HP Recalls 135,000 Laptop Batteries 126
caffeine_monkey writes "AP is reporting that Hewlett Packard is recalling 135,000 notebook batteries because they occasionally overheat and melt. Affected models are HP Pavilion, Compaq Presario, HP Compaq and Compaq Evo. More details are on the HP support site. From their FAQ: Is it safe to buy HP notebooks? Absolutely. HP fully stands behind the products it makes."
no one is going top care.... (Score:2, Insightful)
The question is... (Score:1, Troll)
Guys, I think it's time to avoid non home made products. May be companies like HP will learn a thing or two. I am I asking for too much?
Re:no one is going top care.... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:no one is going top care.... (Score:1)
Re:no one is going top care.... (Score:2)
Re:no one is going top care.... (Score:1)
No one is going to care because it's a pretty dumb story (as is typically front-paged by the genius editors at Slashdot these days). Millions of items are recalled pretty much daily. The fact that this had to do "with computers" is a pretty weak foundation for it appearing on Slashdot. Of course as an actual information source Slashdot is on par with PC Magazine these days.
People might pay heed if it's Apple only because Apple is renowned for extraordinary quality -
Re:no one is going top care.... (Score:2, Insightful)
In reference to the GP, the people on this site pile on Apple because of the zealotry. Calm down about how this particular company is the second coming of whatever, and people will calm down about how it isn't.
Round up the app
Re:no one is going top care.... (Score:1)
You do realize, don't you, that there are actual real-world metrics of vendor quality? Those metrics consistently put Apple in a pretty hefty lead. Apple's quality isn't any more imaginary than Honda or Toyota's are (though just like those, there are the self-proclaimed realists who ignore actual proof and help set the record straight for us fools), and it's a p
Re:no one is going top care.... (Score:2, Funny)
The errors in your first post are understandable since you were rushed to get the first post, but this is idiotic. If you can't be spared to time to proofread, then do not post. Please.
Re:no one is going top care.... (Score:1)
Re:no one is going top care.... (Score:1)
1 pocket lint
2 being looked at by a Microsoft employee
or get to "can't see the screen" level within days like some folks have reported the NANO can
Re:no one is going top care.... (Score:1)
Re:no one is going top care.... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:no one is going top care.... (Score:1)
aaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....
Re:no one is going top care.... (Score:1)
There's a reason they hate Apple. (Score:1)
now and forever (Score:5, Funny)
So they foresee that all future batteries until 20005 will need to be recalled?
Re:Dell did the same thing 2 years ago! (Score:1)
HP stands behind their product (Score:4, Funny)
Possibly with a big plate of chobham armor in-between?
Re:HP stands behind their product (Score:3, Insightful)
I just checked the batteries on my hp nc6000 laptop and was disappointed to see they werent part of the recall. Disappointed? Yes, because being a year old, the batteries only go up to 90% and 95% charge respectively. Getting free replacements would have brought them up to spec; hey I'd have it done every year, although that bit "only use on AC power till your replacement comes in" is a bit inconvenient.
Incidentally, wearable computers have always had a problem with military use, desp
Re:HP stands behind their product (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:HP stands behind their product (Score:1)
Adding 1 pound of weight to your boots is the equivalent to adding 6.4 pounds to a backpack. So these batteries would have to weigh next to nothing or else they would be a serious detriment when considering all the other things a soldier has to carry as well.
Of course... (Score:2)
But Compaq doesn't!
Re:HP stands behind their product (Score:2)
Re:HP stands behind their product (Score:4, Funny)
Does HP make laptops? I was under the impression that their job was to send stickers to Taiwan.
HP Recalls 135,000 Laptop Batteries (Score:3, Interesting)
Re: HP Recalls 135,000 Laptop Batteries (Score:3, Funny)
I for one welcome our robotic HP overlords.
Are they sure? (Score:5, Funny)
Notice it's 'buy' rather than 'use'! No wonder they can state it so definitely.
Re:Are they sure? (Score:1)
See they practicaly confessed that they knew about the batteries. They stand BEHIND their products!
Re:Are they sure? (Score:1)
Re:Are they sure? (Score:1)
Then the company had some kind of nervous breakdown or something; a graduate in medievil studies who insis
Do not use!!!!!!!!! (Score:2)
HP stands fully behind its products (Score:4, Funny)
Also from HP's FAQ (Score:5, Funny)
A: No.
Kyun? (Score:3, Funny)
Kyun aap hindi bol sakte nahin hain?
Eh? Answer me that... kyun? KYUN !?
Re:Kyun? (Score:2)
Re:Kyon? (Score:2)
Re:Kyon? (Score:2)
Re:Also from HP's FAQ (Score:2)
Rumor Mill (Score:3, Informative)
"Since there have been at least 16 incidences of batteries catching fire, HP
will replace batteries with serial numbers beginning with GC, IA, L0 or L1.
