I don't see Apple mentioned with their powerbook g4 laptop battery problems. (unable to charge the $129 battery).
Those darn "smart batteries" have chips so that they don't overcharge, but they must be stored discharged or they start to get confused. Try running it out to the end, then keep re-booting without the power cords to really empty the battery. Once it's truly empty it may realize it's time to top up again.