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Acer Recalls 22,000 Notebooks Due To Burn Hazard

Posted by Soulskill on from the hot-product dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The US Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Acer, today announced a voluntary recall of 22,000 notebook computers. Acer has received three reports of computers short circuiting, resulting in slight melting of the external casing. No incidents occurred in the United States. No injuries have been reported."

97 comments

  1. 3 Cases - already a recall? by Monkeedude1212 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    That means they could duplicate it rather easily.

    If you've got one of those notebooks, DEFINATELY return it.

    1. Re:3 Cases - already a recall? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And once you get your replacement, don't forget to turn on spell check.

    2. Re:3 Cases - already a recall? by fluffy99 · · Score: 3, Informative

      Agreed. Please, for the sake of your penis, return the laptop if you have one. Take it from me, there's nothing worse than a penis burn.

      "An internal microphone wire under the palm rest can short circuit and overheat. This poses a potential burn hazard to consumers."

      I don't think you need to worry about burning your penis, unless you keep laying it across the palm rest.

    3. Re:3 Cases - already a recall? by m.ducharme · · Score: 1

      Er...you're not supposed to do that?

      --
      Rule of Slashdot #0: You and people like you are not representative of the larger population. - A.C.
    4. Re:3 Cases - already a recall? by Runaway1956 · · Score: 1

      Kudos to Acer. 3 instances, and they care enough to do something about it. As opposed to all those Apple devices which have been documented, and Apple just says, "Not our fault - buy another (new and improved) iPhone/iPod or whatever.

      When I'm ready to buy again, I will remember that Acer is more concerned with my safety than some of the competition. That is enough incentive to forego some other enticing feature on a similar product.

      --
      "Windows is like the faint smell of piss in a subway: it's there, and there's nothing you can do about it." - Charlie Br
    5. Re:3 Cases - already a recall? by NSN+A392-99-964-5927 · · Score: 0

      Acer is turning as bad as Dell manfactured chipsets and components in China. Dell have been doing for the past 18 months and trying to get rid of sub standard laptop's 1525 with core 2 duo processors low end crap and PC World in the UK also supply crap. I do not care if I have bad karma, let it continue and as my old friend Sir Arthur C Clarke said "If you knew what you were talking about, you would be dangerous" We giggled over dinner in Sri Lanka and his response to idiots. Good luck.

      --
      All cows eat grass!
    6. Re:3 Cases - already a recall? by that_itch_kid · · Score: 1

      I don't think you need to worry about burning your penis, unless you keep laying it across the palm rest.

      :)

    7. Re:3 Cases - already a recall? by jo_ham · · Score: 1

      I fail to see how Apple's marketing of iPods and iPhones has anything to do with consumer safety.

      What, we had one kid who speared his iPod battery with a screwdriver, and a guy who sat on his iPhone and cracked the screen and battery and you use that as an excuse to claim Apple is not concerned with consumer safety because they didn't issue a recall?

      Whatever happened to common sense? Back in the old days if you did something silly like driving on a highway with the sliding door on your MPV in the "open" position and falling out you wouldn't sue the manufacturer because it doesn't say not to do that in the manual, or that the car should disable the ignition when the doors are open just in case. People would laugh at you.

      This is a case of safety - the thing can melt the plastic when it fails, so they are recalling it. Apple did the same thing with its power adapters when they frayed at the connector and caused sparks and melted the insulation.

      They even had a recall for faulty iBook logic boards, even though the GPU failing was not unsafe, just annoying.

      Funny that.

      I did wonder how many posts it would be before someone went after apple in this unrelated thread about Acer. I guessed 5. I was off by a bit, but not by much.

    8. Re:3 Cases - already a recall? by Rogerborg · · Score: 1

      Presumably the people that had faults with Apple power adapters and iBook logic (and thermal paste jizzing) were merely imagining the issues as well, right up to the point where Apple admitted them, at which time they became real.

      --
      If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
    9. Re:3 Cases - already a recall? by jo_ham · · Score: 1

      Right, after Apple tested and reproduced the faults (to confirm that it's not just user misuse and an actual fault) they issued a recall. No different to any other company when something like this comes up.

      Well, except perhaps Ford and the Pinto fuel tank, but they gambled and lost on that one.

