Battery Woes Hit Apple
Another week, another laptop maker announces bad battery news. Apple says batteries in its MacBook and MacBook Pro notebooks may have performance problems. The good news, the batteries do not pose a safety risk.
The notebooks in question were sold between February 2006 through April 2007. Apple says a software update may fix the issue, but if that doesn't work you can request a free replacement battery even if you notebook is out of warranty. Here is a link to the Apple battery information page.
How do you know if your MacBook or MacBook Pro is effected? Apple recommends installing the update first and then says watch for the following symptoms:
* Battery is not recognized causing an "X" to appear in the battery icon in the Finder menu bar.
* Battery will not charge when computer is plugged into AC power.
*Battery exhibits low charge capacity/runtime when using a fully charged battery with a battery cycle count (as shown in System Profiler) of less than 300.
* Battery pack is visibly deformed
Why All the Battery Problems?
Last week Acer America recalled 27,000 batteries stating certain batteries could overheat and potentially cause a fire. The Apple notebook battery issues appear to be separate. However it raises the question: why is the industry having so much trouble with laptop batteries?
I asked battery expert Robert Spotnitz, president of Battery Design, a small firm that develops battery management software. He says the industry is in a race to build a higher performance battery for the cheapest amount of money. "The pressure to have really high energy cells (batteries) pushes things to the edge," Spotnitz says. He says the industry could build more reliable batteries, but naturally the cost of a notebook would have to rise. And no notebook makers are ready to be the first at raising prices, he says.
Spotnitz adds, even the recalled Sony batteries suspected of overheating and possible combustion, passed the industry safety standards with flying colors. The type of battery testing needed to avoid future recalls just doesn't exist today, he says.
The industry needs better more comprehensive testing of batteries, Spotnitz says. He says high profile battery recalls will likely spur that change.
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I've seen all these stories of of charger fires and I think the product I'm developing can prevent them or at least prevent damage from them.
It is a power strip with smoke detecting shutoff. You can see it at ExactProductsInc.com
I haven't started manufacturing it (I'd prefer to license it to manufacturers and let them sell it).
I'm looking for feedback. Let me know what you think.
Mike Dayoub