Filed under: Hardware, Portables, Odds and ends
Dells on a plane
Dell is having a little issue with 4.1 million batteries in their laptops (if you have a Dell laptop check out this site to make sure yours isn't on the list). This isn't good news for Dell, however, it would seem that it isn't good news for Dell toting travelers either. Qantas, the Australian airline, has just put in a place a policy stating that people can bring Dell laptops with them on the plane but can't use them on battery power. The batteries must be popped out and the laptops plugged into an outlet (if there is one available).I'm sure Dell is hoping that other airlines do not follow suit, especially since I would wager that a large number of business travelers 'got a Dell.'
Thanks, Gordon.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
jason said 11:32AM on 8-23-2006
This is not good news for Dell...
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Rae said 11:33AM on 8-23-2006
Interesting. Hopefully US airlines won't follow suit. My wife's Dell notebook was affected by the recall, and she'll be getting her replacement battery soon. We're taking a flight in about a month, and I'm pretty sure she wouldn't be too pleased with having to pop out her NEW battery.
(Of course, I'll be on the plane w/ my MacBook, so . . . no worries. :))
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Chris Meisenzahl said 11:54AM on 8-23-2006
Ouch!
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Pedro said 11:56AM on 8-23-2006
sorry dude... your getting and exploding dell
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Matt Morton said 11:58AM on 8-23-2006
Dells on a Plane bwahahahahaha!
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Brent K said 11:59AM on 8-23-2006
What kind of man uses a MacBook, and let's his wife use a Dell???? I think that's grounds for divorce in some states!!!
/
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Aaron said 12:15PM on 8-23-2006
What ahppens when a commercial airline jet is attacked by exploding Dells?..............Dells on a Plane! Now showing in Apple Stores everywhere.
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Gordon Werner said 12:26PM on 8-23-2006
This is a serious problem ... while an exploding latop created fire might be easily brought under-control ... fire on an aircraft is NEVER a good thing.
More importantly ... what happens when another brand of laptop has a similar problem. The last thing I want is to give the TSA another reason to ban something on a flight.
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Jon said 1:07PM on 8-23-2006
Eventually everything will be banned on a flight, including clothes (they're inventing "smart" clothes with electronics built into them, so it's feasible). And then they'll strap you into your seat, Clockwork Orange-style, and not let you leave until the flight has finished.
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Scott F said 1:20PM on 8-23-2006
>And then they'll strap you into your seat, Clockwork Orange-style, and not let you leave until the flight has finished.
And the in-flight movie will be The Pink Panther, and you won't even be able to blink! That'll make a lot of air travellers suicidal. Is that a good idea?
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dameetch said 1:21PM on 8-23-2006
let's not forget who makes those macbook pro/mac book batteries
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kevin said 1:31PM on 8-23-2006
i forgot
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Eric E said 1:46PM on 8-23-2006
I am sick and tired of these mothereffing Dells on this mothereffing plane!
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Andrew Turner said 1:51PM on 8-23-2006
What's interesting is that various models of Dell *won't start* without a battery in-place. So would someone startup their computer with the battery & then remove it?
While the idea is for the passenger's own safety to not use the battery, there will definitely be people breaking this rule.
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teelo said 3:05PM on 8-23-2006
Yeah! Screw those Dells! I am glad I have my perfect MacBook, not a problem in sight. Oh, wait, except for the sudden shutdowns that apple is unable to repair reliably. Oh well, not their fault, right? After all, they are apple. Infallible.
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=600167&tstart=0
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m said 3:11PM on 8-23-2006
For a second there I thought this was an Apple news blog.
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Greg Owens said 4:29PM on 8-23-2006
There was a change to QANTAS's policy yesterday. You can use the Dell EITHER with the battery in and not connected to in-seat power OR connected to power with the battery out. Getting better!!!
I do appreciate that the QANTAS people don't read the Apple website with it's battery recalls :-)
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GooMan said 4:45PM on 8-23-2006
"What kind of man uses a MacBook, and let's his wife use a Dell????"
Me. ;-)
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Rae said 7:28PM on 8-23-2006
#6: "What kind of man uses a MacBook, and let's his wife use a Dell???? I think that's grounds for divorce in some states!!!"
LOL. I don't think that my authority as head of household extends to what brand of computers are "allowed" to be used.
And if it does, I don't want it to.
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