Sony Finally Takes Some Responsibility


In a belated attempt at taking some responsibility for the mess it has created with its dangerous LiION laptop batteries, Sony has publicly urged PC manufacturers to recall even more of the batteries, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

Lenovo/IBM were the latest victims of the recall last week, with some IBM ThinkPads, for example, which were fitted with the suspect Sony batteries, subject to the recall.

Dell recalled 4.1 million - plus another 100,000 in addition to the original recall - Apple over 1.8 Millon and Toshiba more than 800,000. The tally to this point is around 7 million. Fujitsu and Panasonic are among other users of the batteries (oddly, Gateway has not said whether they have used Sony batteries in their laptops. But they aren't obliged to). HP says it is investigating the Sony units in its laptops, but is not yet certain how many might be affected.

Sony would not - and apparently cannot - disclose which laptop makers it supplies. Oddly enough, a Sony Vaio that caught fire recently wasn't using a Sony battery.

According to this report, it will cost Sony $170 million to $257 million to replace the Dell and Apple batteries.

Oddly enough, Japan's Economics Ministry sent Apple Japan a 'please explain' for its Sony battery problems a few weeks ago. On the other hand, a Ministry spokesperson said that Sony was 'doing its best' and that the Japanese company 'would not be pressed for a report'.

Analysis: Sensing the irony in that final quotation?