Apple Recalls 1.1 Million Laptop Batteries

elzurawka writes "Apple has issued a recall of over 1 million batteries in the U.S.. This comes after Dell recalled over 4 million batteries just last week. It appears to be again an issue with Sony produced batteries. From the article: 'Computer giant Apple is recalling upwards of 1.1m batteries used in its laptop computers in the US. The announcement affects laptop computers sold between October 2003 and August 2006 and impacts the company's latest range of machines ... The recall is said to be the second biggest in consumer electronic history and will come as a blow to Apple after its launch of new MacBook and MacBook Pro machines had been hailed as a huge success for the firm.'"

MacBook renamed

[Duds]

Henceforth it shall be known as the "MacBoom"

Re:

[Cybrex]

I get the joke, but actually it's only G4 iBooks and PowerBooks that are affected. None of Apple's current lineup is included.

Re:

[Kelson]

But hey, you can have an iBoom! A PowerBoom, perhaps?

So who is paying for this?

[pmcc]

One thing I'm curious that never seems to be mentioned. In both the Dell and Apple recalls, which company is paying to replace all these millions of batteries? Is it Dell/Apple or does Sony have to foot the bill?

Re:

[Thanatos69]

I'm not sure about the Mac recall but Sony is pitching half for the Dell recall.

But I thought...

[Mister Whirly]

I thought Macs were immune to all types of attacks, even faulty batteries. Are you sure this isn't a PC only problem?

Can you see the new "I'm a PC, I'm a Mac" commercial?

PC guy: Hey Mac, you look a little hot.
Mac guy: (smoking) I don't feel so good. (falls to ground and bursts into flames)

CNN causing slashdot effect?

[Danathar]

If a story on the front page of slashdot causes the "Slashdot effect", what is it called when something from the front page of CNN causes the same thing?

1.1 or 1.8?

[Venim]

CNN says that 1.8 million batteries are being recalled. http://money.cnn.com/2006/08/24/technology/apple_r ecall/index.htm?section=cnn_topstories [cnn.com] Which one is it?

Re:

[Farmer Tim]

1.1M in the US, 1.8M worldwide.

One of each.

[rreay]

In my office I have a both a Dell and an Apple laptop. Both batteries are recalled. Yeah for me.

Apple is claing 3-5 days to get teh replacement. Dell 4-6 weeks.

Re:

[frdmfghtr]

Yeah apple website says 3-5 days. Apple confirmation e-mail says 4-6 weeks.

It may have changes since you last saw it, but the website also says 4-6 weeks.

From the FAQ:
Q. How long will it take to receive a replacement battery from Apple?

A. It may take up to 4 to 6 weeks for your replacement battery to arrive. Shipping time may vary due to availability of your battery model.

Re:

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Re:

[5plicer]

I believe this [apple.com] is the URL you're looking for.

Crap!

[BlackGriffen]

My battery isn't listed in the recall: https://support.apple.com/ibook_powerbook/batterye xchange/index.html [apple.com]

iBook G4 12-inch battery model: A1061
serial number starts with ranges:
ZZ338-ZZ427
3K429-3K611
6C519-6C552

PowerBook G4 12-inch model: A1079
serial number starts with ranges:
ZZ411 - ZZ427
3K428 - 3K611

PowerBook G4 15-inch model: A1078 and A1148
serial number starts with ranges:
3K425 - 3K601
6N530 - 6N551
6N601

It is, however, down to about 75% of what used to be full capacity at full charge.

I wanted a new battery. :(

Re:

[Sicnarf]

less than a year ago apple had a different battery recall. (do a search for it) (for the 12" g4, the battery serial started with HQ3.. until HQ6..) i was waiting until my battery got weak; reading this story motivated me. i just applied for the old recall and it's still valid!

Re:

[statusbar]

Funny thing is, my battery IS in the range listed ( 6N541 prefix which I assume is in the '6N530-6N551' range) but their web app says that my battery's serial # is not valid!!

--jeffk++

Re:

[djeca]

Same here. My battery serial starts 6C539 which should be in the 6C519 - 6C552 range, but it says it isn't a valid serial number.

I'm going to call first thing tomorrow (UK time) to find out what the hell's going on.

Re:

[daninbusiness]

Me three. 6C536.

