macnn
12/21/2008, 3:35pm, EST
Sunday, December 21st
User reports smoking MacBook
An individual in the United Kingdom has reported a potential MacBook safety hazard after being awoken by the sound of fire alarms that were triggered by smoke emitting from the back of the device, according to Sevenmac. The user had been reportedly using MacBook to watch a DVD, with the lid open and video output routed to an external display. Photographs show smoke residue above the cooling vent, on the desk and covering the MacBook logo below the screen. Despite the smoke, the 2.16GHz MacBook continued to function properly and smcFanControl did not indicate any errors.
The problems appeared to be internal and unrelated to the battery, although the device is currently being inspected by Apple. Manufacturing issues forced the computer-maker to recall over 1.8 million batteries in 2006, while isolated MacBook fires continued into 2007.
Filed under: troubleshooting, Apple
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so what?
its an electrical device, electricity causes heat. Parts do fail, if they didn't ever, then they wouldn't be built by humans. I've had plenty of electronics die in smokey, and even sparky deaths.
oh well I guess he let the magic smoke out...
It's hard to quit.
I don't blame the MacBook. I know it's hard to quit smoking; sometimes it just takes a good support group to help get it through the cravings.
Hard to believe.
These new MacBooks are only a few months out. They're not old enough to smoke.
Beginning of the end
It's a huge blow to Apple. Especially in the midst of worldwide recession and Steve Job's questionable physical condition, it would be a matter of time before more and more people get angry at Apple over this kind of quality control issues and jump ship. And it might be too late for them to straighten out.
Really Apple!!
I'm sure Apple will take good care of this customer but if this incident happened to a Dell hell would break loose. God knows I'm no fan of Dell but Apple's Quality Control seems to be running into some trouble lately.
guest...
Youre funny! keep posting more. I get a great laugh from it!
Dinner
Sounds like those ladybugs residing on the circuit board got roasted ;-)
Candle
I'd bet the source of the smoke was a candle and not the MB.
Quality control?
Why is it that ONE failure of a machine that's produced in the millions always brings out the "Apple's quality is slacking" group?
It's a piece of electronics. They DO fail from time to time. Apple tends to have one of the LOWEST failure rates of machines in the market.
Not so quick
I have a 512KE that had a sparking board connector for years and a iBook with 2 bad logic boards. Macs are far from perfect around here. About a 40% failure rate.