Here is an amazing story about a Dell laptop turned WMD. Dell now has posession of the (former) laptop and is performing a post-mordem to attempt to determine the cause of the blaze.

Oh, and Mac people cannot gloat, because they are not immune.

What caused the fireworks? It it not really a mystery...heat is the culprit. A charging battery generates heat. A spinning disk drive generates heat. All the chips generate heat, especially the microprocessor. There are two challenges in building a small computer like a laptop. First, you have to fit all the functionallity into a small form factor. Second, you have to find some way to get rid of all the heat they generate. The second challenge is actually more difficult than the first.

Most notebooks have a fan that blows hot air out out the machine, usually to one side or out the back. There are also vents on the bottom that rely on a small bit of clearance between the work surface and the bottom of the notebook.

For this reason, I never use my notebook on a bed, carpet, couch or even on my lap. It is also unwise to place it on a hard surface with a cloth or plastic tablecloth over. It is also vital to never let anything block the fan vent. Even something as small as a pen has enough weight to reduce or even stop the airflow. I don't even use my laptop on my lap, at least not for any length of time. Instead I place it on a hardcover book that matches the form factor so it has a hard surface. This is healthier for the computer and for the user.