      There's a long history of many manufacturers not "admitting" there is a fault with a product unless they have something in place to deal with it - eg, a recall if it actually is faulty, or a replacement part, or some other fix, or whether a fault is confined to a certain batch of products or affects all models in a whole line. Just because people are making a lot of noise about it and demanding a response ZOMG RIGHT NOW does not mean they necessarily will even confirm or deny they are looking at the issue internally. It doesn't mean people aren't "imagining" their iBook's logic board dying - it's just an isolated incident or a lemon (every mass-produced product line has them) until further investigations can determine whether it is an actual systemic issue. When it was determined to be so, Apple recalled them all.

      It's not rocket surgery.

    10. Re:3 Cases - already a recall? by Rogerborg · · Score: 1

      The point:
      Whoooosh!









      You.

      --
      If you were blocking sigs, you wouldn't have to read this.
    11. Re:3 Cases - already a recall? by jo_ham · · Score: 1

      You can never be too careful with Apple bash posts.

      Got to take them seriously.

    12. Re:3 Cases - already a recall? by sjames · · Score: 1

      Or the guy who dropped his daughter's iPod, heard it sizzling and threw it into his back yard where it went BOOM, or the guy whose Nano "vented with flame" in his pants pocket, etc. etc. etc.

      Lets face it, venting toxic gasses with fire or going boom! because you dropped it is not really acceptable. Broken gadgets are expected to no longer work, but shouldn't do anything explosion like. They especially shouldn't do that as the first sign that they were damaged by a drop.

      The elephant in the room is that, in truth, handheld devices should NOT be damaged beyond cosmetic scratches by a drop. It's part of the normal use of a handheld device. A few cents worth of silicone rubber would go a long way in these multi-hundred dollar devices if the manufacturers weren't so chintzy.

    13. Re:3 Cases - already a recall? by jo_ham · · Score: 1

      What do you think is in there? I have disassembled many Apple devices over the years - they tend to be reasonably well protected for such small things.

      Of course it shouldn't burst into flame at the first sign of a drop, but it's what all the fuss is about - how do you know that was the first time he dropped it? Perhaps it experienced some other trauma before the "small drop" that finally set it off. Perhaps it was a one off in the batch.

      When companies hear about this of course they test to see if it is a widespread problem by attempting to replicate the issues raised by customers. They just don't show it publicly, unless a recall is needed.

      (not to mention during the product design cycle, situations like this will have been tested: dropping it from height repeatedly, splashing it with water, leaving it in the equivalent of a hot car on a sunny day, freezing it, throwing it, deliberately overcharging it etc).

      Think about how many iPods, iPhones, MacBooks and MBPs get dropped every day. How many of them "burst into flames"? Given the number of them out there you think you'd see it a lot more if it was a widespread problem. Of course any fires or explosions are not good, but that's the price you pay for storing up the energy of a grenade into a battery pack. Apple's devices are not unique in using LiIon and LiPoly battery packs.

    14. Re:3 Cases - already a recall? by sjames · · Score: 1

      Of course it shouldn't burst into flame at the first sign of a drop, but it's what all the fuss is about - how do you know that was the first time he dropped it? Perhaps it experienced some other trauma before the "small drop" that finally set it off. Perhaps it was a one off in the batch.

      It really doesn't matter if he dropped it once or a thousand times, exploding is an unacceptable response.

      Apple products are far from unique in using LiIon batteries, but they sure do seem to explode a lot more often than those other devices. Clearly, it is possible to design such devices to properly protect the battery.

      True, not many Apple products burst into flames, and even less explode, but in what should be the equivalent of a fender bender, there should never be any fires or explosions.

    15. Re:3 Cases - already a recall? by jo_ham · · Score: 1

      What about all the Sony batteries? And this current Acer recall?

      Apple devices only seem to explode more than others due to the enormously out of proportion response that issues like this cause regarding Apple products. They are no more or less likely than any other small electronic device that has a lithium battery (after all, the battery itself is not unique to apple - they buy them from 3rd party manufacturers that also sell them to others).

      Of course it shouldn't explode, but you cannot ever remove that risk if you pack that much energy into a tiny package and then don;t treat it with respect. A can of gasoline is equally dangerous if you mistreat it since it is a volatile form of chemical energy that is useful to us. A pressurised can of hairspray or deodorant is the same. Safe if handled properly, but will cause *severe* damage if mishandled. A lithium polymer battery is no different.

    16. Re:3 Cases - already a recall? by sjames · · Score: 1

      Drop a one gallon can of gasoline from head high as many times as you like, I'll bet it never explodes.

      What about all the Sony batteries? And this current Acer recall?

      The answer is in your question. They have been recalled because it shouldn't happen.

