iBook ENGULFED IN FLAMES!!! literally!

while it does suck, and i am sorry for people that have ovenlike MBPs, but this is why i dont buy a new model product like a computer when it is first introduced.

I dont buy first year cars either.


it takes a bit for a company to iron out the bugs so to speak. The bad thermal paste issue will be corrected in time, but it takes a while to do it to an entire product line.

everyone is so impressed with anything apple releases, and rush out to get it on the day it is released, irregardless of weather or not it is a reliable computer with no known problems. Dont get me wrong, i love apple products, but i NEVER would buy a Rev. A computer from them.

poppe said:

Of all the things i'm definitely scared now about the thermal paste issues. I know that isn't really to do with the battery but still.

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As someone else has pointed out, Lithium Ion batteries are very touchy when it comes to charging. I wouldn't be surprised if some of these fires were due to using cheap 3rd party batteries in the laptops, as opposed to the manufacturer's batteries.

Dell battery quality has always been so-so. Every manufacturer has had battery recalls over the years, but Dell has done so *consistently* ... approximately every 1.5 years, Dell announces another battery recall. Try Googling for "battery recall" and see what comes up.

As for Apple laptops - I really, really wouldn't worry about it. I work for an Apple reseller. We have probably sold somewhere in the neighborhood of 150 MBPs at our store, and not a single one has come back with battery trouble. For that matter, nobody has complained about a whine, or even a temperature problem. Now, don't get me wrong - the MBPs run hot, but I don't think the "problem" is as widespread as forum posts would lead you to believe.

Case in point: People are saying that the new MacBook runs hot and whines like the MBP. We just got them in store, and after running all day, I checked the temp of one and it was warm, but not hot to the touch. A friend of mine in Ottawa also just bought one, and his exact words are:

"I've been using it on my lap all day, and either a) I've lost all feeling in my genitals, or b) the laptop doesn't run as hot as people are claiming"

So if all that's preventing you from purchasing a laptop is concern over the heat it may/may not generate, don't worry. The media, like many forum posters, is blowing things out of proportion in order to generate interest.

Zorkon said:

The media, like many forum posters, is blowing things out of proportion in order to generate interest.

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I heard that the FBI found Osama's passport a few feet away from the smoldering laptop. Hmm...

I find this ridiculous

Seriously, who can take this site seriously when they don't even know how to spell. "Dave Brown took this picture of his son's burning laptop comupter.
Dave Brown" Notice COMUPTER ... I dunno, it's just me

poppe said:

Good point... I suppose I must admit that I have to come out of the fantasy that everything Apple makes even on first try is perfect... not saying they aren't great because they are

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for a long time, i bought anything apple made, the day it came out, just because it was cool....

well, needless to say, that gets real expensive real quick. Not to mention that 90% of the time, it was a product i wanted just for a cool factor, or to do something that i didnt really need to do. Only to see the prices of the products drop after time, bugs getting fixed and all of that.

Sure, there are things like the airport xpress that i wanted VERY badly for the airtunes, but with the computers and ipods, im just not gonna buy into their game of constantly getting the latest and greatest thing out there. Its just not practical.

I am a professional designer, and need a certain level of "up-to-date" stuff, but most of the time, the newest stuff is not necessary. It just cracks me up when all these "causal" users run out and buy on launch day just to have the latest thing.... then b*tch and cry when there stuff doesnt work perfectly.

You think an iBook on fire is bad??

Why don't you try a G5 PowerBook!! That could kill someone!!

Ouch! that does look serious, the power cord still being connected is kinda dodgy but then again if i was in their shoes my instincts would be to remove everything associated with the laptop from the house, power brick included.

This is becoming weird, just recently this guy lost his PowerMac as well although he quickly contained the fire as he was around. Plus we all know about the MagSafe story. I'm just glad these are somewhat isolated cases because i leave my laptop on 24/7, although i run it from a Power Outlet and removed the Battery altogether.

freeny said:

Das well as killing your cat

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But.. but.. I hate cats!

Besides cat barbie for the win

For 2-1/2 years my 1GHz iBook G4 has been completely problem-free, but this reminds me of an interesting experience I had with my first Bluetooth mouse. When I bought my iBook, I got the BT Keyboard & Mouse at the same time. I had the dealer install the batteries in both. The mouse required two Lithium AA's; the keyboard four Alkaline's. Anyways when I got home and started setting-up my new purchase, I very nearly burned my hand on the mouse -- right out of the box! Not sure what the problem was, but it was literally unbelievably hot. Much too hot to hold -- nearly too hot to touch. Even the little cardboard box it came in was hot. I popped the boiling lithium batteries out and returned the mouse the next day. I shudder to think what could have happened if I left the mouse in the box for another hour, or overnight.

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This is probably because the idiot put the batteries in wrong. I was messing with an LED flashlight and I put the batteries in wrong (polarity really messed up) and it got hot almost instantly. I uncrewed that and the little spring, that you find in many battery holder, made a circular burn on my palm!


Thermal Paste issue has NOTHING to do with this. (iBooks never used paste...they used thermal pads) It is not possible for a proccesor to get hot enough to start a fire. I find quite a lot of this story BS. They probably excluded the part about there dog chewing the power cable. Causing a short that made the batteries flaming angry. (pun intended)

MacMan93 said:

This is probably because the idiot put the batteries in wrong...

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I can't see how you can put the battery in wrong on an iBook? I think it was either a faulty battery, either OEN or 3rd party, or possibly poorly maintained. Maybe using the iBook on the floor allowed dust on the contacts that may have been what caught fire first? I doubt we'll ever know.

Maybe apple ran out of iBooks and used the force to melt the iBook down so that apple could make the MeltBook!

Danthenyan said:

Maybe apple ran out of iBooks and used the force to melt the iBook down so that apple could make the MeltBook!

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Really? You bump a 6 year old thread and you don't even make a joke about icebook? C'mon... melting and you miss icebook?

And why did you bump a 6 year old thread???