12-inch PowerBook batteries can catch fire, too

I work at this "design firm" (it's really a r&d company).
It was a 1.33 Ghz PB 12", so it was pretty old, but the li-ion serial was checked against the recall series, and its not one of those. The computer was under no real stress when it catched fire. Only safari, mail and terminal was open.
It stood on a iCurve, therfore well ventilated.

Apple took this very serious, the computer is on it's way to Apple now (they sent some guys to collect it) and a guy from Apple Norway is coming to investigate.

I hope this was a one time fault do to fysical stress in the past, leading to internal shorting or something, cause Im sitting here with an identical pb, bought at the same time, at the same place.

This stands in TUAW too? o.O; Well, I guess it's pretty dangerus when the battery explodes and the detescope takes fire. Just think about this happening in a plane. (Didn't read the article, just the source)

I certainly wouldn't say that this happens often, but I would imagine that the batteries in many different branded notebooks explode more often than we realize. The only people that we're hearing about this happening from is tech savvy people. I would imagine that there are more people that this has happened to that only use their notebook for email and internet (AOL) and since they aren't familiar with Weblogs, Inc. or Digg or other information sites, their issue will never get discussed. They may file a claim with Dell, HP, or Apple but these companies are never going to make it known that there is an issue unless it get's really bad.

This was in Norways largest newspaper the other day. He told them his battery was not part of the ones that should've been recalled. I guess it's a fairly new model then.

This aint a scam, and it is all over the Norwegian media.

At least whoever owned this machine got his publicity..
He got this http://reach.no/div/mac_explode.jpg on the top and front page of norways most visited newspage, nice advertising.. I guess he gets a little money for his dramatic photos or something, it's been all over the last couple days.
And I can't remember that same newspaper warning people about Dells and other PC's when this has happened before, but mayb e I'm wrong, I just think this is not at all a Macspecific issue.

I read this at norway's biggest (and best) mac forum, www.mac1.no. I pretty much trust the sources at mac1.no and from the posters history, I doubt that this is a scam ...

Anyway, this does happen occasionally, no matter what brand, make or type. As long as it doesn't happen often enough to be a trend with in a certain series, I'm fine.

Hmmm. Do any of you happen to know which 12" powerbook version is that?

I'd be wary of Li-ion batteries from any manufacturer. They don't fail often, but they can fail spectacularly. I very much doubt that this is a scam. My Macbook Pro's battery had to be replaced after it started expanding (yes, expanding) and subsequently started losing capacity. A pic of the battery can be seen on my flickr page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/kylos

battery are a complex chemical stuff, so hey yes, it could have some problems

but what we have here ? an old powerbook ?