Flame-free notebooks from Dell
"None in Asia. Batteries shipped with our notebooks manufactured at our plants in Penang and Xiamen are not affected," said Judy Low, spokesperson of Dell Asia Pacific.
She said the recall applies specifically to batteries sold with Dell notebooks shipped directly to customers in North, Central and South America from June 22 through September 15, 2000, and in Europe, the Middle East and Africa from June 22 through October 4, 2000.
Models that may be affected include the Latitude CPiA, CPiR, CPtC, CPtS, CPtV, CPxH and CPxJ, and Inspiron 3700 and 3800.
Dell Computer Corporation recalled 27,000 suspect batteries Friday after one US corporate customer reported a battery in a Dell notebook short-circuiting in a puff of smoke and catching fire. No one was injured in the incident.
A Dell spokesperson at the time said it was "not taking chances", however, and that another incident would be "one too many".
The faulty battery was pinpointed to be a Lithium-Ion rechargeable manufactured by the Sanyo Energy Corporation, a subsidiary of consumer electronics giant Sanyo Electric Co, and one of the biggest suppliers of batteries in the world.
Dell's swift recall was probably to nip in the bud a public relations nightmare similar to one Apple Computer Corp faced in August 1995 with its new PowerBook 5300s. Also fitted with Lithium-Ion batteries, of an undetermined make, one notebook reportedly burst into flames at an Apple plant in Singapore.
Apple recalled the computers, some of which had already reached distribution channels, but not before the incident had become the butt of jokes of late-night talk shows and "flaming notebook" graphics graced the pages of computer periodicals.
Dell has set up a detailed support page on its Web site including instructions on how to properly drain battery power to a safe charge level of 40 percent or less, just in case.
"As part of the recall process, we are sending replacement batteries to customers with potentially affected batteries immediately at no charge," said Low, adding that all affected customers had been notified.