These include many batteries shipped with the HP/Compaq R3000, zv5000 and
nx9105 models (my nx9105 had an 8 cell battery with a serial number starting
with GC).
http://www.hp.com/support/BatteryReplacement [hp.com]
This again confirms that the batteries truly suck, at least the 8 cell ones.
At least I'll get a new one."
Safe to buy? (Score:2)
HP has the problem fixed? (Score:1)
Not a Bad Thing (Score:3, Insightful)
The more cynical ones are going to dismiss this as just marketing BS but I'm glad HP is at willing to admit their mistake and rectify it. At least they're not trying to pull a Ford Pinto [wikipedia.org] here. Even in the computer industry there are companies who would pretend there is no problem and hope it goes away. My laptop had a defective hard drive and when I called support they blamed it on the fact that I leave my computer on all the time (it wasn't IBM but a much smaller brand).
it burns, it burns! (Score:4, Funny)
Youch.. (Score:2, Funny)
I have one of these (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:I have one of these (Score:2)
1. Take a photo
2. Put the photo up on a webserver
3. Post the URL as comment to this story on slashdot
4. Mention the URL of that slashdot-comment in a friendly E-Mail to HP customer service
Once again, (Score:2)
Yawn (Score:4, Funny)
I suggest we start a betting pool and take bet on who's next and when.
HP stands behind the products it makes? (Score:5, Interesting)
I am always fixing peoples PCs, I don't mind, most of the time it's drivers or spyware. I had a good friend come over two weeks ago with a Compaq presario 1000 (compaq now owned by HP and HP responsible for their products).
The (slightly over 1 year old) laptop would not turn on. No response at all, when you hit the power, it made the tiniest of 'whirrs' and did nothing. So I guessed it was a broken Video card or bad ram. It was something I wasn't going to touch anyway. I decided just on a whim (while we waited for the kettle to boil) to google. Turns out this is a very common problem with this X1000 model. Compaq used over-clocked 9000 ATI cards driven as 9200s. They overheated and over time worked themselves out of the motherboard. A quick initial fix was to press the 67Y keys very hard. I did it, and the laptop booted.
Problem is, this is not a repair, apparently the problem will repeat until that fix doesn't work. This occurred in Sweden, and in Sweden the law is if the problem is manufacturers, you have a 3 year guarantee. So my friend gets her cash back (to buy a powerbook or Toshiba on my recommendation). All the poor bastards in the US (who have a forum to complain about this issue) are out of luck, HP have ignored them. They sold mislabelled and unfit-for-purpose hardware and shafted their customers. Most of the comments I read about this (frankly terribly designed and ugly) laptop were all saying "never HP,never again".
Hp are not the company they were 10 years ago.
Re:HP stands behind the products it makes? (Score:3, Informative)
I also found plenty of things inside the Presarios that just made me angry -- like the fact th
Re:HP stands behind the products it makes? (Score:2)
Really? What kind of notice would you like? "Your boot sector may or may not become damaged in the future but we don't know because we're not psychic."?
Most of this is whining, every manufacturer does it. To not "cut corners" is to not stay profitable and lose sales. These may seem like 10 cent parts to you, and they are, but a simple 10 cent part over 10 million units just saved 1 million dollars. If you want protection bu
Re:HP stands behind the products it makes? (Score:2)
I definitely would not recommend a Toshiba, after having my experience with the Satellite 5105. I had three problems that were covered under the first year warranty (motherboard died, power supply died, then the video card died), then the next year the hard drive died. A few weeks ago, the video card died again, and not only is it not under warranty, I can't find a replacement card at a decent price.
To top it off, Toshiba was sued over the Satellite 5
Re:HP stands behind the products it makes? (Score:1)
My next laptop's probably going to be an IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad T43 (or whatever's the latest in the T-series).
HP owner of 2 laptops (Score:1)
Melting battery is not too bad... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Melting battery is not too bad... (Score:2)
Regards,
--
*Art
Re:Melting battery is not too bad... (Score:1)
Re:Melting battery is not too bad... (Score:2)
battery recalls becoming common (Score:2)
Compaq battery (Score:1)
They should recall the HP battery starting with serial # L.
Hey that's me! (Score:1)
Re:Hey that's me! (Score:1)
context (Score:2)
It seems slightly harsh to quote from an FAQ that was in all likely-hood published before HP realised there was a problem with it's batteries. Unless of course the poster is implying that HP knew there was a problem and they intended to recall them all along...
I say fair play at least they've 'owned up' so to speak and gone ahead with the recall. I would wager there's a lot of companies that would ju
Re:context (Score:1)
Re:context (Score:2)
Agreed. I never have a problem with voluntary recalls. I can't think of a laptop manufacturer that hasn't shipped defective equipment... some do it all the time (*cough*sony*cough).