      Now if the producer of the devices that are supposed to be the best of the best (and are priced accordingly) would do the same.

    17. Re:3 Cases - already a recall? by jo_ham · · Score: 1

      Light a thousand cigarettes near a boxed iPod that is open. I bet it never explodes. You know very well what I mean when I talk about contained chemical energy and the safe handling of such. You can drop a can of hairspray from head height as often as you like too and it likely won't explode, but if you punctured it with a screwdriver, you won't be pleased with the results. This is about safe precautions for things that can harm you. No one stores open cans of gasoline next to their bench grinder, or by the furnace. People just don't attribute lithium batteries the same amount of care in handling.

      There is a difference between a defect that causes the battery to catch fire and a user mishandling (or one off defect) that causes the same thing. Extensive testing by Apple and by third parties who can *force* Apple to do a recall if they believe they won't call one for a necessary fault and we have yet to see one for iPods. We did see one for the power adapters that could cause a fire, and for the iBook logic boards which were genuinely faulty due to design issues.

    18. Re:3 Cases - already a recall? by tehcyder · · Score: 1

      I don't think you need to worry about burning your penis, unless you keep laying it across the palm rest.

      Yes, you should use your own palm to rest your penis on.

      --
      To have a right to do a thing is not at all the same as to be right in doing it
    19. Re:3 Cases - already a recall? by sjames · · Score: 1

      So the moral is that the iPhone should be stored in a fireproof box? Note that I do not consider the one case where a kid deliberately ruptured the battery in his dead iPod as a product failure. That was a user failure.

      The point is that these explosive failures should not occur as part of normal use. Normal use of a gas can doesn't call for having it next to a bench grinder. Normal use of a cellphone includes having it in your pocket and holding it in your hand. Dropping is all part of normal use for a device that the user can be expected to take with them everywhere.

      If lithium batteries intrinsically require that much care in handling, they are disqualified from use in personal electronics.

    20. Re:3 Cases - already a recall? by jo_ham · · Score: 1

      That is my point - consider how many iPods and iPhones there are, and all the testing that goes into them that will include dropping them from height, and subjecting them to extremes that are far outside normal user abuses. If they really were popping and exploding frequently we would know about it.

      The iPod and iPhone batteries are not different to any other lithium battery in devices of similar size - many, many manufacturers use them. It's just that the Apple cases are very high profile.

      The guy who dropped it once from hip height may have never done anything wrong with his iPod when it caught fire - he may have had a one off manufacturing defect. That does not mean the entire iPod model line that he had is defective. Could be just that one, or one of a small batch, or maybe they are all faulty - the scope of a recall, if there needs to be one at all, has to be determined.

      You shouldn't have to keep your iPhone in a fireproof box, but it does contain a battery that has the potential to cause a serious fire if mishandled, but this is the same for laptops, other phones, iPods, wireless game controllers... practically anything using a lithium battery. People just aren't as aware of the potential hazards.

    21. Re:3 Cases - already a recall? by sjames · · Score: 1

      There's a zillion LiIon devices out there. Laptops seem to have a real problem, but with pocket sized devices, it's overwhelmingly i* devices that go boom.

    22. Re:3 Cases - already a recall? by jo_ham · · Score: 1

      Yes, the top google results all point to LG phones, Dell laptops and LG's Xnote with two stories and a youtube video about an MPB.

      "overwhelmingly" iDevices, certainly.

      Cell phones, flashlights, portable DVD players, GPS gadgets, even cordless drills also have all been recalled in recent months over concerns about dangerous batteries. During that time, there have been nearly 200 reported incidents of fires and explosions resulting from battery failure.

      All of these recalls involve lithium ion rechargeable batteries, which now are the industry standard, because of their ability to yield high power in small spaces. It’s that concentration of power which makes these batteries more dangerous.

      From: http://redtape.msnbc.com/2006/08/exploding_gadge.html

      Before the Dell recall, there were 23 recalls related to lithium batteries. Apple don't even make 23 handheld devices unless you count each iPod generation as a separate device. I'm failing to see how "overwhelmingly" i* devices are catching fire in the small device category.

  2. Voluntary? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    First post!!!

    Is there a difference between a voluntary and an involuntary recall?

    1. Re:Voluntary? by maxume · · Score: 2, Informative

      The degree to which the US Consumer Product Safety Commission is insisting that you cooperate?

      --
      Nerd rage is the funniest rage.
    2. Re:Voluntary? by Narcocide · · Score: 1

      Yes with the highest degree being called "terminal" and they forcibly retrieve the product then shoot you in the head.

