'Shocking' Dell Notebooks!

Marc

Hunkered Down for the Duration with a Mask on...
Staff member
Admin
#1
A problem in Dell notebook computers (also covered in this engadget article about a problem that has been popping up lately in Dell 17" notebook computers). It seems that these computers are putting out between 19 and 139 (65 according to article, 139 according to him) volts of AC power as measured from any chassis screw vs. earth ground. This has led to several problems including fried ram, blown video circuits, and a stout zap on his left hand. According to him, Dell has tried to keep him quiet about the problem and has even gone so far as to have him banned from a few websites, and threatened him with legal action if he tells people about the problem.
 
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B

BDixon

#2
I had heard there is a problem with the batteries. We had several models of laptops which we had to switch out the battery pack.
 
Q

qualityboi

#3
Back when I was a quality supervisor for Micron Electronics (before they became MPC computing) one of our selling points was that we did true out of box (OOB)quality sampling, (actually took them out of the box after they were packaged for shipping), for our computers something Dell used to do but once they got bigger they automated their outgoing sampling, into sampling off the production line (not a true OOB). Too bad because the information we gave from our out of box really helped out Marketing and Design and might have caught something like this more real time.
 

harry

Super Moderator
#6
Dell has the best rating by CSI. correct me if i'm wrong
Yes, but that was history.

What we can learn from this episode is that we must always open our eyes and ears and not be indifferent to our customers. A lot of noise had been made in recent years with regards to Dell's deteriorating quality but it seems to have fallen on deaf ears.
 

Brizilla

Quite Involved in Discussions
#7
Dell has the best rating by CSI. correct me if i'm wrong
That may be true, but the word out there is completely different.
I know a dozen people who have bought Dell products int the last year and 4 of them had problems with their computers. Our company bought a lap top a couple of months ago and we've had to send it back twice. I live in the Chicago area and in the Sun Times (local Chicago paper) there is a byline by The Fixer. She helps people solve problems like getting refunds and such. I swear not a week has gone by that there isn't a Dell complaint on at least one day. That's in the last 6 months. Their customer service is also a nightmare.
 

Jim Wynne

Staff member
Admin
#8
I took a brief scurry around the Web to see what I could see about this issue, and it appears that it might be due to ungrounded AC adapters. I have a Dell notebook (XPS M140; not a 17-incher) and it came with a grounded adapter (a 3-prong plug), but apparently some of the big notebooks came with two-prong plugs. Of course that doesn't explain the presence of current where it shouldn't be, but it looks like this might be another instance of accountants meddling with engineering practice.
 
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