[LINK] Qantas bans Dell laptop batteries

[Ivan Trundle]

Who needs a cartel? Sony have indicated how much the battery recall  
will cost them (since they are wearing the cost), and back-of-the- 
envelope calculations show that each battery is worth (to them)  
around US$30.

No need to inform Linkers of how much us mug punters pay for them,  
but even given the supply chain, marketing, etc, there's already a  
healthy profit there - 500% markup notwithstanding.

iT

On 26/08/2006, at 10:52 AM, Howard Lowndes wrote:

> Nice thought, but they will probably form a cartel to lock up the  
> design in whatever form they can - copyright on case design,  
> patents on technology, trademark on name, or whatever they may deem  
> appropriate.
>
> Adam Todd wrote:
>> At 07:30 PM 25/08/2006, Ivan Trundle wrote:
>> And if Sony are unaffected by this (i.e. if *their* laptops are
>>> unexplodable), then the conspiracy theorists will suggest that it  
>>> was
>>> all a dastardly plot by them to increase market share at the expense
>>> of others.
>>>
>>> No wonder that Dell, Apple, Lenevo and HP are getting together to
>>> talk about developing a 'uniform laptop battery' and to sketch out a
>>> 'universal battery standard' in the coming weeks. I wonder if Sony
>>> will be invited to the party?
>> Ohhhh Does this mean an end to the proprietary standards of  
>> batteries?  Might we finally be on the path to a "one battery fits  
>> all" solution!
>> Might the consumer benefit from a product range that goes from 500  
>> differing types all costing hundreds to 1 product type costing  
>> 1/500th!