Dell XPS laptops give shock because of lack of ground in power adapter

If you have a new XPS laptop,
Contact dell to replace your 2 pin power supplies with 3 pin ones.
This may only affect UK, not sure if we have this problem in US.
I don't have an XPS laptop so I cannot tell.
jay

(Credit: Article in Crave UK)
http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-985...ml?tag=nl.e501


Dell laptops in electric-shock shocker

We've discovered a worrying new feature in some Dell laptops: If you
touch them, you may get an electric shock. This discharge can vary in
strength from a gentle tingle to a sudden jolt. Disturbingly, you could
also be shocked when connecting printers, PDAs and other peripherals to
the offending laptops.

We know this because several CNET staff were hit with an electrical
charge while using Dell's new XPS M1530--and we're not the only ones.
Dell's forums are littered with user complaints about the shocking
experiences they've had with some systems.

The problem only seems to occur in Dell laptops that have a
brushed-aluminium finish. These include the XPS M1330 and XPS M1530.
It's caused by the two-pronged connection between the mains lead and the
power adaptor, which isn't earthed properly because of its lack of a
third pin.

The laptop therefore exhibits an electrical potential (voltage) between
its exposed metal parts (the brushed aluminium wrist pad) and earth
ground. Since there is no earth, the human body basically acts as a wire
that can conduct electric current, hence the tingling, jolting sensation.

This can be exacerbated depending on the conditions of a person's
skin--whether it's oily or dry--and the surrounding environment.
Humidity levels, flooring types or desk material all play a role here.

Dell had not responded to a request for comment at time of
publication--we'll update if they ever get back to us. When our
colleagues rang Dell to complain, they were told Dell is willing to
replace all affected two-pin power supplies with a three-pin connection.
But the company doesn't seem to publicly acknowledge there's a serious
problem. According to a Dell Knowledge Base article:

"The electric current on all Dell products have been measured and proven
to be well within the safety limits per safety standards--IEC950,
EN60950, UL1950, etc., even with an input voltage of 240 volts. The
voltage (tingling sensation) does NOT present any risk of injury to the
user. It is recommended to unplug the AC adaptor from the parent device
before attaching any cables or accessories, as this reduces the
possibility of experiencing the tingling sensation."

While this may reassure some users, we're still slightly concerned. Back
in 2004, the company recalled 4.4 million laptop power adaptors because
of a fear they could overheat, creating a risk of fire or electric
shock. The problem affected some Latitude, Precision and Inspirons
between 1998 and 2002.

Have you been affected by laptops that give out an electric shock? Has
your laptop exploded and caused horrible facial injuries? Let us know by
posting in our forums.

(Source: Crave UK)
http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-985...ml?tag=nl.e501

I began to read an article about this last nite and I thought it was
only for the silver / metallic finish laptops? Of course I'm not
clear why the finish would have anything to do with it but I didn't
read the entire article.





On Fri, 18 Jan 2008 11:40:35 -0500, Jay B wrote:

If you have a new XPS laptop,
Contact dell to replace your 2 pin power supplies with 3 pin ones.
This may only affect UK, not sure if we have this problem in US.
I don't have an XPS laptop so I cannot tell.
jay

(Credit: Article in Crave UK)
http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-985...ml?tag=nl.e501


Dell laptops in electric-shock shocker

We've discovered a worrying new feature in some Dell laptops: If you
touch them, you may get an electric shock. This discharge can vary in
strength from a gentle tingle to a sudden jolt. Disturbingly, you could
also be shocked when connecting printers, PDAs and other peripherals to
the offending laptops.

We know this because several CNET staff were hit with an electrical
charge while using Dell's new XPS M1530--and we're not the only ones.
Dell's forums are littered with user complaints about the shocking
experiences they've had with some systems.

The problem only seems to occur in Dell laptops that have a
brushed-aluminium finish. These include the XPS M1330 and XPS M1530.
It's caused by the two-pronged connection between the mains lead and the
power adaptor, which isn't earthed properly because of its lack of a
third pin.

The laptop therefore exhibits an electrical potential (voltage) between
its exposed metal parts (the brushed aluminium wrist pad) and earth
ground. Since there is no earth, the human body basically acts as a wire
that can conduct electric current, hence the tingling, jolting sensation.

This can be exacerbated depending on the conditions of a person's
skin--whether it's oily or dry--and the surrounding environment.
Humidity levels, flooring types or desk material all play a role here.

Dell had not responded to a request for comment at time of
publication--we'll update if they ever get back to us. When our
colleagues rang Dell to complain, they were told Dell is willing to
replace all affected two-pin power supplies with a three-pin connection.
But the company doesn't seem to publicly acknowledge there's a serious
problem. According to a Dell Knowledge Base article:

"The electric current on all Dell products have been measured and proven
to be well within the safety limits per safety standards--IEC950,
EN60950, UL1950, etc., even with an input voltage of 240 volts. The
voltage (tingling sensation) does NOT present any risk of injury to the
user. It is recommended to unplug the AC adaptor from the parent device
before attaching any cables or accessories, as this reduces the
possibility of experiencing the tingling sensation."

While this may reassure some users, we're still slightly concerned. Back
in 2004, the company recalled 4.4 million laptop power adaptors because
of a fear they could overheat, creating a risk of fire or electric
shock. The problem affected some Latitude, Precision and Inspirons
between 1998 and 2002.

Have you been affected by laptops that give out an electric shock? Has
your laptop exploded and caused horrible facial injuries? Let us know by
posting in our forums.

(Source: Crave UK)
http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-985...ml?tag=nl.e501