Sony Electronics' computers division is warning owners of some VAIO notebooks that the devices may overheat and pose a burn risk. But despite what the government is calling a voluntary recall, the company insists a firmware update, available on the Sony web site, to the basic input/output system will solve the problem without customers turning in their computers.
The federal Consumer Product Safety Commission reported on its web site Wednesday that it and Sony had launched the recall after Sony received "30 reports of units overheating, resulting in deformed keyboards and casings. No injuries have been reported."
The affected units are in the F11 and CW2 series notebooks launched in January. The Wall Street Journal, citing figures from Sony, said that of those series, 259,000 were sold in the U.S., 103,000 in Europe, 120,000 in Asia, and 52,000 in Japan.
'Don't Take It Back'
In a letter posted on a support page on Sony's web site, Mike Lucas, senior vice president of the VAIO product line, blamed the problem on "a potential malfunction of the internal temperature  -management system, resulting in deformation of the product's keyboard or external casing, and a potential burn hazard to consumers."
In the frequently asked questions section, Sony listed the model numbers potentially affected and cautioned those users to "install the firmware update as soon as possible to prevent the small possibility of overheating."
While Lucas offered a toll-free number for technical support (866) 496-7669, the notice urges customers to fix the problem themselves. "Customers should download the firmware update available" is the answer to the FAQ "Can consumers return affected models to the stores where they purchased them?"
The CPSC on its web site also recommends the update as a remedy without suggesting returning the computers. A Sony spokesperson in Europe told the British Broadcasting Corp. that the company's action was "not a recall."
A Shocking Past
It's not the first case of safety issues for the VAIO. Last October the company issued a voluntary recall of AC power adapters for some computers and docking stations that it said represented a risk of electric shock and offered replacements.
In September, 2008, the company warned of wiring problems with some notebooks and offered free inspection and repairs.
In October 2006, the company offered to replace lithium batteries in response to concerns about overheating of similar batteries in non-Sony computers. In 2003, 5,600 VAIO notebooks were recalled by Sony because of the risk of shock when phones were connected to the computers and the phone rang.
The occasional safety issues are a byproduct of the drive by manufacturers to pack more power and speed into smaller devices.
"Remember the first lithium batteries? They actually occasionally caught fire," recalled E. Scott Menter, vice president of business solutions at BP Logix, a consulting firm in San Diego. "I doubt this issue will have much impact for Sony, but it does raise the question: How fast can these things ultimately get? Physics is physics. More transistors, higher frequency equals more power and more heat. Water-cooled systems probably aren't suitable in the laptop form factor, so: Have we reached the limit?"
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