Apple announces recall of 1.8 million laptop batteries

Apple Computer is following the lead of Dell and recalling 1.8 million laptop batteries supplied by Sony Corp., saying the batteries are a fire hazard.

The move Thursday follows Dell's recall of 4.1 million batteries two weeks ago. Those batteries were also built by Sony.

Apple says it has received nine reports of batteries overheating, including reports of two customers who sufferedminor burns from overheated computers. The company has also received reports of minor property damage. No serious injuries have been reported.

The recalls are the two biggestin computer and electronics manufacturing history, said the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Apple will recall 1.1 million lithium-ion batteries sold in the U.S. and 700,000 sold elsewhere.

The batteries were sold with 12-inch iBook G4, 12-inch PowerBook G4 and 15-inch PowerBook G4 laptop computers from October 2003 through August 2006, according to the safety commission.

Apple has asked consumers to checkits website — support.apple.com/batteryprogram/— to discover whether they own a battery that's been recalled.

The battery models recalled are:

• A1061 with serial numbers ZZ338 to ZZ427, 3K429to 3K611 and 6C519 to 6C552.
• A1079 with serial numbers ZZ411to ZZ427 and 3K428to 3K611.
• A1078 and A1148 with serial numbers 3K425 to 3K601, 6N530to 6N551 and 6N601.

Also on Thursday, Japan's Trade Ministry ordered Sony Corp. and Dell Inc. to investigate the trouble involving Sony batteries that caused the Dell recall.

The ministry said Sony and Dell must report on their findings and say how they will prevent future problems by the endof August or face a fine under Japan's consumer safety laws.