    3. Re:Voluntary? by Mr.+Freeman · · Score: 2, Informative

      It's voluntary for the COMPANY. You, as the consumer, don't have any obligation to return your stuff, but you'd be somewhat stupid not to. An involuntary recall is just where the CPSC legally forces the company to recall the product.

      --
      -1 disagree is not a modifier for a reason. -1 troll, flaimbait, redundant, overrated are NOT acceptable substitutes.
  3. What is the magic word. by starbugs · · Score: 5, Funny

    So what do I have to say into the microphone for this "melting" condition to occur?

    I didn't know these laptops were so sensitive.

    1. Re:What is the magic word. by zyxwvutsr · · Score: 1

      "Disco Inferno."

    2. Re:What is the magic word. by blai · · Score: 1

      Gosh, that Italian family at the next table sure is quiet

      --
      In soviet Russia, God creates you!
    3. Re:What is the magic word. by ozmanjusri · · Score: 1
      So what do I have to say into the microphone for this "melting" condition to occur?

      "I'm reinstalling Vista."

      --
      "I've got more toys than Teruhisa Kitahara."
  4. I've seen this episode... by jtownatpunk.net · · Score: 4, Funny

    Ow, my balls!

    1. Re:I've seen this episode... by PatrickThomson · · Score: 1

      You joke, but I'm on holiday and sitting with an Acer Aspire in my lap right now. I was already worried about the safety of my junk!

      --
      I am one of many. My idea is not unique, nor do I expect my voice alone to sway you. I speak in a chorus of opinion.
    2. Re:I've seen this episode... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm just relieved that the recall isn't for the Aspire model that I have. This has been one of the most reliable laptops that I have ever owned.

  5. Slight, eh? by palegray.net · · Score: 4, Funny

    When it comes to something I might have in my lap, no amount of melting plastic is really "slight."

    --
    512 MB RAM, 20 GB disk, 200 GB transfer, five datacenters. $19.95/month.
    1. Re:Slight, eh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's what happens when you forget to check the "fire and Acer Notebook proof" option when you order your genitalia upgrade online.

  6. Digital mics by marcansoft · · Score: 5, Informative

    Acer uses digital microphones (at least on my Aspire, anyway, so I assume they do on these recalled laptops too). Typical electret analog mics require power, but it's delivered via a resistor on top of the audio path, so it's safe if short circuited. Digital mics have a separate power connection. They probably hooked this up to a system power bus (5V/3.3V/whatever) with no current protection. The current available on these buses will easily feed a short circuited thin wire, which will cause significant heating.

    Sounds like someone at Acer needs to learn to put safety fuses between power domains, especially when you're feeding power from a fat power bus into a tiny wire.

    1. Re:Digital mics by The+Archon+V2.0 · · Score: 1

      Sounds like someone at Acer needs to learn to put safety fuses between power domains, especially when you're feeding power from a fat power bus into a tiny wire.

      Until they can get fuses for free, don't count on it.:(

    2. Re:Digital mics by marcansoft · · Score: 1

      Really thin PCB traces almost qualify ;)

      (Hey, it's better than nothing at all!)

    3. Re:Digital mics by dgatwood · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      Acer uses digital microphones

      Uh... what? A microphone, by definition, is an analog device. Please refer to this properly as a single-chip microphone and digital encoder package. No, I'm not just being pedantic. Twenty years of Sony and others selling "digital" headphones has made me a stickler for the proper use of the word "digital". :-)

      --

      Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.

    4. Re:Digital mics by MichaelSmith · · Score: 1

      If it is a really crappy microphone it could be considered a digital device. Perhaps that is what they mean?

      --
      http://michaelsmith.id.au
    5. Re:Digital mics by WCguru42 · · Score: 1

      Twenty years of Sony and others selling "digital" headphones has made me a stickler for the proper use of the word "digital". :-)

      I'm more upset with HDCP and content control than any mislabeling of digital. Though I get what you're saying, unless that bad boy comes with a DAC. It's kinda like the guys at Best Buy trying to convince me that I need to buy the 4' HDMI Monster Cable for $99 instead of the 8' generic one that only cost $20 (though I still felt like I was getting ripped). Gold plugs just ain't worth it.

      --
      "Educate the mind but never at the expense of the soul."~Blessed Basil Moreau
    6. Re:Digital mics by marcansoft · · Score: 3, Informative

      Fine, Mr. Pedantic, it's probably a MEMS Single-Chip Microphone and Sigma-Delta Encoder with Pulse Density Modulation output.

