Nearly a million NEC laptops eligible for free repair

NEC is offering the remedy to an issue which causes its computers to smoke and smell as if plastic is burning.

NEC says the defect was caused by a design flaw. Wiring installed too close to the main part of the computer causes the wiring to apparently melt, emitting smoke and the smell of burning plastic. In certain cases, the display is also affected.

Some 261 separate reports of the incident have been received. In no single case thus far has the computer actually caught fire, as the Japanese computer maker says the computers are made from "flame-resistant material."

Altogether 970,000 laptops are affected: Lavie L and F models manufactured from May 2003 to April 2004, Lavie G types L and F produced from May 2003 to August 2004, and VersaPro laptops produced between May 2003 and March 2006.

The problem is not expected to spread much further, although the company anticipates approximately 120 more laptops would develop the issue if it is not repaired.

Smoking laptops are nothing new, although in previous incidents, the cause of the smoking -- and in some cases fire -- were faulty Sony batteries.