Dell's Shocking Surprise: Laptops That Give You A Taste Of the Electric Chair

Written by IT News on 6:47 AM

Who needs tasers when Dell's notebooks can do better?
By: Bogdan Botezatu, Hardware Editor

It looks like this week was a really bad time for notebook owners worldwide. After successfully detonating and setting homes on fire, notebooks are up for some more "on the edge" experiences. Dell's XPS M1530 notebook promises to keep you constantly attentive. Failure to do so will result in a not too pleasant electric shock.

Surely, there were a lot of people reporting that they got electrocuted while operating a normal desktop PC. This is not unusual, given the multitude of reasons that can contribute to this: a network cable that carries too much power because another computer on the network experiences hardware problems, a coaxial cable plugged into an internal TV tuner, or even a dying power source that has serious insulation issues. However, laptops that "bite" are extremely rare and electrocution is a sign that something went really bad inside.

Dell's forums are full with users complaining that they have had shocking experiences while using certain notebook models. These electrical discharges also would occur while connecting printers, PDAs and other peripherals to the laptop.

The pattern is the same: every Dell laptop that has a brushed-aluminum finish is likely to give you a taste of the electric chair. The reported models were XPS M1330 and XPS M1530, and their problem seems to be caused by the two-pronged connection between the main lead and the power adapter, which is not grounded because there is no available third pin.

The electrical charge accumulates between its exposed metal parts and the earth ground, and when the users touch the laptop, they act like a normal wire that conducts the electric current. Depending on the conductivity of the level of the surrounding environment, the jolting sensation can be milder or extremely aggressive. Increased humidity or conductive floor are likely to boost the unpleasant sensation, while an user wearing, say slippers, might not experience electrocution.

"The electric current on all Dell products have been measured and proven to be well within the safety limits per safety standards -- IEC950, EN60950, UL1950, etc, even with an input voltage of 240 Volts. The voltage (tingling sensation) does NOT present any risk of injury to the user. It is recommended to unplug the AC adaptor from the parent device before attaching any cables or accessories, as this reduces the possibility of experiencing the tingling sensation," reads Dell's Knowledge Base.

This is not the first batch of erratically-behaving notebooks. Back in 2004, the company called to the base about 4.4 million laptop power adapters, as there were reasons to believe that they might overheat and set fires or expose the user to electrical shocks.