Alan Cox's Exploding Laptop

Bowie J. Poag writes to mention a page put up to commemorate the explosion of Alan Cox's laptop. From the article: "Alan was on the other side of the room from the laptop. I was elsewhere. He yelled out, I ambled towards the room in my own good time, and then I heard 'Fire! Real fire! Call the fire brigade, now!' and I speeded up a bit. From Alan subsequently, I gather there was an explosion and flying pieces of laptop, and a fireball, and a couple of fires started where (presumably) boiling battery landed, and one fragment smashed an LCD monitor. And then there was smoke and smell (there is still smell) and smoke alarm wailing and firemen and sirens and paramedics (happily unneeded) and police and a man with a notebook asking questions for the fire report.'"

Comments

His own fault...

[Pink Tinkletini]

...for buying an IBM ThinkPad, notorious for their unreliability. Perhaps he should have considered an Apple or Dell instead.

Re:His own fault...

[phasm42]

Time to adjust your sarcasm detector.

Re:His own fault...

[toQDuj]

Hmm, yes, quite like the Exploding Nokia batteries, indistinguishable from genuine Nokia batteries (according to Nokia), but fake batteries nonetheless (according to Nokia again).

Here's my thoughts: Nokia bought a batch of faulty batteries bud didn't want to admit it. Therefore they said the batteries weren't theirs, even though they coulod not make the distinction.

The real reason you should be buying laptop batteries directly from the manufacturer (or in this case, the vendor: Apple, Dell or IBM) and not a reseller, is that the Li-ion batteries start degrading as soon as they're manufactured due to stresses in the crystal matrix. It does not matter much, therefore, how the batteries are used, for they will only last up to three years before cells will break. Thus, you want the batteries as fresh from the factory as possible, which is why you buy them from the vendor and not a reseller, because the turnover speed at the vendor is greater.

Explosions are quite common to high-capacity batteries. It's the energy, you see.

B.

Re:His own fault...

[pchan-]

Think of this as a learning experience If Linux had implemented BeOS's is_computer_on_fire()* system call, he would have been able to log the situation, send an email to his friend to alert the authorities, and shut down cleanly.

*Yes, it's actually in the OS.

Then the insurance guy says...

[__aaclcg7560]

"What? Exploding laptop and you're running linux? Oh, we don't cover that."

Re:Epidemic?

[DustyShadow]

Is that why there is a "Made for Windows XP" sticker on it?

Real source of "info" on Alan Cox

[rsborg]

...Whilst employed on the campus of University of Wales...

Now where have I read that phrase before? *googles* oh yeah...

Dude, at least site the source of your data (and more complete information at that): wikipedia page for Alan Cox.

Heh.

[Square Snow Man]

Coming Soon Laptops On A Plane!

Re:Laptop?

[OldManAndTheC]

they aren't designed to be used on laps or any other surface

Drat. Now I'll have to go shopping for a surface-less table. Perhaps "Klein Bottles-R-Us" has what I need...

Re:I was worried for a sec...

[mwanaheri]

I am worried. 'real fire'? How virtual must your reality be to shout 'real fire'?