Remember our story about the bizarre case of a Swedish scientist who scorched his penis and testicles while writing a report in his armchair? The PowerPage has confirmed that the laptop he was using was a Dell.
—— Original Message
Dr.,
Your letter to The Lancet has been read and appreciated by millions of medical practitioners and computer users worldwide. There is one bit of information, however, that was not included. It would be nice to know the brand and model of laptop computer involved, and if possible, the processor type and speed.
It is well known that certain CPU’s develop more heat than others, and that certain laptop manufacturers are better than others when it comes to heat management.
—— His Reply
Dear Sir,
I just returned from traveling abroad. Thanks for your interest in my letter to the Lancet. Indeed, the medical story is totally true and I know now that also other have suffered (however perhaps not reported in a medical journal). As far as I know, the patient used a DELL Latitude notebook, but I suspect that also other brands may cause similar problems. I have understood from information given to me recently that heat up to over 50 degrees centigrade may build up at the base of the laptop. It is likely that this heat irradiates from certain points, not over the whole surface, thus allowing for rather concentrated areas of burn. The patient also stated that the feeling of heat made him move the laptop a little now and then.
I now also know that you can buy heat protection devices, e.g. from a company in Lidk?ping Sweden (Dabus Dataprodukter AB).
Best regards,
(name removed)
