Dell Mini 9 suffers meltdown, scorches owner's floor
While this isn't quite bad enough to merit a "dude, your Dell is on fire" part deux, it's a pretty frightful example of the hazard modern batteries (of any kind) represent. A Consumerist reader reports that her year-old Dell Mini 9 recently popped, "hissed and sizzled" as it filled her room with smoke and tarnished her fine wooden flooring. Judging from the fallout pictures (available after the break), we'd say the culprit for this Mini fire (oh!) was the battery pack, which again reminds us how badly we need to improve our energy storage technologies. Dell has been quick to remedy the situation with an upgraded laptop being sent over to the young lady and the melted machine packed off to the labs for inspection, though there's no mention of compensation for the owner's scarred floor and mind.



























Dell should also send her a fire extinguisher with the replacement
@MeepMo I think the Dell replacement came with a USB Kidde Fire Extinguisher with BRCT(Blue-Tooth Remote Circuit-breaker Technology) and a coupon for 10% off any Neoprene Asbestos mouse pad (in stock only).
@MeepMo
Always knew netbooks were cheap and crappy, but now they're dangerous, too. Beware of $300 firestarters. They're just ticking timebombs ready to go off at a moment's notice. Luckily, she wasn't using it in bed or they'd be sifting through the ashes.
@Average White Boy
You 'always knew'? Why didn't you do something about it? That woman could have been killed!
@MeepMo
and a new floor while they're at it.
Maybe instead of letting it burn into her floor so she could take a picture she should have grabbed a towel or something and moved it outside
@samrum
most likely, she had it and it probably started in an instant. she was probably shocked and hesitant on what to do and probably didn't notice until after it was too late. Try looking at situations from both sides before assuming it's that easy. It's like saying "Maybe he should have taken his seatbelt off before his car went into the water" Even though that's the last thing someone would be thinking.
@samrum
Some people go to any length to blame a victim...
If you would pick up something that is violently spewing fire, acid, and smoke you deserve a darwin award.
@samrum Downranked into oblivion in 3...2...1...
@engadgethead
... I think I may deserve a Darwin Award...
Must have been running OSX.
Need Some FIRE? There's a Lap for that!
I kid, I kid.
@Andurilan
Apple OSX EULA
Section 4.95b.
You agree that installing this software on any non-apple branded, or approved equipment may result in fire, data loss, life loss, crotch loss and PAIN.
(Not a flame.. I'm not a fanboy, and i'm not a hater)
Also, Andurilan what's your display pic from?
@Andurilan
Does Apple really NEED to be blamed for every PC failure? Pathetic.
@Nicnac
Perhaps you missed the, "I kid, I kid"
The joke being tons of Dell Mini 9 are purchased for the explicit reason of load OSX on them. Chill the fuck out.
From the linked article:
"Hi, last night I unplugged my laptop from its charger, carried it downstairs, and placed it on the wood floor of my living room."
Yeah, it's likely that the battery burst into flames. Looking at the pics, it's also likely that this was staged or a coverup for a mishap (drop). Since we all like to work on the wood floors of our living rooms. Exception being the woman was moving and there was no furniture of course!
@kumar I work on the floor all the time. Just last night my daughter did her homework and I worked on my laptop.
People do it.
@Typo Lad
Really? The first thing I thought when reading that was "Bullshit!". I figure she dropped it...
Of course, dropping a laptop isn't a great reason for it to go up in flames (I tried to teach my Thinkpad to fly a few days ago, and while the wall it hit has a few blemishes, no flames or explosions ensued)...
The floor is sometimes strangely comfortable.
i leave mine on my wood floor all the time. i don't usually work on the floor but while using it on the couch, i'll set it on the floor and walk away whether it's to get another beer or to do something entirely different.
@kumar Oh come on! Is it really that hard to believe that she was sitting on her finished wood floor using her netbook? Maybe it burned up on the grassy knoll and then she ran it back to her house while it was still on fire...
Yeah it would have been better of on a nice tablecloth, that would certainly have prevented a fire and any danger, right.
She actually says:
"It goes without saying, I am glad the laptop was not on my couch ...or in an airplane."
@boggit And that wooden one with the scorch mark, too!
That goes for all of YOU who ever doubted that DELL was hot....!!!
What is going on in the world? First a Mac shot in Israel, then a suicide Dell netbook... What comes next??????? The Touch Pro 2 aborting his keyboard????? The Nexus One getting a speed ticket for going over the 520 MHz limit??? The iPhone losing its closed virginity?
@TikiTeko
good one :)
The second photo looks like spirit photography... of the deeeeead Mini
This isn't relevant at all, but does anyone else miss the "Dude! Get a dell." guy?
And that laptop melting thing would've scared me half to death, twice.
I would go to Dell for the laptop replacement. (which she did)
Then hopefully she had homeowners or Renters insurance for the Floor.
Then the insurance people can give Dell a call if they want. (which they will)
Boom!.....new floor!
Why is the floor wood? How come no tiles?
@lifenexus because they want wood and can afford it
Has anyone worked out what the odds are of a battery in an electronic device 'popping' spontaneously?
Its kind of freaky that you could be walking around with your iphone in your pocket and then 'boom' - as Steve might say.
didn't that already happen to one kid?
@tylersmyler like 9 people died in china due to "exploding cell phone batteries" funny thing is, at least one of them was later found to have "accidentally shot himself" with a home made gun...
http://gadgets.softpedia.com/news/Man-Killed-by-Exploding-Phone-Actually-Shot-with-Homemade-Gun-1243-01.html
These pics are screaming for the Dell Dude to be photoshopped in, complete with "Thumbs up."
*Takes Dell laptop off of lap*
I am totally floored by this report
somebody should be fired
a scorching review of dell batteries
I think I prefer the first pun, but the other two have merit?
Picture is burned into your memory.
Carbon copy of what safety regulations try to prevent.
Dell releases a portable wifi enabled hotspot.
So the laptop is smoking, possibly on fire and the first thing the owner reaches for is the camera? If that were me I'd be getting the fire extinguisher, then camera.