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Chief Blogger
 Joined on 06/29/2006 Posts: 2,036
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Battery Recall Update

01 September , 05:40 PM

As reported in a Dow Jones story yesterday, the battery recall rolls on. Data from earlier this week shows we’ve received about 150 million page hits on the battery recall site, well over 800,000 battery requests. A good percentage of those have also shipped to customers.

I’m still getting some general inquiries on how to proceed. The easiest way is for customers to use the www.dellbatteryprogram.com link, and follow those instructions. Additionally, for a guided walkthrough of the process, here’s a vlog of Ira Williams from the product group.

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For Linux users, you can access the Ogg Theora format of our vlog here.


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Russ
29 Sep 2006 04:54 PM
What makes this latest recall of 100,000 batteries different?  Do we have to recheck all the serial numbers again or are we going to get more specific information as which systems are affected by this latest recall.
 
Martyn Davies
20 Sep 2006 04:02 AM

I just read that Virgin Atlantic have decided to ban bringing Dell batteries onboard their planes, due to the risk of fire.  Given that Virgin, Qantas and Korean have followed this route, it seems likely that other airlines will follow.

Do you have any plan to talk to the airline industry and address their concerns?  After all, if Dell laptops end up banned from use for International travel, then people might choose other machines.

I should say that I have been using Dell laptops for more than 10 years, and have been very satisfied.  However, I am a business traveller and I have to carry my laptop on all my trips, and although I don't use the laptop on board (or in the airport) much, I don't fancy the inconvenience of having to separately pack batteries into hold baggage, and possibly have them mislaid when by baggage goes missing or is delayed.

Laptop ban, as reported on Silicon.com

 
B Meacham
06 Sep 2006 10:44 AM
Please comment on the following:

http://catless.ncl.ac.uk/Risks/24.41.html#subj10

The technical causes of the batteries overheating were well explained in a recent Nikkei interview of a professor at Kyoto University, who is an expert on battery technology. He points out that [a reason for failure] allows Sony to share the blame with with Dell and Apple.

Apparently some PC designs by both companies push the Lithium-ion battery technology past its safe point by virtue of the fast recharging cycle the makers have implemented. According to the professor, when Lithium cells are exposed to rapid charging, they can form metal fragments through chemical reaction between the electrodes and a high concentration of Lithium atoms.