      Trivia: in my laptop, they actually put two of them side by side (about 1cm separation) for an absolutely worthless version of stereo. Worse, the ALC889 chip on the laptop insists on sending it to software as a sum/difference signal. I managed to find a secret vendor register bit that will throw away the difference part and pipe the sum (average) signal to both L and R though, so if you have an Acer Aspire 8930G and you run Linux your front microphone will work normally as a regular mono mic.

    7. Re:Digital mics by dgatwood · · Score: 1

      LOL. Well, in this case, there would actually be a real benefit to it being "stereo". When one mic shorts out, you still have a working mic (and a melted case, but...).

      Yeah, stereo with a pair of such tiny mics side-by-side is pretty sad. You could get something approaching stereo by putting them on opposite ends of the laptop (spaced pair binaural). With a coincident pair, though, there's not much you can do without upping the capsule size significantly, AFAIK. If memory serves, once you start getting into capsules that are low-single-digit millimeters in diameter, even a cardioid capsule is going to behave like an omni at all but the highest audible frequencies.... This is all from memory, though, so I could be wrong.

      --

      Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.

    8. Re:Digital mics by marcansoft · · Score: 1

      One thing you can (very barely) do with mine is determine the location of the sound. By which I mean the audio is delayed by about one sample between channels if the audio comes from a point directly to one side of the laptop (and which channel lags depends on which side). This is how I convinced myself that it really was a stereo sum/difference signal and there were two mics. See the math here: one 48kHz sample is about 7mm. The only way to actually tell of course is to make a sharp click by banging together some metal objects or something; only then can you clearly see that one channel is ahead of the other.

      Of course, if the mics actually were on opposite sides of the laptop you could try some reasonably interesting tricks, but at 1cm separation it's all but useless.

    9. Re:Digital mics by adamdoyle · · Score: 1

      yeah, I wasn't going to say anything but I was thinking the same thing... the microphone is analog and they have a chip to turn it into 1s and 0s (HIGHs and LOWs) for use on a PC.

    10. Re:Digital mics by dgatwood · · Score: 1

      Yeah, I did the math myself (thanks, Google). At a centimeter, assuming sea level, you'd have a time delay of 30 microseconds, give or take, or one sample at 34 kHz. At 48 kHz, a centimeter would be ever so slightly over one sample.

      Here's the fun part: if you sum the two channels, that's essentially an inaudible delay from an acoustical perspective. If I'm thinking about it correctly, a delay of 1 sample is basically a simple comb filter whose first minimum is at the sampling rate, so the rolloff should be pretty small within the human hearing range. Of course, everything above half the sampling rate is already rolled off by the antialiasing filter in the ADC, so that would make the second microphone basically a no-op. Short of one element being just plain defective, you should not be able to perceive any major difference between a mono mix of the signals versus using one mic by itself.... Okay, maybe a few dB drop in the very top of your hearing range, but not much.

      Well, that's not entirely true. A mono summing of the two signals without any gain correction would, by definition, be 6 dB hotter (double the voltage) without having to add any digital gain. So this could well be an attempt at working around inadequate preamplifier gain in the silicon. Just a guess, though. Or maybe they're trying to do some weird modeling thing to approximate a larger capsule with two smaller ones. Not sure if that's even possible, but it makes my head hurt thinking about it. :-D

      --

      Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.

  7. Detonators by MichaelSmith · · Score: 5, Funny

    Acer should just exchange the computers and sell the faulty ones in Yemen.

    --
    http://michaelsmith.id.au
    1. Re:Detonators by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What, exactly, has the country of Yemen done to you?

      And you wonder why the middle east hates you. Hint: It's not because of your freedom, it's because you're the biggest race of douchebags on the planet.

    2. Re:Detonators by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      http://mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=local&newsid=161992

    3. Re:Detonators by Ethanol-fueled · · Score: 0

      Nah. Yemen is just the Arab country of the moment. Remember when we "won" Afghanistan? The news outlets claimed that Afgnaninstan was more or less safe and so convinced us to forget about it when we went into war with Iraq. Mission accomplished! Whoops, ol' Afghanistan's acting up again. Oh, now somebody with ties to Yemen tried to bomb a plane, great! Now we have an excuse for further meddling with Middle-Eastern affairs.

