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This is certainly disturbing, considering i leave my MBP plugged in 95% of the time. I don't think i would ever forgive myself, if my house were to burn down thanx to faulty manufacturing of a notebook, powerbricks or magsafes
 
Just this one incident doesn't mean that all MB batteries are potentially unsafe as freak accidents do occur. Let's at least give Apple the opportunity to investigate what happened in this case before jumping to any hasty conclusions.
 
My must meet requirements would be:
A BETTER Replacement Computer
Some Apple Software

My Dream requirements would be:
WWDC Ticket w/air and hotel
30 inch cinema display
Meeting with Steve Jobs
GOOD Discounts on all future Apple Products
iPhone with service.
tickets to all Future Macworlds.

That's it?

How about instead of meeting Steve Jobs, you get to battle him to the death over the CEO position?

-Clive
 
If you're working on something that sensitive, i wouldn't be doing it on a laptop. You need to be working on a desktop that has a RAID mirror set up in case of hard-drive failure and much more user-serviceable/replaceable parts in case of other error. Seems kinda stupid to spend all that time and effort working on a machine with so many potential failure points and few easy fixes.

What do you suggest? That i buy a desktop and lugg it with me everywhere.

I bought a professional portable computer as i need to work both in college and at home, and anywhere else i may need to.

What an inane suggestion that it is me who is foolish for using a portable for important work.... hmmm what a dummy i am!!!!!!!

As i said earlier i backup regularly in case of such problems. What i asked is if anyone else had such a problem with any solutions.
 
now that's scary. I'm sorry for the guy's macbook and furniture. Let's see how apple is going to respond to this.

By the way, I always leave my hp laptop connected to the charger and mains. Is that a bad practice? Or are we dealing here with a problem which is specific to these batteries?

Ideally we'd all turn things off at the plug to save energy...
 
Sorry, but ONE case of battery fire published on the Net means nothing to me. The recall is completed and Apple has dealt with the problem in the most transparent manner.

This is simply irrelevant in statistical terms...problems will always occur, but to say that one case of fire means a "return of the haunted batteries" is just silly...move along, citizens...:rolleyes:

Question: Were your thoughts/comments like that when we heard of the "Exploding Dell-battery"? Did you say back then that "OK, let's just relax, this is statistically irrelevant. Move along"? For some reason I don't think so. What I think that happened is that you said/thought "More proof that PeeCees suck!" or something like that.

Am I right, or am I right?
 
Two things that should be noted and should scare people. First off the system was asleep as was the users of the system. This more then anything else scares the crap out of me. While this may be an isolated incident even the possibility of my laptop catching fire when I'm either asleep or away gives me the :eek: 's. And while someone else did point out that this is probably an isolated incident the simple fact is this kinda crap shouldn't happen period. System failures sure. System burnouts where a capacitor blows on the system board. Fine. Fires? Not so fine. :(
I think its amazing we havn't run across a story where someone's house has burned down because of a laptop....any laptop. Granted in such an instance it would take time to determine the cause of a house fire, but still. I'm hoping Leopard has the hibernate function readily accessible. The more I hear about this the more I want my system totally turned off when I'm out of the house.
 
it could be a bad battery, or some short circuit, or that the person probably didnt take good care of their mac, since by the pic that person's house looks like trash.

It's outside, the couch is used for his dog, hence the look. (He explained that in the linked thread, pre-emptively ;) )
 
My Experience with a Hot, Hot MBP Battery

I have found, on two occassions, that when I close the lid to my MBP (entering sleep mode), without disabling the bluetooth mouse first, slip it into the computer's sleeve ... then turn off the mouse, my clumsy manipulation of which seems (in hindsight) to wake the computer and leave it on, but closed in the sleeve, causes it to heat up to the point where it is honestly dangerous to touch.

I can see how an MBP could end up catching fire in such a case.

:apple:
 
Any chance you could ask if he has ever noticed a black mark on his macbook pro between the battery and the battery release buttons, right where his has popped!

Iv noticed a few times that i get this black sort of charcoal mark that wipes clean in that area and first thot it ws my carry case rubbing off against the hot battery... i have since stopped using the carry case and the mark is still appearing!!!

I cannot afford to have anything happen to my laptop or send it for repair/replacement as it has all of my degree work on it.

Also did the was the battery replaced or the whole macbook pro???

Better get a thumb drive or external disk and backup your work, sounds like your baby is about to fry, besides allways good to have a backup even if it is not.
 
By the way, I always leave my hp laptop connected to the charger and mains. Is that a bad practice? Or are we dealing here with a problem which is specific to these batteries?

No, it's not bad practice. No more than leaving any electrical device plugged in.
 
So what, you suggest i send it away and be without my entire years work for an animation degree, due in 8 weeks, and hope my tutors just say oh well here's a top mark, or any mark at all, anyway.

