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A worrying discovery about Dell laptops have been made when users complained that they have experienced electric shocks from some Dell Laptops. This electric shocks are similar to what you would feel when you get static electricity in dry, air-conditioned rooms. Although these electric shocks aren’t deadly, they do pose a concern amongst many of its users.

The laptops that possess this flaw are those which have a brushed-aluminum finish, particularly Dell’s XPS M1330 and XPS1530. According to CNET, the cause of the electric shock is –

” … 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.”

CNET has contacted Dell regarding this issue but at current posting time, no response has been made by them. However, after digging Dell’s Knowledge Base articles, the CNET team came out with a unofficial reply by Dell. According to them,

“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.”

Although the sensation is not very painful, it is very irritating to get little “shocks” once in a while when you are using your laptops. I guess we’ll have to wait and see to what Dell has to say about the issue, officially.