Three unhappy iPad users have filed a lawsuit in California claiming that their iPads are overheating when used in warm temperatures and are unexpectedly shutting down as a result.
Jacob Baltazar, Claudia Keller and John R Browning, filed the class action lawsuit because they say the tablet computer doesn’t live up to the expectations created by Apple and accuses Apple of breaching various business and consumer protection laws.
They reckon Apple misled consumers about the tablet’s functionality under certain environmental conditions (like heat) and that the iPad is virtually unusable when out in the sunlight because it just shuts down.
They also accuse Apple of false representation in their advertising of their “magical and revolutionary” creation and mention Apple’s claim that the iPad is “just like reading a book”.
The complaint argues that books don’t just shut down when you are enjoying reading them in the sunlight. As soon as the iPad gets a little hot it displays a message warning the user to let it cool down before using it again and this can happen after only a few minutes of use in warm temperatures.
What isn’t clear is how widespread the iPad overheating problem actually is. Not long after the iPad was released, there were a few complaints on internet forums about the iPad overheating but nothing ever came of it. This latest claim though may encourage more people to file complaints.
The lawyers acting on behalf of the trio filing the law suit are Scott Cole and Associates and you can view the full text of the complaint on their website.
The iPad isn’t the only Apple product that has an overheating problem, there have now been a number of complaints about the iPod Nano overheating, burning some people after it has been on charge for a while, and even catching fire. Japanese officials are now demanding that Apple respond as to how they are going to address that issue.
So far Apple hasn’t done anything about anything.
Apple may have a few issues to deal with at the moment with reception problems on the iPhone 4G and hassles about overheating gadgets, but none of it seems to be affecting sales.
So far, sales of the iPad have topped the 3 million mark and the tablet has also been tipped by DSG International to be the best selling gadget this Christmas.
Oh well, at least the weather will be cooler by then.
