Computer users were alerted yesterday as IBM recalled 100,000 AC adaptors used worldwide to power speakers on some models after tests found they could cause electric shocks.
A total of 35,000 of the affected units have been sold in Hong Kong, IBM said yesterday.
The adaptor's electronics are housed in a two-piece plastic enclosure. 'On some samples, these two halves are not adequately fastened together and may come apart, which could expose the customer to a potential shock hazard,' a spokesman for IBM China/Hong Kong Ltd said.
'As a result, IBM is recalling the AC adaptors in the affected areas. It is suspected, but not confirmed, that this is a quality issue limited to specific production periods.'
The recalled adaptors were supplied as accessories to certain models of IBM Aptiva and NetVista i personal computers sold in Hong Kong and elsewhere since July 1998.
They bear a part number of A40910B and a model number of either 10K2588 or 20L2172, IBM said. The machine type numbers of the affected PCs include 2139, 2153, 2158, 2163, 2164, 2171, 2172, 2173, 2174, 2178, 2194 and 2251.