The wired on batteries were an alternetive not seen much outside of
Compaqs that I know of. I should have mentioned that the majority of my
experience has been with non-Compaq machines. The lates and greatest
battery solution is the socketed NiCAD or lithium battery. Actually when
the change came to the socket, you could occasionally find a board that had
the socket, but all documentation would still show the old soldered battery.
Cost wise I have no idea. Also with the newer machines, the battery will
last longer because the newer motherboards place less demand on them.

What you have described may in fact explain battery history in many clones,
but, unless I missed it, you haven't explained why Compaq did what they did
over the past. It still remains a mystery that only God and Compaq understand.

Dale