Aluminum Macbook Pro Battery

[sidechain]

I have a late 2008 15" macbook pro that I've had for about 1.5 years now. At the moment the battery is completely useless, service battery indicator appears, and the laptop shuts down within 1-5 min. of taking it off AC power but shows 97% charge. The battery has 201 cycles and was properly used while it was functioning.

Anyways, I planned on replacing the battery yesterday and decided to call the Apple store to make sure they had the battery in stock. Good thing I called because it turns out they did not have the battery, along with any other Apple store within a 100 mile radius. I then check the online Apple store and the battery shows shipping will take 2-3 weeks. I also checked the online MacMall store and called their retail locations, which conveniently happen to be out as well. hmmmm...

Something seems a little fishy to me. If you check the online apple store reviews, almost all of them report similar problems with the battery. I am going to take a guess and say that Apple knows there is an issue and is attempting to fix it. This is really bad timing for me because I now have a desktop computer for a 6 hour flight.

 

[kernkraft]

I have a late 2008 15" macbook pro that I've had for about 1.5 years now. At the moment the battery is completely useless, service battery indicator appears, and the laptop shuts down within 1-5 min. of taking it off AC power but shows 97% charge. The battery has 201 cycles and was properly used while it was functioning.

Anyways, I planned on replacing the battery yesterday and decided to call the Apple store to make sure they had the battery in stock. Good thing I called because it turns out they did not have the battery, along with any other Apple store within a 100 mile radius. I then check the online Apple store and the battery shows shipping will take 2-3 weeks. I also checked the online MacMall store and called their retail locations, which conveniently happen to be out as well. hmmmm...

Something seems a little fishy to me. If you check the online apple store reviews, almost all of them report similar problems with the battery. I am going to take a guess and say that Apple knows there is an issue and is attempting to fix it. This is really bad timing for me because I now have a desktop computer for a 6 hour flight.

Those batteries are rubbish. I have one of those unibodies, a 15" 2.53GHz one with dual graphics. With moderate use, I get an hour use out of the battery, which is a disgrace from a computer that cost so much.

Have you checked third-party ones?

 

[sidechain]

Have you checked third-party ones?

I looked but haven't seen any reliable ones I want to risk buying. I'm open to recommendations but i've read some reviews of 3rd-party batteries frying people's HD's so not sure if that's something I want to risk.

 

[zero85ZEN]

This thread instills so much confidence in me...check my sig. LOL! Also, just think what fun it will be when Apple starts having these kinds of problems with non user serviceable batteries....

I guess issues like these are one of the reasons I've always got a back-up MBP on hand (I'm self-employed doing video production so it's pretty important that I never end up without a means to continue editing even on the go).

EDIT: Sorry OP, I don't have any useful info on a third party replacement...I'd be leery of them as well though.... The new MBA would be a nice traveling computer... But seriously, good luck finding something that will work, I'd be ticked off if I was in your shoes.