      The Yemenis don't like Americans. Bin Laden's family has its roots in Yemen. Yemen is one of the poorest and most primitive of the Middle Eastern countries. Given all that, why the hell did our leadership allow our ships to refuel there even after a prior bombing attempt at the same place and perpetrated by the same clowns who pulled off the Cole attack?

    4. Re:Detonators by WCguru42 · · Score: 1

      What, exactly, has the country of Yemen done to you?

      And you wonder why the middle east hates you. Hint: It's not because of your freedom, it's because you're the biggest race of douchebags on the planet.

      I wasn't aware that USAian was a race. That's news to me.

      --
      "Educate the mind but never at the expense of the soul."~Blessed Basil Moreau
    5. Re:Detonators by The+End+Of+Days · · Score: 3, Informative

      Hell, it isn't even a word.

    6. Re:Detonators by DriedClexler · · Score: 1

      Right, except for the whole "that would be in contravention of the Arms Export Control Act of 1976" thing.

      --
      Information theory is life. The rest is just the KL divergence.
    7. Re:Detonators by MichaelSmith · · Score: 1

      Right, except for the whole "that would be in contravention of the Arms Export Control Act of 1976" thing.

      Oh that ole thing? Wno knows? Maybe some of these laptops are going to be recalled from countries covered by that act.

      --
      http://michaelsmith.id.au
    8. Re:Detonators by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      >> Hell, it isn't even a word.

      +2 informative...

      USAUSAUSA!!! PALIN2012!!!!!!!!!11

    9. Re:Detonators by adamdoyle · · Score: 1

      why hasn't this been downranked into oblivion?

    10. Re:Detonators by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If I had mod points, I'd mod this insightful.

      Quote:
      What, exactly, has the country of Yemen done to you?

      And you wonder why the middle east hates you. Hint: It's not because of your freedom, it's because you're the biggest race of douchebags on the planet.

  8. tx2500 by webmistressrachel · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    My HP tx2530ea (dual Turion64 X2 Ultra @ 2.1) with ATI Radeon HD 3200 rocks Oblivion at 20-60fps, Fallout 3 at just a little less, X3 Reunion, and Far Cry 2 all without burning my lap, whilst charging. I have it with me and on, 24/7.

    It also offers a sexy swivelling touchscreen and "book-in-bed-mode"... Acer could do a lot better. I bet this thing has Intel graphics and still gets hotter than my tablet! My last Acer was hotter, definitely. I traded it for this. (for the record, it was a 5920 with Intel X3100 graphics)

    --
    This tagline was transcoded to result in at least one smirk. If you experience failure to smirk, please consult your Gen
    1. Re:tx2500 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      It actually runs quite cool normally, and performance is decent. It is not a gaming laptop, though, given the Intel graphics.

      Fantastic battery life, though. 6-7 hours real-world usage.

      It's also extremely thin and light.

    2. Re:tx2500 by IorDMUX · · Score: 1

      My HP tx2530ea (dual Turion64 X2 Ultra @ 2.1) with ATI Radeon HD 3200 rocks Oblivion at 20-60fps, Fallout 3 at just a little less, X3 Reunion, and Far Cry 2 all without burning my lap, whilst charging. I have it with me and on, 24/7.

      The issue with the Acer laptops is not melting plastic due to overloading the system, but rather a potential electric short involving the microphone that pumps unprotected current through the device, potentially melting the casing and burning the user.

      It is certainly a serious issue and a dumb design flaw, but it has nothing to do with the heating/cooling of the CPU or its performance at load or while charging.

      --
      >> Standing on head makes smile of frown, but rest of face also upside down.
    3. Re:tx2500 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      HP sucks. Every single HP computer I have ever used, both desktop and laptop alike, have had some issue or another.

      I've been happily using an Acer Aspire 8930 (C2D 2.26GHz, Geforce 9600M GT, 18.4" screen, 7200RPM 360GB Seagate drive, built in 5.1 surround sound system) for a year now. It's been completely stable and easily runs the games you listed. I frequently play Mirror's Edge with maximum settings at 1920x1080 resolution on this thing and it gets a pretty consistent 30fps.

      I used a Dell Latitude for a long time and can also vouch for its durability. That thing traveled around the globe with me for years without ever producing a single major problem. Consumer level Dell laptops aren't all that great though. The Inspiron series tended to have a lot of problems.

    4. Re:tx2500 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't worry, GP wasn't actually addressing the point, she was stroking her e-peen. e-Penis envy is a terrible thing.

    5. Re:tx2500 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      what kind of useless comment is this? just a stupid ad for HP.

