Dell, HP confronting laptop battery shortage

A fire at a South Korean plant is contributing to a worldwide pinch in the supply of batteries. PC makers are still sorting out the repercussions.
(From Reuters)

The story "Dell, HP confronting laptop battery shortage" published March 26, 2008 at 10:20 AM is no longer available on CNET News.

Content from Reuters expires after 30 days.

[fred dunn]

Ironic, laptops catch fire now the factory

Just one more reason to not totally depend on offshore sources.
Isn't it convenient how when the price of a commodity goes lower there is some catastrophic event that drives the prices up. In the past it has included memory makers but the common thread is that they are all offshore.

[k2dave]

common thread is that they are all offshore.

The common thread is really that catastrophic events that effect the prices happen in areas where they manufacture the product, which, chances are, are going to be oversees.- BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE IT IS MADE.

Could it be that the reason that the common thread is that all the places that have catastrophic events that raise prices are offshore may just be because that's where most of the stuff is made today? Also perhaps they are made in places where wages are low and so are safety standards?

Is there a US manufacture that makes laptop batteries at all anymore? If not how is one suppose to catch fire and effect the global market?

We in the US also have catastrophic events that vastly effect prices on things made here, look at the hurricane that hit the area of our oil refineries that boosted the price from $1.50/gal to over $3/gal almost overnight.

[NeedbatteryUS]

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[TheManInDboX]

Boo hoo the outsourcers are going to loose money... cry me a river...