http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/ Engadget Comments for http://www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/Nov 11th 2009 12:24PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/
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I got nothin', man. That's unbeatable.]]>Nov 11th 2009 12:31PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/Nov 11th 2009 12:35PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/Nov 11th 2009 12:39PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/
Why would you even mention defending Apple... they didn't make the battery. ]]>Nov 11th 2009 12:49PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/
I went in there a few weeks ago because my battery was holding a charge for 10 minutes (mind you that I had gotten this battery as a within-warranty replacement because my old one did the same thing). The first thing they do is put their hand on their hip and ask accusingly,"WELL DO YOU HAVE APPLE CARE?!" as if not having Apple Care is the source of the problem. I say no, that I got the battery as a free replacement for another defective battery, and the guy goes, "well, if that's the case, then it doesn't even matter if the battery is defective. We're not replacing it."

Apparently, when you get a new battery, your warranty for the old battery is transferred over to the new battery (so, if your battery dies after one year, you're basically shit out of luck and have to hope for the best for your new battery). I asked him to check to see if the battery was even the issue, and he loads up that USB program that they have, and, of course, it shows a big red box that says "DEFECTIVE. REPLACE BATTERY." He then was like, "yeah, you'd totally get a new battery if this were under warranty." Asshole. Keep in mind that this happened less than a year after I got this new battery, so it WOULD HAVE been under warranty had the shady warranty-transfer policy not been in effect.

Sorry about the rant, I just get pissed when a company is allowed to push clearly-inferior products to their customers and then we're all supposed to just deal with it. ]]>Nov 11th 2009 12:51PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/Nov 11th 2009 12:53PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/Nov 11th 2009 12:59PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/
I'm sorry, but aside from abnormal activity like dipping it in the bathtub, or introducing it to extreme voltage or current, no battery should EVER do this.

How many n00b users do you think regularly cycle their batteries or replace them before they've been totally dead for a few months?]]>Nov 11th 2009 12:58PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/
To be fair to everyone, there are hundreds of laptop batteries from all manufacturers that explode every year. But there are MILLIONS of laptops sold every year, so we're looking at 1/100 of 1%. Them's pretty good odds. Worry about driving or getting hit by a train. You have a much higher possibility of getting injured there!]]>Nov 11th 2009 1:06PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/
Reminder: "Karma's a ..."

This happened to my MacBook 3,1 about a month ago. The battery bulged so I powered off my machine so that it wouldn't explode. Called up the Boca Raton Apple Store and they were jerks. Ended up going to the Wellington Green Apple Store. The guy at the Genius Bar took a look at it for one second, went to the back and got me a new battery. Tested it out and the track pad and I was good to go.

My MacBook is coming up on two years on Black Friday. I didn't buy AppleCare. There was no charge for the replacement battery. It really depends on the people working at the Apple Store, so YMMV.]]>Nov 11th 2009 1:23PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/
In most cases like this, the comment happens because of author naïveté.]]>Nov 11th 2009 1:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/Or microwave it :D .... Sorry if my advice is not helpful :(]]>Nov 11th 2009 1:38PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/
This bad boy singed my wife the other night. This is crazy!

I will likely not be buying anything more in this line until they are able to control this very bad engineering issue. Especially with Windows 7 making PCs attractive again.]]>Nov 11th 2009 1:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/
.........wow.

You clearly are an expert Mac user, just based on how |337 you are.]]>Nov 11th 2009 2:33PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/Nov 11th 2009 2:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/
Rank me up fellow Win 7 users!

AHAHAH!!!]]>Nov 11th 2009 2:46PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/"How many n00b users do you think regularly cycle their batteries or replace them before they've been totally dead for a few months?"

maybe "n00b's" should not buy a macbook pro.. they buy the computer to feel special and don't know the first thing about it. All they know is how nice it feels to the touch and how pleasing it is to the eyes.. those people deserve this type of stuff to happen to their computers. also.. cycling a battery is explained in the user manual and if you use a notebook as it was intended.. "on the go", why would you not replace an battery that doesn't hold a charge longer than 5 minutes.. it's just foolish]]>Nov 11th 2009 2:50PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/"really, ...really you went out of your way to get the correct letters to write the word "naïveté"
.........wow.
You clearly are an expert Mac user, just based on how |337 you are."

yes, thank you. I cannot take all the credit though, I'd like to take this time to give special thanks to my inspiration.. sen. John McCain. ]]>Nov 11th 2009 3:01PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/
I thought macs were perfect for n00bs because they 'just work'?