Good! (Score:1)
Can't wait to get a new one.
People want laptops, but don't know why (Score:2, Offtopic)
Laptops have always been popular, but over the past year or so, they have become very popular, especially among people who are more consumer technology oriented than computer oriented.
I know that lots of people use and need their laptops. Some people have jobs as field engineers, etc. If I was one of these people, and I knew all of what I was getting into, I would have a laptop. But lots of people think they "NEED" a laptop so that they can check their e-Mail in the coffee shop.
So when p
Re:People want laptops, but don't know why (Score:1)
The same thing I'm going to do when my desktop has a problem: switch to a backup computer until it gets fixed.
Re:People want laptops, but don't know why (Score:1)
Sure, there are people with the financial resources and job neccesity to have a back-up laptop. I am not saying they are for everyone.
But consider the cost and time of replacing a laptop keyboard and a desktop keyboard. I can buy a desktop keyboard for 50 cents. How would someone find a replacement laptop keyboard? For your specific model and year?
I guess if you have the financial resources to just have numerous back up laptops, and to fix them when they break, you can do that. B
Re:People want laptops, but don't know why (Score:1)
Depends on what is wrong. At worst, send it out for a 24-hour turnaround repair. Note that I've had desktop equipment that has taken longer to repair than my laptop.
Sure, there are people with the financial resources and job neccesity to have a back-up laptop.
Who says a backup laptop is needed? I can use a desktop in time of need.
I guess if you have the financial resources to just have numerous back up laptops, and to fix them when they break, you can do that.
I have my one lap
Not always Interchangeable parts in Desktops (Score:3, Informative)
As a sysadmin, I've opened up p
HP and defects (Score:4, Insightful)
So I've contacted HP technical support about this. I've talked on the phone, and then by email. The representative from HP assured me that no such issue existed, and we back-and-forthed for awhile. Eventually, I found this article [hp.com] on HP's own website. When I emailed it to the HP rep, he prompted stopped answering my emails.
Maybe if my battery had exploded I would have gotten better support from HP, but it seems it has to be a big issue for them to do anything about it.
"HP fully stands behind the products it makes?" Maybe, but only when it looks like it might lose them money due to lawsuits or poses a health risk.
Machine gun creater sites same claim (Score:1)
Thats what the guy who created machine guns said. Lucky bastard wasn't the one standing in front of one when it went off......
HP notebook battery question - indicator on side? (Score:2)
Re:HP notebook battery question - indicator on sid (Score:1)
Mine works fine.
Pity the rest of the Compaq laptop is average - serves me right for buying a laptop with a desktop CPU in it.
Performance is great, the heat and battery life are not.
The LCD panel however seems to be quite decent - certainly haven't had an issue with image quality.
Presario 2594AG here..
Re:HP notebook battery question - indicator on sid (Score:2)
Pressing the finger button should enable the LEDs. If it does not, maybe you aren't hitting it hard enough, or in the right spot, or maybe it got damaged in some way. All I can say is that mine works
Hope this helped.
Re:HP notebook battery question - indicator on sid (Score:2)
Feel free to roast the top nuts.. (Score:2)
1501 Page Mill Road
Palo Alto, California 94304
1-650-857-1501
Work the channels and the chain of command so that they will have a paper trail to go back on so that they can at least attempt to remedy the situation.
WHOA! (Score:1)
HP started making Mitac and Compal laptops?!?!? Wow! HP is bigger than I thought! I guess they must be if their printer ink is the most valuable fluid on earth. =/
More models affected? (Score:2)
Mid 2004 I started noticing that every once in a while my battery, while charging, would overheat. I would have to remove it from the battery compartment to allow both it and the
I have the f4809a/f4812a (Score:2)
Anyway, just pulled my battery out to check on this recall, and yeah, not covered. However, I've never experienced any issues with overheating at all. I use it almost 99% of the time plugged in, as I'm not often far from a power outlet, so it doesn't often have a chance to lose charge. It still holds a 2+ hour charge, which is
Re:I have the f4809a/f4812a (Score:2)
X1000 Affected or not? (Score:2, Interesting)
Are they trying to screw X1000 owners out of replacement batteries, or did they discover the X1000 battery packs are not effected?
I guess I'll have to wait till Monday to call and find out.
Are the crazy mac zealots.... (Score:2)
Recall (Score:1)
Who's the battery manufacturer? (Score:1)
I just want to point out that the several parts of a notebook are produced by different vendors, like the video card in my ThinkPad is from ATI, the DVD/CD-RW
Re:Chinese made garbage (Score:1, Offtopic)
Re:OMGOSH FP (Score:2)