    6. Re:tx2500 by webmistressrachel · · Score: 1

      Hey...!

      --
      This tagline was transcoded to result in at least one smirk. If you experience failure to smirk, please consult your Gen
    7. Re:tx2500 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      YHBT!

    8. Re:tx2500 by ZosX · · Score: 1

      Rule #1. Ignore ACs.

      --
      zosxavius photography
    9. Re:tx2500 by webmistressrachel · · Score: 1

      Rule #2. Unless they make you giggle and blush, in which case they at least deserve to know. :P

      --
      This tagline was transcoded to result in at least one smirk. If you experience failure to smirk, please consult your Gen
  9. Dodged a bullet - not my models by Captain+Splendid · · Score: 0

    Bought two Acers last year. About had a heart attack when I saw the headline, but thank god I'm not that guy that bought fire hazards for his family at Christmas.

    --
    Linux, you magnificent bastard, I read the fucking manual!
  10. Aviran's place is fishy by Simon80 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The last article on aviransplace.com (Windows GodMode features) was copied from CNet. Slashdot could have found a less ad-laden website to send traffic to this time around.

    1. Re:Aviran's place is fishy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You are correct. Go back to it and look to the sidebar on the top left. The last link, typed in Hebrew, takes you here.

      Leave it up to those greedy Jews to dry and nickle and dime every cent out of you.

    2. Re:Aviran's place is fishy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      this article is copy pasted directly from this OTHER website: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10103.html

      aviransplace is just a adfarm with stolen content.

    3. Re:Aviran's place is fishy by Da_Biz · · Score: 1

      The last article on aviransplace.com (Windows GodMode features) was copied from CNet. Slashdot could have found a less ad-laden website to send traffic to this time around.
      Editors: PLEASE stop sending your readers to adfarms. Either that, or clearly tag each article with "ohnoitsaviran" or "ohnoitssonofroland"

  11. "slight melting" by formfeed · · Score: 1

    Nice of them to recall it anyhow, before the "slight melting of the external casing" leads to batteries slightly exploding, or laptops slightly catching fire and houses slightly burning down.

  12. melty pcs make me go something something. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    hmm.. guess those laptops were a "hot" sell :D

  13. More Stolen Content by lemur3 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This website gets posted front page again ?

    The content is from: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10103.html

    lame!

  14. Don't Worry... by BeneathTheVeil · · Score: 1

    I was already worried about the safety of my junk! ...your Acer should be fine!

    Disclaimer: I also have an Aspire notebook, and quite like it, actually.

    1. Re:Don't Worry... by reboot246 · · Score: 1

      I've had one for about three years now. I increased the memory and replaced the hard drive with a larger one, and it runs like a charm. It's been with me on dozens of road trips, been tossed into the back of my truck, endured heat and cold, and still keeps going. What a bargain for $500!

    2. Re:Don't Worry... by uptownguy · · Score: 1

      Totally offtopic -- but I've got karma to burn and I love this thing...

      I own an Acer Aspire One 751H (not the model mentioned in the recall) -- it is my favorite laptop of all time -- And I've had around a dozen.

      It has a 11.6" screen, 1366x768 resolution, a 160 GB hard drive, comes with an internal webcam and mic and mine came from the factory with 1GB of RAM -- (a $20 DIMM later and it had 2 GB.) The 1.33GHz Atom processor only overlocks to about 1.56 GHz but doesn't feel slow at all. It weighs 2.9lbs and with a 6 cell battery, I can go for 6.5-7 hours on full brightness before needing a charge. I love this thing. I am able to have the computer on for four hours in a meeting in the morning, take it to the airport and use it for an hour at the airport bar playing poker while I wait for my flight, work on a report on the flight and still have juice to surf Slashdot from the couch when I get home... all without ever feeling like I am crimped or on a "netbook" -- And it was under $300 (!) Yikes!

      I don't get off on hardware, but it has found just about the perfect sweet spot in terms of size / power/ specs, at least for me. The ONLY downside is the Intel GMA 500 integrated video (Windows 7 drivers are good not great. The poulsbo drivers are not quite there yet... or at least forced me to learn a lot more about the command line in Ubuntu than I was comfortable with). Everything that I do for work doesn't feel slow at all... but the first time I tried to play HD video in You Tube, I was in for a shock...

      Sorry... just had to rave. Having been in IT during the mid-90s when Acer = Packard Bell = trash, I was skeptical but this thing is rock solid and gorgeous.

