Talk about a hot market
It began quietly in April when HP recalled some 15,700 laptop batteries worldwide after getting 20 reports of overheating.
In August the issue exploded with Dell recalling 4.1 million Sony-made notebook batteries.
Suddenly, videos of laptops in flames were everywhere. The
biggest names in laptops – including Fujitsu, Gateway, Dell, Apple, Lenovo, Sharp and Toshiba – have recalled some 8 million Sony batteries around the world, giving the company’s reputation a battering.
According to Rob Enderle,
a California-based personal
technology analyst, a risky manufacturing process that other
battery companies avoided was the problem.
Sony changed its process perhaps a year ago, but there were enough batteries on the market for it to become a problem.
“It’s been a bad year for Sony,” Enderle said, that started with the continuation of controversy over its CD rootkit technology and is ending with sales of PlayStation 3 being hindered by a shortage of Blu-ray Disc drives.
Fortunately for resellers, laptop sales are still strong. We guess Sony hopes for a cool 2007.