Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Sony's bad apple poisons Macs, too

The same Sony batteries behind Dell's record recall prompts Apple to pull 1.8-million more. Sony says it expects no further recalls.

By TIMES WIRES
Published August 25, 2006

SAN FRANCISCO - Apple Computer Inc. on Thursday recalled 1.8-million Sony-built notebook batteries that could overheat and catch fire, just 10 days after Dell Inc.'s record-setting recall involving the same problem and the same supplier.

Apple said it has received nine reports of lithium-ion battery packs overheating, including two cases in which users suffered minor burns. There have been instances of minor property damage, Apple said.

Apple's announcement comes on the heels of Dell Inc. recalling 4.1-million faulty laptop batteries - the largest involving electronics in the history of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

The Apple recall affects only laptops that run PowerPC chips built by IBM Corp. and Freescale Semiconductor Inc. It does not affect Apple's Intel Corp.-based models, including the MacBook and MacBook Pro.

The batteries were used in the 12-inch iBook G4, 12-inch PowerBook G4 and 15-inch PowerBook G4 laptops sold in the United States from October 2003 through August 2006, said Apple of Cupertino, Calif. The units were assembled in Japan, Taiwan and China and contain Sony's lithium-ion batteries. Sony is the world's second-largest maker of consumer electronics behind Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.

Sony doesn't anticipate further recalls, the company said in a statement Thursday. Sony said the problems arise "on rare occasions" when microscopic metal particles in the recalled battery cells hit other parts of the cell and lead to a short circuit.

Both recalls are expected to cost Sony between $172-million and $278-million.

"The batteries pose a fire hazard, and we want consumers to take this recall seriously," said Scott Wolfson, a spokesman for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, based in Bethesda, Md. "We want them to take the batteries out of the laptops immediately."

Besides listening to recalls, Wolfson said laptop users should ensure that equipment such as computers, batteries and chargers are compatible. He said consumers should be wary of buying cheap replacement batteries and accessories on the Internet that could be incompatible.

Laptop owners should also avoid exposing their computers and batteries to high temperatures such as leaving them in a car on a hot day, he said. Dropping batteries at a certain angle or putting too much pressure on them could also lead to danger.

"Any damage to the internal cell of that battery could cause it to burst and therefore your battery could explode," Wolfson said.

The recall was not expected to materially affect Apple's financial results, spokesman Steve Dowling said.

For Apple, "it's an inconvenience, but financially it's a nonevent because Sony is responsible," Gene Munster, an analyst with Piper Jaffray Cos., based in Minneapolis. "The key is that it doesn't impact Apple's Intel notebooks."

Shipments of Macs are at their highest level in five years, fueled by demand for faster laptop models powered by Intel chips. Dowling declined to say how many notebooks Apple sold during the affected time period for the recall. Apple has shipped more than 1-million machines in each of the past seven quarters.

Notebook shipments at Apple rose 61 percent in the quarter ended July 1 and accounted for 62 percent of Mac revenue.

Apple notebook owners were told to stop using the batteries and to remove them from their laptops. The machines can continue to be used as long as they're plugged into an AC power source.

Dell's recall covers about 14 percent of the Latitude, Inspiron, XPS and Precision notebooks sold between April 1, 2004, and July 18.

Before Thursday's Apple recall, Japan's Trade Ministry ordered Sony and Dell to investigate the battery problems. The Japanese ministry said the companies must report on their findings and say how they will prevent future problems by the end of August, or face a fine under Japan's consumer safety laws.

Information from the Associated Press, Bloomberg News and Cox News Service was used in this report.

[Last modified August 24, 2006, 22:48:54]