"why would you not replace an battery that doesn't hold a charge longer than 5 minutes.. it's just foolish"

Do you live under a rock? Upwards of 90% of the population is foolish. Count yourself in that group if you actually think that expanding or exploding batteries are in any way acceptable under normal operating conditions.

Even if you're not foolish, not everyone has the free cash to just run out and replace their battery the instant it's not holding a full charge. Will macs even run without a battery, even if it's dead?

]]>Nov 11th 2009 3:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/
That isn't shady, that's just business. You don't get a new warranty just because they had to fix something. If they did, I would find a sneaky way to get my laptop and car replaced every year. Apple has the best rated customer service in the biz, so if you don't think that's fair, you'll be even less happy with the alternatives.]]>Nov 11th 2009 3:04PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/Nov 11th 2009 4:35PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/
Various reports over on the Mac forums have indicated Mac's own diagnostic tools aren't that great. One user reported the tool passed his battery but when it was visually inspected, it had obvious signs of swelling.

My own personal experience with the same thing as John saw different results. I called in because my battery would no longer hold a charge and kept powering down at 80%. It was a replacement for my original battery. It was out of warranty and no Apple Care. First tech on the phone said there was nothing he could do. He passed me along to a senior supervisor. He himmed and hodded and then said he would, just this once, send me a replacement. I called 4pm on Friday. The battery arrived via DHL at noon on Saturday.

With that said, I have always had poor experiences at retail Apple Stores. I have had golden service when I call them direct.

John, your reply seems odd. You said it was covered under warranty but just left without a replacement? You should have called Apple directly and reported the tech. This is not the type of behaviour I have received from them in the past. I had my iPhone screen replaced and received rude and poor service from the tech on site. I called Apple and when I went back (it was the same guy) he said a note on my file reads I was unhappy with their last interaction. He apologized and said he would put in as many screens as they had on site till I was happy with one. Totally different experience.

Some bad apples (pun intended) get through but to be treated like you bought something from Sony is not what I have been used to with Apple.]]>Nov 11th 2009 4:43PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/Nov 11th 2009 9:13PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/Nov 11th 2009 12:25PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/Nov 11th 2009 12:30PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/
Six "Hail Steve's", and seven "Our iPod's will clear these sins, my son.]]>Nov 11th 2009 12:31PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/Nov 11th 2009 12:37PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/
BOOM!]]>Nov 11th 2009 1:22PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/So does this mean if a unibody Macbook battery ever fails Apple invented the first Laptop/Grenade hybrid? Now that's innovation!]]>Nov 11th 2009 1:44PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/Nov 11th 2009 3:02PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/Nov 11th 2009 12:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fragmentation_(weaponry) ]]>Nov 11th 2009 1:41PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/
that said, batteries don't last forever. the previous batteries were only spec'd to last roughly a year. and it is possible to swell a battery by having a machine overheat from using it non stop for hours, blocking the heat sink areas etc. it's rare, but it can happen. my brother is a success at doing it.

and break it down. how many of these batteries compared to how many have been out there had issues. was it really a large amount or is this like the whole 'ipods are deadly' thing where some 50 out of some 500 million units had a problem. yeah it sucks when it happens to you but is it really enough to call Apple negligent and start a total witch hunt]]>Nov 11th 2009 2:07PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/Nov 11th 2009 12:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://images.trustedreviews.com/images/article/inline/9894-img8167s.jpg

They exist. The only way to make more money and make them sell better is to put an apple on it.]]>Nov 11th 2009 12:32PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/Nov 11th 2009 12:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/The new batteries (which we've yet to see any negative reports on, though they are newer) with the custom-built Apple cells that are built out of essentially rectangular cells as opposed to round ones like other batteries.]]>Nov 11th 2009 12:31PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/Nov 11th 2009 12:31PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/Nov 11th 2009 12:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/Nov 11th 2009 12:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/2. 4 reported cases out of millions of Macbook Pros sold is not what you would call "statistically significant".
3. You think it's a problem with quality control? Then maybe you could tell us what Apple could have done to find the problem in those 4 specific batteries when millions and millions of identical batteries had no issues at all.

Try to use common sense instead of being a douche.]]>Nov 11th 2009 1:34PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/Nov 11th 2009 5:03PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/Nov 11th 2009 12:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/Nov 11th 2009 12:47PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/Nov 11th 2009 12:26PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/Nov 11th 2009 12:28PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/Nov 11th 2009 12:27PMhttp://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/http://www.engadget.com/2009/11/11/macbook-pro-battery-flies-off-the-handle-busts-wide-open/Nov 11th 2009 12:27PM