Re:

[daninbusiness]

Just called apple support in China (where I'm located at the moment). In my case, even though I couldn't confirm the serial number online, since it was in the range of affected batteries, I was told just to bring my bad battery in to an official apple care service center in either Guangzhou or Hong Kong and they'd give me a replacement. I'd imagine that should be true as well in other countries.

ditto with 3K520

[barutanseijin]

Mine is in range according to a reading of the page, but their script is telling me that the battery serial no. is ineligible. I'd like a nice new battery, too. This one has lost some its capacity, and it's got so many dents and dings that I think I'm warping the frame of the PowerBook when I put it in.

Part O' the Week

[queenb**ch]

This is what vendors get for buying the "part o' the week". I'm sure that the poster below who is loosing both his Mac and his PC laptop would appreciate having something working. It's really sad that they charge so much and sell you such cheap crap!

2 cents,

QueenB

Anyone actually get a replacement order?

[grahamdrew]

My 12 inch iBook is in the affected range, so I've been trying to get a replacement since I got home. The website says my battery serial number is invalid, and that I should call apple support (with a phone number given). I tried calling apple support, and pressing the battery recall option (#5, I think) and a couple menus later it tells me that phne support has been discontinued, use the website. I tried calling back and hitting 0, and it seemed to work but then I got a different voicing telling me "Sor

Re:

[Chang]

I've got the same issue my computer serial validates but the battery serial doesn't despite being in the correct range.

I just called (6:55PM EDT) - They validated my battery but told me their computers are down and asked me to call back later.

The CSR was nice enough (gotta love Canadian tech support) and I'm a realist so I just let it go for today.

It really sounds like they are just trying to ride out the storm. I could hear people in the background and it sounded like they were trying to calm down people

Re:

[topham]

Just a guess, but my bet is that after many people saw the footage of a Dell bursting into flames they are taking battery recalls a lot more seriously, so they called right away when they heard of the recall, instead of over a period of days or weeks.

Re:

[Kelson]

Plus more people are affected. I don't remember what the numbers were on the LG recall, but certainly the date range was about half the size.

Speaking of people taking the battery recall seriously... My wife read about it on the BBC site this morning, then immediately called me up on my cell phone:

Her: "Do we have to go to the Apple Store tonight?"
Me: "Huh?"
Her: "The battery recall."
Me: (thinking of the MacBook issue from a few months ago) "I didn't think ours was affected."
Her: "It's every G4 PowerBook mad

Re:

[ellem]

Same sitch.

We're on hold.

Apple website problems

[Plocmstart]

My battery serial number was in the range for a recall according to the info, but when I entered it on the website it decided my computer was valid, but the battery serial number wasn't. After 50 minutes of being on hold (hurray for speakerphones) I found out there were some server issues and that they apparently were being worked out. Managed to get things taken care of over the phone while i was there already.

Guess I shouldn't complain... the battery was starting to not last as long and now it'll be bac

Does this mean QANTAS will ban apples too?

[jonwil]

QANTAS (the national airline here in .au) recently banned using DELL laptops inflight on battery power because of the risks of explosion. Will they ban Apples now too? OR will they ban all laptops?

Re:

[Alioth]

Well, QANTAS does stand for 'Quite a Nice Trip, Any Survivors?' :-)

Re:

[XxtraLarGe]

Yeah, I don't have any problems with my battery as far as heat goes, but it only holds a charge for about 45 minutes when I run my computer in highest performance mode. A new battery is exactly what I need!

Re:

[Phraghg]

Hey, don't bash the minidisc. I had one for years before mp3 players were out. To this day, I have yet to find a mp3 player with better audio quality/battery life than my minidisc recorder.

Re:

[Rimbo]

- UMD movies

Re:

[cosmicj]

Yeah... and the Vaio laptop I bought years ago. ($220 for a spare battery?!? CUMMON!)

if ($oProduct=='Sony') {
RunLikeHell();
}

Re:

[minus_273]

you forgor
UMD
PSP
PS3

to be fair

[thegnu]

to be fair, minidiscs were great for a period of time, filling a gap that existed between the crappy walkman/tape-based recorder and the digital hd/flash memory mp3 players/recorders we have nowadays.

But yes, everything else Sony does is crap. As a computer repair man, I've run into some sony VAIO laptops that are some of the best, most userfriendly laptops I've seen (surviving water damage), and some that are unsupported under OSes they report to be supported under (XP early on, for example). Others have

Re:

[Kadin2048]

Actually there is another part of Sony which is (and really always has) been good: their professional video gear.

