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#1 2003-01-16 1:41 pm
- NAG
- A witch!
- Royal Wombat
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Girl Burnt by Exploding Laptop
http://www.themercury.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=37966
I wonder what type of laptop it was.
I hope the burns weren't too bad. Man that sucks.
Do you think it was an exploding battery?
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#2 2003-01-16 1:44 pm
- registered_user
- bulletproof
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Re: Girl Burnt by Exploding Laptop
I didn't know that batteries actually exploded like that, I always thought it was just figurative. Holy smokes does that ever suck!
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#3 2003-01-16 1:47 pm
- NAG
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Re: Girl Burnt by Exploding Laptop
Yes, batteries do explode into flames. I know someone who saw one of those defective Powerbooks go up in flames.
I had a 6115 that had a defective power supply (it wasn't the one that came with the machine, some idiot installed a defective unit after the original died) that also went up in flames. Thankfully the computer was open when it decided to ignite so it was easily put out.
Computers can be pretty dangerous.
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#5 2003-01-16 1:51 pm
- kefkafloyd
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Re: Girl Burnt by Exploding Laptop
I wonder what type of laptop it was.
PowerBook 5300c. 
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#7 2003-01-16 2:35 pm
- NAG
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- Royal Wombat
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Re: Girl Burnt by Exploding Laptop
Okay, it didn't actually explode but it did kill itself.
I am serious about the 6115 though.
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#9 2003-01-16 2:38 pm
- rsherhod
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- From: University of Surrey, England
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Re: Girl Burnt by Exploding Laptop
Madness!
I can understand it catching fire, after all it is electrical... but explode! I suppose it would depend on what chemical is used in the battery.
iPity the fool!
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#10 2003-01-16 3:16 pm
Re: Girl Burnt by Exploding Laptop
I can understand it catching fire, after all it is electrical... but explode! I suppose it would depend on what chemical is used in the battery.
Nickel Cadnium or Lead Acid. Both are highly acidic.
Just like back in Saigon! Eh, slick?
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#11 2003-01-16 3:42 pm
- rsherhod
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Re: Girl Burnt by Exploding Laptop
acidic true... but not necessarily explosive.
I suppose they could leak and build up gas pressure as they corrode the inside of the leptop... but i'd have thought a laptop would be ventilated enough.
iPity the fool!
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#12 2003-01-16 3:48 pm
Re: Girl Burnt by Exploding Laptop
acidic true... but not necessarily explosive.
I suppose they could leak and build up gas pressure as they corrode the inside of the leptop... but i'd have thought a laptop would be ventilated enough.
yes explosive. Read the warnings on any battery.
Just like back in Saigon! Eh, slick?
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#13 2003-01-16 3:49 pm
- kyboyblue
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Re: Girl Burnt by Exploding Laptop
If there was a power surge it could have easily exploded. Man, I feel for her; I can't even stand it when I burn my finger let alone both hands. 
God made just a few perfect people...the rest are right-handed.
"Advancing on me only brings you closer to the cold wrath that is my spork!" -Bucky
Serenity now...insanity later.
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#14 2003-01-16 3:53 pm
Re: Girl Burnt by Exploding Laptop
If there was a power surge it could have easily exploded. Man, I feel for her; I can't even stand it when I burn my finger let alone both hands.
and legs... with acid.. sounds not nice
Just like back in Saigon! Eh, slick?
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#15 2003-01-16 4:26 pm
- jgcampos
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Re: Girl Burnt by Exploding Laptop
Man that's gotta hurt a lot. 
I also feel so sorry for the girl.
I know your IP.
A gift without a giver is not a gift.
"Intel Inside" is not a marketing ploy, it's a warning label.
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#17 2003-01-16 4:31 pm
- NAG
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Re: Girl Burnt by Exploding Laptop
Indeed.
I so hope that it is not a mac.
It probably is a very old machine that was recalled so I don't know if they will be successful in court.
Man, it probably hurts so bad.
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#18 2003-01-16 7:19 pm
- iZoe
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- From: Lawrence, KS
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Re: Girl Burnt by Exploding Laptop
A quote from the article:
" Pretoria: The 15-year-old daughter of a top foreign affairs official suffered severe burns when a laptop computer which is also used by her father exploded while she was working on it."
Do you thing The Mercury was implying that it could have been deliberate??
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#19 2003-01-16 7:40 pm
- cheesy
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Re: Girl Burnt by Exploding Laptop
^I was thinking that too...top official...laptop...exploding...hmmmmm?
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#20 2003-01-16 8:02 pm
- jkahless
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Re: Girl Burnt by Exploding Laptop
acidic true... but not necessarily explosive.
I suppose they could leak and build up gas pressure as they corrode the inside of the leptop... but i'd have thought a laptop would be ventilated enough.
Lead acid batteries generate hydrogen gas when charging. A car battery can explode with the strength of a stick of dynamite if something sparks
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#21 2003-01-16 8:53 pm
- fizzwinkus
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Re: Girl Burnt by Exploding Laptop
i remember the 5300s did have this reputation, but only because some shorted and smoked in the lab during development. i do not recall any shipped products exploding. additionally, i remember the 5300s using li-ion batteries. if not, they were using ni-mh before the switch to li-ion.
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#22 2003-01-16 9:26 pm
- kefkafloyd
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Re: Girl Burnt by Exploding Laptop
You know, there is no proof that any 5300's actually did explode.
Yeah, but it's a fun joke. 
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#23 2003-01-16 10:55 pm
- ChrisDes
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- From: Christchurch, New Zealand
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Re: Girl Burnt by Exploding Laptop
I bet that loptop was some piece of crap Dell mass produced $799 jobs.
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#24 2003-01-17 6:36 am
Re: Girl Burnt by Exploding Laptop
i remember the 5300s did have this reputation, but only because some shorted and smoked in the lab during development. i do not recall any shipped products exploding. additionally, i remember the 5300s using li-ion batteries. if not, they were using ni-mh before the switch to li-ion.
Shipping 5300s used only NiMHs, the battery problem is what delayed the standardisation og the LiIon battery until the 1400.
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#25 2003-01-17 9:42 am
- NAG
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Re: Girl Burnt by Exploding Laptop
I bet that loptop was some piece of crap Dell mass produced $799 jobs.
My thought as well.
Confirmation.
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