"Swell ... Now Dell' Cells Are Puttin' Me Through HELL!"

In article , fammacd=!
says...
On Tue, 15 Aug 2006 14:46:18 -0400, Keith wrote:

In article ,
says...
"Keith" wrote in message
T...

It really could be either, but the (battery) technology has had a
lot of troubles. Cell phones have been known to burst into flames
too. The battery in my XM MyFi Radio was replaced as a "recall"
(they sent me a new battery and instructed me to replace it
immediately) about six months ago.

There is a lot of energy in those little batteries. If someone
lets the magic smoke escape it's going to be noticeable.

--
Keith

Weren't the Cell batteries that were problems counterfeits? I had read a
couple articles about that, but the ones I read blamed it on batteries that
had been made then had a fake label put on them. I had read that some even
made it into the supply stream of the manufacturers, which caused the
"recall".

That's the story they're trying to tell. FWIG, Li-Ion chemistry is
pretty fickle and the charger has to be designed for that
particular cell (some laptop batteries have electronics in them) so
this excuse may even be close to the truth. ;-)

Yeah, it's not clear to me where control circuitry is in the various
implementations; I believe the laptop (Thinkpad) Li-Ions have quite a bit
(most ?) of the circuitry in the battery housing - not sure about things
like digi-cams etc.

ThinkPad batteries certainly have electronics in them, but it's not
clear how much of the charging circuit is in there. There is some
NVRAM of some sort in there to count charging cycles and some ROM
(perhaps in the same NVRAM) that contains the capacity and such,
but I don't believe the charging circuitry is in the battery.
Could be, I guess.

BTW, apparently it's not only Li-Ion that has problems. I've heard
some pretty bad horror stories from model airplane hobbyists using
fast charge NiMH batteries too. According to the reports, a couple
of cars have been taken out by these things.

I know I used to buy Cell batteries from the cheapest place I
could find them until I read about this. I decided from now on to just buy
from the big name places. Same with things like flash memory. I had bought
several 512 jump drives and SD cards off Ebay. I guess I got lucky as I
later found out the same problem was going on with these.

Buying on the cheap always has its risks. I'm looking for memory
for my laptop (1GB DDR2 PC2-5300, IIRC). I've always used Crucial,
but not sure if the 50% margin is worth it. I know the next 50%
for the manufacturer's part isn't.

I got some Patriot brand PC-3200 DDR for a recent desktop build simply
because it was on a "special combo" purchase and it's worked fine at rated
speed: 2-3-2-5-1T. OTOH I'm wary of mfrs like that who obliterate the
original chip part nos and write their own logos, and sometimes part nos.,
in its place.

Yep. Even though there is a "lifetime" guaranty on much of the
memory out there, cutting corners can cause a lot of grief down the
road. The cost difference is substantial though ($70 cheap stuff,
$125 Crucial, $180 from Lenovo).

--
Keith

In article ,
says...
"Keith" wrote in message
T...
Now if
Wal-Mart.com has what I need they are my first choice even if they are
slightly higher. At least I know with them if there is ANY trouble all I
have to do is take it to any store and it's a no hassle return.

They'll put the magic smoke back in the battery? ;-)

--
Keith

LOL, no I don't know if they sell Batteries for Cell. I meant for PC stuff
like memory. I had someone who knows a hell of a lot more about these things
(PC's) than I do recommend NewEgg. I was wanting an external drive to use as
a back up so I ordered one from them. Came to me DOA. Then I found that to
send it back to them I had to pay shipping and pay them to "re stock" their
defective ****. That was the last time they will get me. I ordered another
one from Wally. It worked, but if it had not all I would have had to do was
take it to one of their stores.

I've likely ordered from NewEgg a fifty times. No problems, but I
suppose all it takes is once. I just bought a couple of USB drive
enclosures for an IDE drive that was gathering dust and a SATA that
was wasting power (never did get it to work in my K8 system - also
mostly from NewEgg). They work great. NewEgg is near the top of
my short "will do business with" list.

I've also ordered small things from WallyWorld. No problems there
either.

For my cell batteries I guess I will just buy from whichever carrier I am
using at that time. They are about twice as much but what the hell how many
am I going to ever buy? Rather than risk it I will just order an extra from
them.

Yeah. I just had to order a battery for my wife's phone. $30 from
Verizon. Amazingly, the high capacity (1.7AH vs 1.0AH) battery was
$22.50, but none in stock. :-(

--
Keith

"Keith" wrote in message
...

I've likely ordered from NewEgg a fifty times. No problems, but I
suppose all it takes is once. I just bought a couple of USB drive
enclosures for an IDE drive that was gathering dust and a SATA that
was wasting power (never did get it to work in my K8 system - also
mostly from NewEgg). They work great. NewEgg is near the top of
my short "will do business with" list.

I've also ordered small things from WallyWorld. No problems there
either.

For my cell batteries I guess I will just buy from whichever carrier I
am
using at that time. They are about twice as much but what the hell how
many
am I going to ever buy? Rather than risk it I will just order an extra
from
them.