This is not anything that 'regular folks' ever touch, but their professional equipment has always been top-notch. There are a ton of BetaSP decks and cameras out there in operation, and probably will be for years.

I think they missed the boat a little on digital stuff and have handed a lot of business off to Panasonic, but you can start a holy war among camera guys with that.

At any rate, I think t

Re:

[kevinadi]

> If it says Sony .. run.

Good thing my computer says "VAIO" on them.

Re:

[elrous0]

- Star Wars: Galaxies

Re:

[objekt]

Thanks!

I'm here all week!

Try the spaghetti.

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

Isn't Sony the company that released the "Da Vinci Code" movie????

Re:

[thatguywhoiam]

Can things get any worse for Sony??...-PS3 -BlueRay -Battery Scandal

Oh I don't know, I think things could get much worse for them.

For instance, if the general public had any fucking clue as to what you are on about.

Modded Funny?

[conigs]

Why's this modded as "Funny?" I'm looking forward to this recall for the same reason. I overused my batter and it only holds about a 20-30 minute charge. I get a nice, new, free battery from Apple that will last me until I decide to upgrade!

Of course, I just posted instead of using my mod points.... damn it!

Yes, I realize I typed that before I actually posted and therefor, could have used my mod-points, but shut up!

Re:

[jc42]

Damn! I got a 17" Powerbook, and its batteries are also approaching senility. But 17" PB batteries aren't in the recall list.

Guess I'll just have to pay for a new one. (Then they'll recall the old ones. ;-)

Re:

[n2art2]

Really not meaning to troll, but this got me thinking...

I must have gotten one of the lucky batteries, because my 17" powerbook is 3 years old, and the battery still holds a 3.5-4 hour charge with constant use. And not just websurfing either. Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Illustrator, InDesign, among others.

Is there a way to calculate average life of these batteries?

Re:

[jc42]

Something pointed out in Apples instructions is that the life of their Li-ion batteries is determined mostly by the number of charges, not hours of use. If you keep it plugged in and charging whenever possible, battery life will be greatly extended. What runs it down is a lot of draining and recharging. At least that's what they say; it's probably a bit more complicated than that.

Re:

[Pirogoeth]

I'm not sure about lifespan, but search for "coconutbattery" for a handy app to tell you how much life you've used up.

Re:

[damian cosmas]

I'll top that. I already had my 12" iBook G4 battery replaced last summer [apple.com] in the previous recall. I've owned the computer 20 months, and will now be getting my third battery. I'm starting to like Apple's "battery recall every summer" program, since I haven't even had a chance to use any of my batteries long enough for loss of capacity to be a problem.

Re:

[Sharth]

If you go onto Apple's site when it's up, or here... http://cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml06/06245.html [cpsc.gov] then you can see where on the battery the information that you need is.

Also, you don't need to poweroff your laptop to take out the battery, just leave it plugged into the wall.

Re:

[CheeseburgerBrown]

You don't have to turn it off if it is plugged in and the battery model number is, surprisingly, listed right after the text string "Model No.:" on the back of the battery.

So, either I'm functionally illiterate or your knowledge in this matter may be more patchy than solid.

Hint: functionally illiterate people tend not to use terms like "functionally illiterate", and when they do they spell it incorrectly.

...Dumbass.

Re:

[jx100]

I actually managed to get through to them before the slashdotting, and talked with a CSR there. After confirming that I had a 'splodie battery, what were their instructions?

Go to the website to fill out a form.

Re:

[ATMD]

Yeah now your going to have to worry about your PS3 turning into a killing machine and shooting Blue Ray DVDs at you.

Or just blue rays. If it detects you nefariously watching your movies via the Analogue Hole, (you could be making illicit backup copiesZOMG!!!11!), it has an inbuilt ray gun to vaporise you, thus gently discouraging you from doing it again.

Re:

[Locke03]

Yeah, I got the same problem.

From TFA: "Apple has said it has received a total of nine complaints so far from users reporting "overheating" of the batteries."

9 complaints my ass! The Apple support forums are full of people complaining about various problems with their batteries, overheating being the most common. What they should say is "We tried to ignore this problem as long as we could, but then people started to catch on fire so we're gonna do as little as possible to save our own asses."

