on fire so they need to do something about it and my battery was not issued for the recall.
Score: 0
Looks like the macbook could use comma and period keys as well.
Score: 0
Looks like the shift key might be a little flaky too, see how it only works when you are talking about the Mac itself?
Score: 0