The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in cooperation with Apple Computer, today announced a voluntary recall of approximately 128,000 units (in the United States) rechargeable batteries (battery manufacturer: LG Chem Ltd., of South Korea) for iBook G4 and PowerBook G4 computers. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.
An internal short can cause the battery cells to overheat, posing a fire hazard to consumers.
Apple has received six reports worldwide of batteries overheating, including two reports in the United States.
The recalled lithium ion batteries are used with the following computers: 12-inch iBook G4, 12-inch PowerBook G4 and 15-inch
PowerBook G4. The recalled batteries include those with model numbers A1061, A1078 and A1079 and serial numbers that begin with HQ441 – HQ507 or 3X446 – 3X510. Consumers should remove the battery from the computer to view the model and serial numbers labeled on the bottom of the unit. No other PowerBook or iBook batteries are involved in this recall.
12-inch iBook G4, A1061, HQ441 – HQ507
12-inch PowerBook G4, A1079, 3X446 – 3X510
15-inch PowerBook G4, A1078, 3X446 – 3X509
The batteries were sold at national and regional resellers, catalogers, and Apple’s online and retail stores sold the computers with the batteries from October 2004 through May 2005 for between $900 to $2300. The batteries also were sold separately for about $130 and assembled in Taiwan and China.
Consumers should stop using the recalled batteries immediately and contact Apple to arrange for a replacement battery, free of charge. After removing the recalled battery from their iBook or PowerBook, consumers should plug in the AC adapter to power the computer until a replacement battery arrives.
Contact Apple at (800) 275-2273 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. CT Monday through Sunday or log on to Apple’s web site at http://www.apple.com/support/batteryexchange to check your battery’s serial number and apply for a replacement battery. Apple’s Recall Hotline: (800) 275-2273. CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772.
Oh my, lets see, I have a A1078 Battery, with 3k503 serial number. So I’m not effected by it. I thought originally the X stood for any letter or number, but I guess not since the Apple website said I wasn’t elegable for a return.
Apple will soon die.
Their products are well below common measures of acceptable safety. These are signs of a faltering corporation who are releasing shoddy products to the consumer market et al.
The real IT world knows and understands the quality products produced by some of the larger scale PC computer makers. Problems like this are handled quickly and efficiently in the PC World. While Mac users continue to sip their kool aid about their precious golden calf’s infallibility , the real IT world knows all about the warts that Apple.
The nutshell has a crack in it and the real IT world knows it. Microsoft’s .Net system will be the exchange and barter marketplace for all transactions in the future, not only online but in every day real practical use.
©
“the real IT world knows all about the warts that Apple.”
It would be great if the delusional could speak proper english too.
And I thought it was the G5 that was going to light them up.
Welcome to Flaming Powerbooks II, the sequel you never thought you’d see.
Oh, sputnik, you crack me up. “Problems like this are handled quickly and efficiently in the PC World”. Of course they are, they have waaaay more practice.
@sputnik: You mean your pc dies BEFORE your battery does in DELL-hell ?
Woooww… 2 in the US. I’m one of em! Whoohoo I’m famous! heh. Using my iBook one day in a friends car and all the sudden POOF! And a small plume of smoke came out of it, that was all. Apple seemed quite concerned when I called about it, wanting to make sure there was no personal or property damage. After getting it back from Applecare I noticed just about EVERYTHING was replaced, HD, RAM, battery, Logic Board… maybe that was it. Just FRIED it. I had a backup so it wasn’t THAT bad.
Well maybe it was a different issue, but I was certainly in the range of people with that problem, sounds like I’m one of the two.
The battery in my PowerBook G4 12″ has a model number of A1079, and a serial number of HQ441… so its serial number is in the specified range, but not for my model, for model A1061. That seems a bit strange to me. I hope somebody, somewhere didn’t mismatch the model number and serial number ranges!
@sputnik..
you are such a retard..take your PC praising self on to a Window’s environment forum — the problem with you “real IT’s”..is that when OS X makes it’s way to “real world IT” use, you’ll probably be out of job and back @ nite school finishing your GED.
Well, that’s just great.
More BS that Apple has to deal with because of faulty components from LG Electronics (subsidiary: LG Chem Ltd.).
Steve, here’s a clue: Have one of Apple’s bean-counters check LG’s cost/benefit ratio. When factoring in all of the repairs that Apple’s been having to do, I’m sure that they’ll find that LG is costing Apple about as much money as you’re ‘saving’ versus getting parts from a different vendor.
Sometimes, the lowest bidder isn’t the best deal.
you all take sputnik so seriously… but he’s the most entertaining read most times.
All you macheads can mock me all you want.
I know for a fact that the batteries get to hot, cause I stick them up my ass. Mac matteries, while they slide in easier, burn more than PC batteries.
Also, you macheads forget that the PC world has never recalled anything, not even once! Everything works perfectly.
Now if you will excuse me, I have a pack of hotdogs in the microwave all warmed up. And no I am not going to eat them, but they will be in me.
Now that there is some entertaining trolling
Oh, fer cryin’ out loud… That’s not even the real Sputnik!! Will you jackasses stop biting at every troll that throws out a lure?