Re:

[CapnGib]

I wonder if there is any connection between the recall and the fact that the new PB battery I ordered last week is now on 6 week backorder.

I guess I'ma cancel that order and get a free one instead.

Re:

[The Dalex]

Modern notebooks need to be put on a flat surface for heat dissipation reasons (often, the fan intake is on the bottom of the chassis and would be blocked by clothing). Placing a notebook directly on your lap is a bad idea, and overheating in that case is definitely not an indication of a defect.

Re:

[LincolnQ]

I bought a PB17" in 2004, and it's unpleasantly hot when I'm using the processor heavily. One thing that helped a lot was changing the power management setting to "automatic" rather than "maximum" even on AC power -- now I can use it on my lap just fine and it only becomes unpleasant when I'm doing processor intensive work for long periods of time. I don't think that's a battery issue, though.

Re:

[disckitty]

There was a study conducted somewhere that stated using a laptop on your lap can damage genitalia. The over heating essentially cooks your balls, possibly causing long-term. Of course, if you either don't have them (ya to being a woman!) or have/are ok with having them removed, then it's not an issue.

Re:

[adamjaskie]

That is my take on it. My battery is getting kinda weak. Not horribly weak, but I am getting noticably shorter run times.

Re:

[mzwaterski]

Does your battery say that it is made by Sony? How can one tell?

Re:

[EveLibertine]

"I would encourage anyone with Sony batteries from Dell and other manufacturers to recheck the recall lists from time to time."

Good advice, but you forgot to give directions to the uninitiated.
Go to this URL to see if your Laptop battery is on the recall list.
https://www.dellbatteryprogram.com/batterymodels.a spx [dellbatteryprogram.com]

Re:

[Mister Whirly]

"the form to submit your serial numbers. That's reason enough to use SSL."

Hypothetically, how much damage could someone do with your laptop's serial number? I suppose someone could try to file a false technical support claim, but what advantage would that be to them?

Re:Battery Exchang for MacBook Pro, iBook & Po

[Rimbo]

Those sites are so slashdotted, it's not even funny.

Re:Battery Exchang for MacBook Pro, iBook & Po

[laffer1]

What's worse is that if you manage to get it it will tell you the battery is NOT on the list right now. I verified it was covered with someone i know but he had to get me to do the website form. I've got 2 g4 ibooks sitting here in the range and the site claims they are not covered under the program.

I have concerns now about the batteries and I can't even get ahold of anyone. This sucks. I needed a new battery anyway but my wife's iBook is less than a year old. It might not be wise to run it on a batte

Re:

[Korin43]

One of my friends actually has a case mod so his PC is also a (really slow) RC car, so don't make too many assumptions ;)

Re:

[owlnation]

Who? Well in my experience about 50% (or slightly higher) of those doing professional or broadcast video. Sony, despite all the problems with consumer products, remains incredibly strong with pro-video. The only competition of note is Panasonic - and even they collaborate with Sony on some projects.

Re:

[grumpyman]

Yeah I'm only speaking on their consumer products - I have no experience on their other stuff like pro video.

It has always been, in my dictionary, SONY mean good quality and buy-with-confidence. Now that I remember my first 'wtf' with SONY is when compact flash was out along with MemoryStick - Sony digital cameras were good but heck, I cannot allow myself get stuck with only their product with the memory that's pretty much not compatible with anything else.

Re:

[thatguywhoiam]

Between the rootkits and the exploding batteries, is it too early to declare SONY a terrorist organization ?

By U.S. rules? Not at all. Invasive surveillance of private computers is a felony at a minimum. Exploding batteries, certain proof of terrorist activities. If they can arrest the dude for trying to light his shoes on fire, or the idiots that thought they could take down the Brooklyn Bridge with torch cutters, then I's say absolutely.

Of course... you used the word 'terrorist'. Which makes me suspic

Re:

[yabos]

Or your Powerbook catches fire on the airplane and you get arrested for being a terrorist.

Re:

[Tycho]

The Lithium in these batteries will be recycled; mainly it is easier to recover Lithium from batteries than it is to recover Lithium from its ore. Lithium is rare in the Universe, the conditions for its ore to form are rare, and Lithium is hard to recover from its ore. At any rate, Lithium is mined from the crystals that form at the top of pegamitic granite plutons. (Hah, eat that astronomers!) Pegamatitic granite is essentially granite that is made up of large crystals.