Yeah. I just had to order a battery for my wife's phone. $30 from
Verizon. Amazingly, the high capacity (1.7AH vs 1.0AH) battery was
$22.50, but none in stock. :-(

--
Keith


Yes once was all they will get from me. I have no problem with someone
sending me either a wrong item or a DOA item, **** happens. What sealed it
for me and New Egg was their "you need us, we don't need you" attitude.
There is too many places to buy this kind of stuff these days for me to put
up with that kind of customer service.
I have noticed every year when I change phones that often a "new" phone
takes a while for batteries to show up for. Hell they last so damn long now
though that I often wonder why I still bother to buy and extra. I guess it's
good to have one just in case something happens to the one in the phone, but
my phone use will never come close to running one dead.

On Tue, 15 Aug 2006 12:18:10 -0700, "Alex Clayton"
wrote:

"Keith" wrote in message
ET...
Now if
Wal-Mart.com has what I need they are my first choice even if they are
slightly higher. At least I know with them if there is ANY trouble all I
have to do is take it to any store and it's a no hassle return.

They'll put the magic smoke back in the battery? ;-)

--
Keith

LOL, no I don't know if they sell Batteries for Cell. I meant for PC stuff
like memory. I had someone who knows a hell of a lot more about these things
(PC's) than I do recommend NewEgg. I was wanting an external drive to use as
a back up so I ordered one from them. Came to me DOA. Then I found that to
send it back to them I had to pay shipping and pay them to "re stock" their
defective ****. That was the last time they will get me. I ordered another
one from Wally. It worked, but if it had not all I would have had to do was
take it to one of their stores.

Why did you not want to have NewEgg send a replacement unit? Ask for a
refund and you'll pay a restock fee to *any* of the on-line vendors. In
all the times, maybe hundreds of items I've bought from NewEgg, the one DOA
I got was promptly replaced with no hassle. Paying for ship-back is
standard practice in the on-line buying industry... can sometimes be
avoided, at some vendors like NewEgg, depending on circumstances, if you
get the right guy, present a good case and ask nicely.

IMO NewEgg is about as good as it gets in on-line buying: they don't
advertize things they don't have and in fact their stock situation has
always been accurate for me with ETAs even, on out-of-stock stuff. I've
seen a lot worse: "open-box" posing as "new"; multiple 'phone calls with
hours of listening to Musak; in fact one "reputable" vendor sent me the
wrong item and I had to get angry with them and "escalate" to get them to
pay the ship-back - their initial response was "if you don't send it back
we'll charge you".

--
Rgds, George Macdonald

"George Macdonald" wrote in message
...
Why did you not want to have NewEgg send a replacement unit? Ask for a
refund and you'll pay a restock fee to *any* of the on-line vendors. In
all the times, maybe hundreds of items I've bought from NewEgg, the one
DOA
I got was promptly replaced with no hassle. Paying for ship-back is
standard practice in the on-line buying industry... can sometimes be
avoided, at some vendors like NewEgg, depending on circumstances, if you
get the right guy, present a good case and ask nicely.

IMO NewEgg is about as good as it gets in on-line buying: they don't
advertize things they don't have and in fact their stock situation has
always been accurate for me with ETAs even, on out-of-stock stuff. I've
seen a lot worse: "open-box" posing as "new"; multiple 'phone calls with
hours of listening to Musak; in fact one "reputable" vendor sent me the
wrong item and I had to get angry with them and "escalate" to get them to
pay the ship-back - their initial response was "if you don't send it back
we'll charge you".

--
Rgds, George Macdonald

I do not know where you get your info, but you don't know what your are
talking about. Many places pay the return shipping if they send you a
defective item. many of them offer you the choice of having a refund, or
exchange. The reason I told them to shove it was when I found they wanted me
to pay to return their defective item. I also had an order for some PC
memory on the way from them. That I refused, since I am done with them. if
"you" happen to like them, great. The way they do things is not the way
"any" on line dealers operate. They have the same attitude the phone Co.
used to have, "we don't care because we don't have to". I bought the
replacement from Wally. If It had been defective I could have returned it
for free, for either a exchange or refund of the FULL cost. Next time I need
something Wally does not have I will try others but never New Egg again. I'm
sure they could care less, but there is tons of places to buy from. I don't
need them.

--
"Everything in excess! To enjoy the flavor of life, take big bites.
Moderation is for monks."

[Lazarus Long]

On Wed, 16 Aug 2006 15:00:01 -0700, "Alex Clayton"
wrote:

"George Macdonald" wrote in message
.. .
Why did you not want to have NewEgg send a replacement unit? Ask for a
refund and you'll pay a restock fee to *any* of the on-line vendors. In
all the times, maybe hundreds of items I've bought from NewEgg, the one
DOA
I got was promptly replaced with no hassle. Paying for ship-back is
standard practice in the on-line buying industry... can sometimes be
avoided, at some vendors like NewEgg, depending on circumstances, if you
get the right guy, present a good case and ask nicely.