      --


      I would have to say that explosives are the most abused technology in all of history.
    3. Re:Don't Worry... by poopdeville · · Score: 1

      I own an Acer Aspire One 751H (not the model mentioned in the recall) -- it is my favorite laptop of all time -- And I've had around a dozen.

      Yes, it's very nice. Comparable to my old 12 inch PowerBook. Too bad it uses that crappy video chipset. Poulsbo sucks on every platform. It doesn't last anywhere near that long in Linux.

      --
      After all, I am strangely colored.
    4. Re:Don't Worry... by Zontar+The+Mindless · · Score: 1

      I've got 3 Acer laptops, and bought the most recent one in May '09. Only problem I've had with this one is that I've not been able to figure out how to get the built-in webcam to work with OpenSUSE (so once every couple of weeks, I reboot into Vista for an hour or two so I can have a video call with my daughter, who lives with her mum in another country -- I can live with that, I guess). Everything else works a treat -- even did the Linux install using the wifi. That was pretty funny, actually -- started the installer, then realised I didn't have a network cable plugged in, and after scrabbling round in a panic to find one, I got back to my desk to see that it had Found the following wireless networks: ... ... ... Would you like to use one of these? [Y/N].

      Nothing wrong with the 2 previous models, either -- got the second one about a year after the first because I needed a backup machine for travel as well as a 64-bit machine for work; got the latest because I wanted dual core, bigger screen, and more RAM.

      So laugh if you want to, but Acer just keep coming out with the specs I'm after for the best price. I actually tried very hard this time round to find something else, but after about 3 or 4 weeks of looking, well... (See previous sentence).

      I know some of my colleagues think I'm daft because I bought the most recent Acer at my own expense rather than let my employer pay for an "approved" portable from another vendor, but getting something that isn't what you want or need "for free" isn't very helpful or productive IMO. (There's also the reassuring fact that, should something happen with my job, the machine is mine.)

      Back on topic: It's an Aspire 7530G, and according to the acer.com check of the serial number, it's not affected by this issue.

      --
      Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
  15. New video from Terrance and Phillip by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Acers of Fire"

  16. Mod parent up! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I lay my penis across the palm rest all the time. It needs a rest too!

    1. Re:Mod parent up! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      My penis runs from A to Z.

      Wait, what?

  17. burnnotice by adamdoyle · · Score: 1

    Tagged "burnnotice" because Gabrielle Anwar is hot and Bruce Campbell is perfect for that show...

    1. Re:burnnotice by adamdoyle · · Score: 1

      yeah I know, -1 Offtopic

  18. Not surprising. by n1hilist · · Score: 2, Interesting

    My previous notebook was an Acer Travelmate 4403 or something, AMD Turion 1.8ghz, etc; but the HDD would IDLE at 56 degrees C and peak at 62 or so, this thing made my palms sweat - the drive ran cool outside the notebook, putting in a new HDD did the same - there was almost no breathing room. This thing made my palms sweat, Acer refused to fix/replace it on the basis that this was "acceptable" Even a letter I acquired from Seagate explaining the drive was running way out of their thermal guidelines didn't convince Acer that this was a potential risk.

    I sold it for cheap and got me a Thinkpad T61 a few years ago - never looked back.

  19. Acer's Product Advisory, with form to check S/N by echucker · · Score: 1

    https://customercare.acer-euro.com/customercare/AcerUpdate.aspx?CID=US&LID=ENG&IType=JM31

    Recall was actually first posted by Acer back on 10/8/2009 - http://tinyurl.com/ycz3smz

  20. Hair Regrowth by franadi · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Acer should give compensation those who buy these computer .And apologizes to costumer. Hair Regrowth

  21. Re:Your post by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Tagged OT, because while yes, it is a cool show, you are an idiot.

  22. Hearing this story about Acer doesn't surprise me by geekdom04 · · Score: 1

    The Acer Aspire laptop that I bought was advertised to come with Bluetooth capabilities. However, lo and behold, when I get it home, I come to find out that Acer did not ship a number of their North American laptops with Bluetooth despite advertising that did and even having the computer equipped with a switch as if you could turn it on. Overall, I'm just not pleased with the quality of computer that Acer offers. The '3' key fell off of my laptop a couple of months back, as did one of the clasps from me just opening and closing the thing.

  23. Bad support by makrulez · · Score: 1

    I have the recalled notebook, i filled the form, and months passed with no contact from Acer. I wrote an e-mail and no feedback. If this is the build quality, if this is the support, what will happen to my notebook when they will get it?