Re:

[c]

in the meantime the CPSC release gives all the details

Be warned that the CPSC release and the Apple site have, as of a few minutes ago, different serial number ranges for the third group of 12" iBook batteries (6C626 vs 6C552). I'll probably have to wait for the phone lines to clear in order to find out if we need to replace one or two...

c.

Re:

[LifeWithJustin]

I'm really not trying to start anything. But... who wants to use a product that is limited to usage with 1 or 2 brands when you can use a format that is supported by nearly all companies? Uh... Mac users?

Re:Battery Exchang for MacBook Pro, iBook & Po

[Shawn Parr]

Did you not read the summary or the article? This exchange program is for the older lithium-ion batteries in the discontinued G4 portables, not the lithium-polymer batteries in the new Intel portables.

Yes, but the GP is referring to the fact that a couple of months ago there was a recall for Macbook Pros as well, due to the swelling problem they had. He was also pointing out the different URLs for those with different machines.

Re:Battery Exchang for MacBook Pro, iBook & Po

[Overly Critical Guy]

Good point. I stand corrected.

Re:

[CRC'99]

Hmmm ok - so I'm not the only one with this issue... I get about an hours usage out of my year old G4 powerbook - however it's always been around that mark. Interestingly enough, in System Profiler, I see:

Battery Information:

Battery Installed: Yes
First low level warning: No
Full Charge Capacity (mAh): 3784
Remaining Capacity (mAh): 3782
Amperage (mA): 0
Voltage (mV): 12488
Cycle Count: 14

Re:

[jc42]

Cycle Count: 140

I think a 'cycle count' is more a case of how many times the charger has been plugged in more than fully charge/discharge cycles

I verified that. I had my PB plugged in, the little battery icon said 94%, and the System Info window said the Cycle Count was 664. I unplugged the charger, waited about a minute until the icon dropped to 93%, and plugged it back in. The Cycle Count went to 665. So it's counting times it's plugged in, not charge cycles.

Re:

[Skippy_kangaroo]

Do that again and see if it goes to 666 (!!!). I expect that it would stay at 665. As such, your experiment hasn't proved anything yet.

You should find that it is actually cycle count rather than the number of times it's been plugged in. I have a brand new MacBook Pro battery that has 1 cycle on it. It has been plugged and unplugged a number of times (>1) but only used for short bursts in those periods so it hasn't yet got to the full discharge to click over the cycle count.

Re:

[jc42]

Do that again and see if it goes to 666 (!!!). I expect that it would stay at 665. As such, your experiment hasn't proved anything yet.

I tried it when it was at 99%, and you guessed right. It stayed at 99%. So I unplugged it again, let it sit for a minute or so until it dropped to 98%, plugged it in, hit CMD-R to update the data - and it still said 665.

So I guess I don't know what it's counting. Both times I tried the experiment (unplug, wait for it to drop by 1%, plug in, CMD-R). Both were in the same

Re:

[Skippy_kangaroo]

A charge cycle is 100% of battery usage - however distributed. It doesn't have to do with the charge displayed in your menubar and a charge cycle can click over at any level of charge.

For example: Use 20% charge down to 80%, recharge, use 10%, recharge, use 70% is one charge cycle
Another example: Use 5% twenty times is one charge cycle.

What I think you demonstrated is that prior to unplugging it the first time you had used 99% of a charge cycle. It should take a further cumulated 100% before you click over

Re:

[GooseKirk]

I was given an old P3-750 Vaio laptop to use while traveling, and as much as I hate everything about Sony and their products, you can't very well argue with free and lightweight. But this POS has turned out to be an even bigger POS than I imagined it would be. God, I hate Sony.

And great, now I'm just waiting for the keyboard to melt through - it really is just a cheap plastic that lays over the CPU heatsink. That'll be perfect. I've already had to replace the hard drive and the power connector. One of the s

Re:

[arivanov]

You may never experience the burnthrough if you use it as a laptop and use its own screen. If you use the docking station or an external monitor and keep the lid closed when it is guaranteed to happen. Happened to all 5 my company bought once upon a time. This was before I took control of IT purchasing, put it in order, made it based strictly on technological merit and handed it to a collegue to do from there on. We still use this Sony debacle as an example to explain to users the fact that "You do not get

Re:

[Doctor-Optimal]

IIRC Sony is eating the cost for the Dell recall and probably the Apple one too. IANAL but there has to be some sort of liability concern Sony would be facing otherwise.

