Another MagSafe fire!

[Benjamindaines]

Offering an iPod shuffle does sound like bloody cheek to me.

That said I don't think a Power Mac G5 was ever on the cards! I would excpect maybe a 30gig iPod 5th gen, or maybe some software titles. Maybe even just a gift voucher of a decent value.

Vicky

Maybe a 50$ iTunes card with the 30GB iPod.

 

[slyydrr]

@ plattypuss:

Yeah, that is kind of crappy... If they're throwing a Nano your way, it should at least be the 4GB model... I'd def. try to get the 30GB 5G iPod. Good luck, I hope everything works out well!

 

[Darrensen]

Good to hear they are taking care of your issue. Other companies would palm you off with a replacement.

 

[AlexN]

I was sitting on my bed listning to music with itunes when the MBP suddenly turned off (screen, hard drive etc). Sraight after, a glowing red circle appeared in the left speaker (where the MagSafe is plugged in) and it disappeared almost instantly but then smoke and fumes started coming out of the speaker. It was an electrical fire. I unplugged the MagSafe from the MBP and blew out the fire then removed the charger from the mains.

How did it happen?

 

[plattypuss]

Well i have no idea what caused it to happen if thats what you mean, but it was literally a spec of red in the speak that suddenly expanded until its diameter was that of the width of the speaker, then it disappeared and smoke followed.

 

[drummaman1]

it sounds as if Apple is top of that issue, and want to take care of it quickly, troubleshoot why it caught fire and what needs to be done about it.

What if it's a year after the MBP was bought, but no Applecare, which I don't agree with, but...for argument's sake let's say that this buyer didn't want to deal with AC, it's over a year after he bought it, and the magsafe plug catches fire...my hope is that Apple will do the exact same thing, AC or no.

Still, there is always a need to be careful...we've taken electricity for granted. WE run on electricity. I will be getting a MBP, because I've been saving up for it, and I'm still going to buy one. If Apple didn't bother with that machine, or it took days to get them on the phone, then I'd think twice about a mac, but, gladly, it's not so.

 

[Darrensen]

Any update on how Apple are handling your issue? (free gift)

 

[joannajane]

that's insane! i just got my macbook pro, and i'm super paranoid. i sleep right next to the desk that contains my macbook pro in a drawer (it's a computer desk. my laptop sleeps in the drawer that would be for a desktop keyboard), and the desk is made of solid wood. my head is literally directly next to the laptop. i mostly run it on the battery after hearing about the first story. i unplug it at night too.
yes i'm paranoid about fires.

 

[plattypuss]

Its best to keep it unplugged at night anyway to keep your battery going so its quite a good way of remembering.

A quick update: they are still only offering me a Nano and have suddenly decided that the hard drive (which is now in California i believe) is definitly completely destroyed which is bull ****.

I blew the thing out right away and it definitly got nowhere near the HD.

Also we have had to ring Apple to find all this out rather than them ring us as they said they would.

 

[vbr2]

Sorry to rant, but it seems I'm one of the few people around these forums who tries to look at the positive side of things. Things happen, life goes on. Don't let isolated cases ruin your perspective on the MacBook Pro, or life for that matter.

Well, at least future models will be conscious of this issue!

 

[slyydrr]

Well, at least future models will be conscious of this issue!

Exactly, and that's the best that anyone can hope for. Better to be aware and conscious of issues rather than ignorant

 

[mookie]

I think you must be an apple employee? joking

 

[baschlives]

Wow, That is horrible. I would hate to see that happen to such an amazing computer. Well at least they replaced it for you. Did you send the pictures to any of the tech agents you spoke to?

Well happily you are okay, and no one was hurt, but you are lucky they offered you a gift at all. These MBP's are amazing pieces of engineering, and I have noticed that apple has gone to great lengths to market them as "Portables" and not "Laptops" or in your case "Bedtops." They disperse heat from the bottom of the computer, so they need to be used on a solid surface. The only way I've found to get around that is to sit with you knees up and kind of cradel the computer between your chest and your knees, leaving the bottom free to breath. That magsafe was probably melted when your computers inards got too hot.

Let this be a safety lesson to the rest of us,

as smokey says, "Only you can prevent magsafe fires":mac:

 

[karudzo]

This is rare

Glad to hear your ok and Apple sorted things quickly as they should do in your case! This is a real put off for me now as i was about to buy a MBP......looks like i;ll go for the Asus V6J now.

I'm just south of you so not far away too!

This is a pretty rare issue- don't let it affect your decision.

 

[cwa107]

I'd really like to know what causes this issue. I'm guessing that the magnetic properties of the plug tend to attract small bits of metal which cause a short. I will definitely be paying more attention to where I leave my MBP when it's charging. I would also suggest that those of you with MagSafe adapters keep a close eye on the plug and make sure it remains free of debris.

 

[Benjamindaines]

I'd really like to know what causes this issue. I'm guessing that the magnetic properties of the plug tend to attract small bits of metal which cause a short. I will definitely be paying more attention to where I leave my MBP when it's charging. I would also suggest that those of you with MagSafe adapters keep a close eye on the plug and make sure it remains free of debris.

My guess is that the wire inside gets frayed (the Magsafe plugs don't look quite as sturdy as the old PowerBook adapters).

 

[cwa107]

My guess is that the wire inside gets frayed (the Magsafe plugs don't look quite as sturdy as the old PowerBook adapters).

Good point. I'm sure Apple won't make the cause very public (if at all) to avoid a forced recall, but I'd like to know what I can do to avoid this problem. Does anyone make an aftermarket replacement power adapter yet?

 

[kgeier82]

to the OPer: (had to come back an edit, i in no way wanted to sound rude/pushy)

if concerned about a little compensation, why in the world did you ship the mbp to them? I wouldve gone to a lawyer. those rats woulda eaten this alive, yike!

Im not saying this is the course of action that SHOULDA been taken, but anytime something like that goes wrong, the company (in this case apple) is very quick to get the laptop out of the consumers hands, so word doesnt spread. know what i mean?

glad no one was hurt, that could have been a huge problem.

i wouldnt settle for an ipod, but again, i woulda taken AT LEAST a number of fine pictures of it.

If you took pictures i, like everyone, would like to see them. without that, its really just your word hope the new mbp doesnt have any problems, youve been through enough!

 

[skye]

yeah keep us posted. i was looking at getting a macbook, but i just found out my student money might be higher and i might beable to afford a low end MBP.

 

[anderssonj.com]

Here's a layman's theory:

It's important that a connector in an electrical circuit has as little resistance as possible. Running a current through a resistance gives rise to heat.

It seems to me that a regular round "plug" type connector has some degree of self-cleaning happening when you insert or remove it - put a little dot on it with a pen and then insert and remove it, and the dot will probably be gone or at least smudged.

On the other hand, if you get smudges or other dirt on your magsafe-connector, it just sticks there, between the two contact points. Enough crap in there, and you'll get a resistance, but not enough to stop the current, hence heat.

Again, I'm no pro, but suggest everyone try to make sure that 1) the connectors stay clean, and that 2) never leave the machine in a position where the plug is semi-inserted (which often happens when you have it sitting in your lap).