Is it bad that my MacBook Air is passing me electricity?

Solution 1:

Electrical current passed from e.g. a MacBook Air can be avoided by plugging your Mac into a grounded power outlet. I sometimes get this too when using a non-grounded power outlet.

I am assuming you are referring to being able to sense "vibrations" as you e.g. slowly and lightly move your fingers upwards on the palm rest?

I have found that when I have my Macbook Pro plugged into a non-grounded outlet and I touch something that grounds me - e.g. a radiator, I can feel the vibrations. If I stop touching the radiator, the vibrations cease!

Solution 2:

Ok, I can feel it too with my MBP 7,1. It's not harmful for you and should not be in any way harmful for your computer. Ways to stop this:

  1. Try rotating the power adapter (plug it the other way, if this is possible with your power outlets - in some countries it's not).

  2. Use a grounded cable and socket - The default US/EU adaptors plug does not have a ground, however if you use the extension cable with the charger, you will use the ground pin of the charger (ground pin is the metal ring, you can see when you remove the adapter, just above the serial number).

    Default Plug on the left (EU) and extension cable on the right

  3. A very easy (and ugly) solution would be to ground the macbook itself - just tape a naked strand wire to the alu shell and the other end to a ground (by ground I mean ground).

Solution 3:

If you think your mac is giving you an electric shock while plugged into the mains then you need to unplug it from the mains and not plug it in again until you've been to an Apple store (or other reputable computer repair place) and had it tested.

This is absolutely not normal and potentially very unsafe. In fact consider that a default position for any consumer electronics you interact with. Electric shocks are not normal!