MarketWatch Features RESCUECOM Advice about Laptop Batteries

- Gone are the days when a computer virus was your sole PC worry. Now a more pressing issue has notebook users in hot water - the spate of laptop-battery recalls due to fire hazards in recent weeks. Dell, Toshiba, IBM/Lenovo and Apple are among the computing giants that have issued recalls affecting a total of 7 million batteries - maybe more - around the world. Consumers are urged to take these recalls seriously, but "so far, there have been very few people who have actually taken advantage of the recalls," says David Milman, founder and CEO or Rescuecom, a national computer repair and services company. "But you have to make sure your battery is safe," he adds.

Doing so doesn't have to cost you any money - no matter when you realize your computer is affected. Scott Wolfson, a spokesman for the federal Consumer Product Safety Commission, says that "so long as the company is viable, you can get a replacement."

Wolfson advises consumers to "physically take the battery out of the computer, store it someplace safe and call the recalling firm - a free battery is waiting for you. You can continue to use the laptop on AC power."

Milman adds that you don't have to follow the headlines to know if your laptop is affected by a recall. He suggests setting up a Google Alert for the manufacturer name and model of your laptop. You'll receive an e-mail update when it's in the news, for example if a recall has been issued.

When you're shopping for a new laptop, Milman tells consumers to buy from one of the top-brand manufacturers, despite their recent recalls. In cases of problems, the major manufacturers are more likely to handle recalls quickly and efficiently.

Originally published on October 2, 2006