IMO NewEgg is about as good as it gets in on-line buying: they don't
advertize things they don't have and in fact their stock situation has
always been accurate for me with ETAs even, on out-of-stock stuff. I've
seen a lot worse: "open-box" posing as "new"; multiple 'phone calls with
hours of listening to Musak; in fact one "reputable" vendor sent me the
wrong item and I had to get angry with them and "escalate" to get them to
pay the ship-back - their initial response was "if you don't send it back
we'll charge you".

--
Rgds, George Macdonald

I do not know where you get your info, but you don't know what your are
talking about. Many places pay the return shipping if they send you a
defective item. many of them offer you the choice of having a refund, or
exchange.

Names please!... with URLs of evidence! I have a *lot* of experience with
buying on-line from *discount* computer parts suppliers so yes... I *do*
know what I'm talking about - sounds to me like you don't. Again, NewEgg
*is* about as good as it gets.

The reason I told them to shove it was when I found they wanted me
to pay to return their defective item. I also had an order for some PC
memory on the way from them. That I refused, since I am done with them. if
"you" happen to like them, great.

Attitude problem maybe?.. doesn't help.:-( See last two words of my 1st
para above.

The way they do things is not the way
"any" on line dealers operate. They have the same attitude the phone Co.
used to have, "we don't care because we don't have to". I bought the
replacement from Wally. If It had been defective I could have returned it
for free, for either a exchange or refund of the FULL cost. Next time I need
something Wally does not have I will try others but never New Egg again. I'm
sure they could care less, but there is tons of places to buy from. I don't
need them.

Sounds like Wally World is err, your kinda store.:-)

--
Rgds, George Macdonald

"Keith" wrote in message
T...
In article ,
says...
"MissSouth" wrote in message
ups.com...
Dell, the computer-maker whose quality control and sales have been
SLIDING for more than 2 years, issues a recall of 4 million Sony-made
laptop batteries following fires and fears!

-----
While I am not impressed with Dell, I find it hard to blame them for
batteries made by Sony.

Don't discount the way they're used, in particular the charging
circuit/method.


Actually the reported failure mode has nothing to do with charging,
discharging or anything else.

In article ,
says...

"Keith" wrote in message
T...
In article ,
says...
"MissSouth" wrote in message
ups.com...
Dell, the computer-maker whose quality control and sales have been
SLIDING for more than 2 years, issues a recall of 4 million Sony-made
laptop batteries following fires and fears!

-----
While I am not impressed with Dell, I find it hard to blame them for
batteries made by Sony.

Don't discount the way they're used, in particular the charging
circuit/method.


Actually the reported failure mode has nothing to do with charging,
discharging or anything else.

It has to do with something! ;-) How batteries are treated has a
_lot_ to do with how they perform, or not.

--
Keith

On Tue, 22 Aug 2006 10:26:27 -0400, Keith wrote:

In article ,
says...

"Keith" wrote in message
T...
In article ,
says...
"MissSouth" wrote in message
ups.com...
Dell, the computer-maker whose quality control and sales have been
SLIDING for more than 2 years, issues a recall of 4 million Sony-made
laptop batteries following fires and fears!

-----
While I am not impressed with Dell, I find it hard to blame them for
batteries made by Sony.

Don't discount the way they're used, in particular the charging
circuit/method.


Actually the reported failure mode has nothing to do with charging,
discharging or anything else.

It has to do with something! ;-) How batteries are treated has a
_lot_ to do with how they perform, or not.

Sony has 'fessed up on this... apparently: a mfr fault with the battery
package where the final "crimping" of the coiled metal sheets caused
"shards" of metal (lithium ?) to get into the electrolyte and cause a short

--
Rgds, George Macdonald

"George Macdonald" wrote in
message ...
On Tue, 22 Aug 2006 10:26:27 -0400, Keith wrote:

In article ,
says...

"Keith" wrote in message
T...
In article ,
says...
"MissSouth" wrote in message
ups.com...
Dell, the computer-maker whose quality control and sales have
been
SLIDING for more than 2 years, issues a recall of 4 million
Sony-made
laptop batteries following fires and fears!

-----
While I am not impressed with Dell, I find it hard to blame them
for
batteries made by Sony.

Don't discount the way they're used, in particular the charging
circuit/method.


Actually the reported failure mode has nothing to do with charging,
discharging or anything else.

It has to do with something! ;-) How batteries are treated has a
_lot_ to do with how they perform, or not.

Sony has 'fessed up on this... apparently: a mfr fault with the battery
package where the final "crimping" of the coiled metal sheets caused
"shards" of metal (lithium ?) to get into the electrolyte and cause a
short

--
Rgds, George Macdonald

So why Dell laptops and not laptops in general? Are the batteries for
Dell laptops somehow of different internal construction than Powerbooks
or Thinkpads or Vaios or Toshiba or Winbook?