IBM Recalls Another 60,000 Monitors

Armonk, N.Y.-based IBM and LiteOn Technology, a manufacturer in Taipei, have expanded the recall to include an additional 63,000 G51 and G51t monitors that were manufactured in September 1998. The recall, which started with about 56,000 monitors being recalled, was initiated in conjunction with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

The agency said the monitors should be turned off immediately because they can overheat. IBM and LiteOn have received seven reports of monitors overheating and smoking, including one report of minor property damage and one report of minor smoke inhalation, according to the CPSC.

IBM said more information about the recall can be found on its G51 recall Web page.

As CRN reported in March, the original recall included monitors models G51 CRT and G51t touch-screen CRT models bearing model numbers 6541-02N, 6541-02E, 6541-02S, 6541-Q0N, 6541-Q0E and 6541-Q0S.

IBM is offering to replace or repair the affected monitors and is in the process of notifying business partners of the recall, according to an IBM spokesman. The company is also offering partners free use of a mailing house to notify customers at no expense to the partner, said the spokesman.

LiteOn is picking up all the costs of the recall, the spokesman added.

IBM in March said it was not sure how many of the products were sold by commercial partners and how many were sold through retailers, the spokesman said.

Among the commercial partners that resold the monitors, according to IBM, are Ingram Micro, Tech Data, GE Capital Solutions, CompuCom, Sarcom, Gates Warehouse, Time Trend, Merisel, Inacom and Pomeroy Computer.

STEVEN BURKE contributed to this story.