Perhaps you need to read a little harder before replying.

I can back up but cannot give up a day never mind potential weeks without a computer to work on!!!

Are YOU kidding!!!!!!


To be fair, you could borrow or rent a computer for a week or so as it's being repaired. I'm not saying you should but no reason to get upset.

I have a backup computer around when I'm working on something of that magnitude, just in case.
 
Anyone notice that these all seem to happen while the new intel macs are sleeping?

I have heard multiple times that people are not getting their new macs to sleep (esp. the 17" MBP) and sometimes pull them out of their bag and they are almost too hot to touch. The new mac laptops intake air through the keyboard (i think so. my PB does) and if the lid is closed it can cause ventilation problems.

Maybe there is a correlation between the 2 issues.
 
My must meet requirements would be:
A BETTER Replacement Computer
Some Apple Software

My Dream requirements would be:
WWDC Ticket w/air and hotel
30 inch cinema display
Meeting with Steve Jobs
GOOD Discounts on all future Apple Products
iPhone with service.
tickets to all Future Macworlds.

That'd be nice, but assuming it was a defect, Apple owes him a new MacBook, and maybe enough to cover what was destroyed - nothing more.

Though unlikely, there's the possibility that a foreign object got into the battery bay in the MacBook and caused the short. We don't know what happened yet, although my money is on a short inside the battery casing.
 
imagine that happens on an airplane over the atlantic. my guess in a few month we won't be allowed to use any laptop in flight anymore.

also makes me nervous knowing that my notebook is sitting at home alone plugged to the outlet..........

In use or turned off, plugged into AC or not. It does not matter much. The energy is stored inside the battery and if something shorts the battery it will get hot and possibly catch fire. I know of a case where a DSLR camera turned off and stored in a bag started a closet on fire.

If you want to see what I'm talking about try this experiment: Remove the battery from your car. Place it on the ground. Place a screwdriver across the terminals. Notice that now you now longer have a screwdriver. See... not plugged in, not in use, battery was not defective. Same can happen to a notebook battery even if the notebook is unplugged and not in use. All you need to something to cause a short.

How many notebook computers has Apple sold? I assume "millions". If so then I'd expect to see several "one in a million" freak accidents and this may be just one of those.
 
Sorry, but ONE case of battery fire published on the Net means nothing to me. The recall is completed and Apple has dealt with the problem in the most transparent manner.

This is simply irrelevant in statistical terms...problems will always occur, but to say that one case of fire means a "return of the haunted batteries" is just silly...move along, citizens...:rolleyes:

Come back to me again when the "second one" leads to a fire in the middle of the night and results in a lost home and 3 dead children.

The liability payout for that will be more than what Apple makes in a quarter...
 
Just off the phone with apple.

they are sending me a new battery asap and sounded very concerned.

In saying this they could not confirm if it was indeed the battery that was causing the marks and have said that should any marks reappear with the new battery then further investigation would be required.

Credit to the support team for a very quick response.
 
Two things that should be noted and should scare people. First off the system was asleep as was the users of the system. This more then anything else scares the crap out of me. While this may be an isolated incident even the possibility of my laptop catching fire when I'm either asleep or away gives me the :eek: 's.
Then you should unplug your fridge, stove, microwave, ... heck, you should turn off all the power to your house every time you leave. There's a chance that this could happen to any electrical device.

And while someone else did point out that this is probably an isolated incident the simple fact is this kinda crap shouldn't happen period. System failures sure.
Car accidents should never happen, stuff should never break, kids shouldn't get cancer.

I think its amazing we havn't run across a story where someone's house has burned down because of a laptop....any laptop. Granted in such an instance it would take time to determine the cause of a house fire, but still. I'm hoping Leopard has the hibernate function readily accessible. The more I hear about this the more I want my system totally turned off when I'm out of the house.

Don't forget to turn off every other electrical device you own.
 
What do you suggest? That i buy a desktop and lugg it with me everywhere.

I bought a professional portable computer as i need to work both in college and at home, and anywhere else i may need to.
I suppose you're right, and I would probably do the same in your situation working on an animation degree, but I might have gotten a MB for the portable stuff and an imac or Mac Pro for home/serious animation work since heat issues while rendering video will affect a laptop more than a desktop. Or even just a cheap PC at home to use as an extra backup/documenting station so even if your mac laptop dies, you can use your regular backups to at least work on your documentation while it's being repaired/replaced.

I can certainly understand your frustration with an expensive piece of machinery that now has you worried, but as many posters have said so far, this is an isolated incident, get your "black marks" checked out at an apple store and get a new battery if it still concerns you and you should be fine. School is stressful enough, no need to create more by wondering "what if".
 
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