Dell has secret stash of burnt-out notebooks

THE EXPLODING DELL laptop captured on camera by our friends sojourning in Japan was one of many that have erupted into flames over the years, it transpires.

Channel publication CRN confirmed as much after being shown documents by a source.

According to documents flashed in CRN's direction, a fair number of Dell laptops have made their way back to Round Rock HQ with melted cases and "mangled and charred" systems.

One had a two-inch hole where the case had melted away and several showed evidence of burning around the battery unit.

In more than a dozen examples, an inch or two of casing had melted away around the right-hand corner of the unit, above the keyboard but below the LCD screen, the publication reports

A Dell spokesman, wouldn't say how many of its laptops had been returned to it having been frazzled to bits, but it certainly seems to be an not inconsiderable number.

When the company recalled 22,000 notebooks last year, it said it had received just three reports of batteries overheating. A statement that now seems rather dubious.

For those who like to see what a burnt-out Dell looks like - and we know there's a fair few of you - here are some more pix. µ

See Also
Our original, much copied and abused tale

L'INQ
CRN piece