Posted on 08/19/2004 3:37:38 PM PDT by Libloather
Apple to Recall 28,000 Laptop Batteries
Thu Aug 19,12:30 PM ET
By Andy Sullivan
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Apple Computer Inc. (Nasdaq:AAPL) has agreed to recall about 28,000 batteries used in its 15-inch PowerBook G4 laptop computers, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said on Thursday.
The batteries, made by LG Chem Ltd. (051910.KS) of South Korea, could overheat and pose a fire hazard, the CPSC said.
"Apple is not financially responsible for this recall," Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris said.
Apple has received four reports of overheating though no injuries have been reported, the consumer protection agency said.
The recall affects laptops sold since January which contain batteries made during the last week of December 2003 only.
The batteries have the model number A1045 and serial numbers that begin with HQ404, HQ405, HQ406, HQ407 or HQ408.
Consumers should stop using the recalled batteries immediately and contact Apple at 800 275-2273 or (http://www.apple.com/support/powerbook/batteryexchange), the CPSC said.
Nah, buy a Mac... Macs rule... Even if Steve Jobs is a big liberal.
Those batteries do get awfully hot.
Apple is not financially responsible for this recall
Apple is not responsible for ANYTHING! Sounds like a bunch of typical leftists/democrats
Yeah, I have a 12" G4 Aluminum Power Book. I don't use it on my lap...
I used to joke about the laptops... When people ask me about them, I warn them that they are "portables" not laptops. ;-)
I'm not affected. Windoze?
The extreme heat generated by these computers is not so much the battery as it is the microprocessor. I have developed a discoloration on my chest from using my laptop on my chest, while lying in bed. It's no bad ... just a slight burn. :)
I just checked my battery ... as I suspected, this doesn't impact me ... my TiBook dates to March 2001 ... it was one of the first G4 Powerbooks that Apple Produced. What a WONDERFUL computer it is ... it's given me 3 and a half years of solid service and has had ZERO problems. I love it.
Agreed ... too bad Steve is a liberal.
I bought my 15 inch in December 2003, with slightly lower serial number -- HQ350...
My battery gets VERY HOT and runs out of juice quickly. Does anyone know where to go to register complaint or file for recall?
I stand corrected, you are quite right. I have a first generation G4 also and love it. But they do get hot- a good thing in winter.
Start with your local firefighters. Work your way down...
Apple isn't making the sort of machines it once did. This is their third serious hardware problem with laptop computers in recent history.
First were the screen problems with the aluminium case Powerbook G4's.
Then came the rash of screen and logic board failures with the iBook G3 (square, not purse shaped) computers - which, by the way, has not been fixed.
Now this.
Add to that Apple finds itself once again in a position where the premium it charges for its machines is getting "too high" while the horsepower for the dollar is lacking.
The good old days in Cupertino are long gone.
I may have to agree. Did the old stuff catch fire and explode?
My adorable white Ibook G4 hardly gets hot at all and it makes NO NOISE and has over 5 hours of battery timd when fully charged.
although it was the light up apple that got me. :)
It's not right that your battery has such a short life. I get about 5-6 hours on mine, depending on what I'm doing.
Do a google search with Mac +battery as the search terms and see what you get. I was searching for something a while back and saw a bunch of stuff about people having trouble with their batteries. There's also something you can do, some steps you take to reset your battery, but I can't remember exactly what that was all about. Also, if you've got a local Apple store, stop in there and talk to them. Or go to the Apple website and write them about this problem.
Worst case, you'll have to buy a new battery.
But before you do that, try some of these other avenues. The consumer has to hold the manufacturer's feet to the fire and MAKE them do their job.
Isn't your Mac still under warranty?
Most recent memory notebooks get hot on the bottom. Some worse than others. My wife's Dell is hotter than my IBM. But the hottest I've ever felt is the Powerbook. In fact, it isn't even close.
I'm hot. Does that count?
I can't wait to buy Apple G5 Fireworks Edition...
coconutt2000 wrote:
Nah, buy a Mac... Macs rule... Even if Steve Jobs is a big liberal.
>Like Bill Gates isn't?
You're confusing unreliable software and unreliable hardware. There's no denying that Windows is a terrible operating system.
So get an AMD or Intel powered laptop, put Linux on it, and have the best of both worlds.
I might.
I've got friends who do Linux and the like it.
Of course, I really LOVE my Mac!
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