Rotton Apples
This afternoon Michael pointed out Apple’s replacement plan for their “exploding” batteries.
Remedy: 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.
[via http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml06/06245.html]
WTF?!?
Apple’s solution for their customers is to keep their laptops plugged in until Apple gets around to sending a replacement battery. What an incredible load of horse pucky. The source of my frustration of course is that both Shelley’s and my own iBook have batteries with serial numbers in the “grenade” range.
I’m flabbergasted that this would be considered an acceptable solution by Apple. If I didn’t need/want portability in my computer, I would not have paid the premium for a portable computer. Why would anyone think customers of portable computers would find it acceptable (or even possible) to land lock their computers for the next couple of weeks.
I’m hoping that Apple will see the error behind this policy and come up with a more customer friendly solution in the next week. Then again as of tonight there does not seem to be much in the way of complaints about the recall on Technorati.
** UPDATE ** As Mike pointed out almost immediately in an email, it is possible to have a battery sent to you before sending Apple yours. Granted the “Consumers should stop using the recalled batteries immediately” line isn’t the most comforting thing, but at least it’s possible.
https://support.apple.com/ibook_powerbook/batteryexchange/
It seems there is a conflicting message on the page. While it says “After removing the recalled battery from the iBook or PowerBook, consumers should plug in the AC adapter to power the computer until a replacement battery arrives.” the FAQ says “A. No, Apple will send you the replacement battery first and then you will send Apple the recalled battery. “. So it seems you can do a cross ship if you ask.