Re:

[frdmfghtr]

Correct...from http://www.forbes.com/home/feeds/ap/2006/08/24/ap2 972235.html [forbes.com]:

Sony said the recalls will cost it between $172 million and $278 million. Apple spokesman Steve Dowling said its recall was not expected to materially affect the company's results. Dell has said the recall would not affect earnings.

Re:

[ocp]

1.1m in the US, 0.7m elsewhere = 1.8m

Re:

[E IS mC(Square)]

So, if Dell recalls, the advice is "Switch to Apple".

If Apple is in the same shit, its "Sony's fault"???

Bravo!!

Re:

[Firehed]

What? We blamed Sony for the Dell recall too. Apple has been having battery problems just as much as Dell has recently. They just look better when on fire.

Re:

[headLITE]

Also, Apple recalled some of these same batteries about 1.5 years ago. I guess now that it's apparent that the exploding batteries were Sony's fault, they're just refreshing (and extending) their exchange program.

Re:

[Anonymous Coward]

No, that previous recall concerned a different range of batteries [apple.com], made by LG Chem.

Re:

[Achromatic1978]

or maybe the contract manufacturer (who is probably Quantas).

I'm not sure if there was some really subtle joke I missed in there, but you do realise QANTAS [qantas.com] is a domestic and international airline, not a supplier of Apple parts, don't you?

Re:

[soft_guy]

Sorry, I did slightly misspell the name - but only slightly. It is actually "Quanta". They are a taiwanese company that does contract manufacturing of electronics - most notably notebook computers for Apple, Dell, and others.

Re:

[Achromatic1978]

Aha. That makes a bit more sense, then. ;)

Re:Reminds me of the Sony CCDs that prompted recal

[chaotixx]

Hey wow, I think I can get my digicam fixed for free! Thanks for mentioning that CCD recall.

Re:Reminds me of the Sony CCDs that prompted recal

[NetHead026]

Indeed it was: http://www.imaging-resource.com/badccds.html [imaging-resource.com]

Re:Reminds me of the Sony CCDs that prompted recal

[AnuradhaRatnaweera]

Yep. It was on Shasldot [slashdot.org], too. However, they didn't recall the cameras. Unfortunately, my good old Canon Powershot A70 also had one of those faulty Sony CCD sensors... :-(

yes, it was...

[YesIAmAScript]

Except the cameras weren't recalled, and Sony makes over half the CCDs used in digital cameras. And Joe Blow doesn't know Sony even made at CCD, so don't worry about Joe Blow's opinion of Sony due to this CCD stuff.

A couple failed and were replaced?

Big whup. They're only batting 99.5% now.

People don't bother to learn much about numbers and statistics, that's for sure.

HOLY CRAP!

[5plicer]

Now you've got me scared!!! I have 3 batteries that are on the recall list. I hope they arrive soon!

Re:

[Billly Gates]

My gf has these batteries. Within 10 minutes you can get a blister from touching the back of her laptop. I told her to sue sony if they would not take it back. So far it overheated once where she had to get a cpu replacement. She always wonders if the fans are working inside her notebook. That could be a possibility but I wont open it as it would void her warranty.

THe batteries last maybe an hour before running otu of juice and its an overpriced piece of crap in my opinion. She even has one of the USB noteb

Re:

[Billly Gates]

My compaq pressario is cool to the touch always.

It varies on processor type and ratings from zdnet. Look for via or intel chips if you want cool books.

Re:

[Fred Porry]

Yeah, youre right-I actually knew that....

Re:

[Farmer Tim]

Mac zealots are feverishly working on a way to blame this all on Microsoft.

Sony's Vaio series use Windows, so Microsoft brought some pressure to bear through licensing to force Sony to sabotage the batteries destined for Apple. Its obvious, really.

Re:

[Amouth]

this is the US model.. i have 4 of them .. each with the exact same issue.. i ended up jsut taking the drives out of them and putting them in cheap enclosures and giving them to guys on the road..

i have been tempted to rip one of the lcd's out and try and make it work on a normal vga card.. but can't find anything about the pin outs for the screen

Re:

[GnarlyNome]

No, Sony found a way to install a rootkit through the battery