Friday, August 25, 2006

Bad Apples

Apple is recalling the batteries for some of their laptop computers.

If you have a Mac laptop, either an iBook G4 or a Powerbook G4, or if you have obtained a replacement or extra battery for an iBook G3, you should immediately visit Apple's battery exchange page.

I've had a look at this page, and the procedure seems like it will be pretty painless.

Executive summary: the exchange is free, and they'll send you a new battery before you have to send in your old one, but Apple does advise that you remove your battery and use the computer only on A/C power until you get the new one.

That last is no doubt mostly to keep their lawyers happy, but "Why take a chance if you don't have to?" is probably a reasonable attitude. This could happen to you.

Thanks to Rick and Sydney for getting this news out right away.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Every Mac laptop I've had in the last five years has been bloody hot. I've browned certain kinds of paper by setting the Mac on top of it. And forget setting any of these machines on my bare legs.

They can't pretend this is a new issue. People have been compaining about this ever since the G4 Powerbook came out.

And my new MacBook Pro is hot as hell too. I can't wait for the battery recall once it becomes obsolete.

- Rob

bjkeefe said...

Funny you should say that, Rob. I was talking to my sister's beau earlier today, because she has a G4 laptop, and I wondered if she had checked yet to see if her battery was on the list. I also said that I didn't ever remember her complaining about hot lap syndrome ...

[which was perhaps not the best metaphor when talking to my sister's beau, but it sailed past us at the time]

... although I had certainly heard other G4 owners making this complaint.

He agreed, but then noted that there *was* a too-hot-to-hold laptop in their house -- his Dell. This machine was *not* one of the ones recalled last week.

Battery problems or some other cause? I don't know. But whatever the cause, I smell the makings of a class-action lawsuit here.

Isn't is false advertising to call these gizmos "laptops?"

Stay cool.

Anonymous said...

OOOOH BABY BUT YOU SHOULD SEE THE NEW LAPTOP THEY CAME OUT WITH. I took one look at it because my friend sent me it and I just fell the heck in love with it!

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