Dell, others cope with battery shortage

Dell and multiple other top-tier PC makers today said they were facing the extended effects of a shortage of notebook batteries. Following a fire earlier this month at an LG Chem factory, Dell has encouraged it to boost prices of additional lithium-ion battery packs in an effort to preserve their reduced supply. There were no immediate plans to raise prices for regular systems, though the company would prefer not to offer a definitive statement, according to spokesman Jess Blackburn.

Other companies also note that they are affected, according to reports. ASUS has already revealed that as many as 40 percent of its portables would be affected this quarter and that the Eee PC would particularly suffer from the reduced supply, while Hewlett-Packard added that it was "aggressively working" with other companies to ensure a steady supply.

LG's battery group is second only to Samsung in Korea for production and competes closely with its Japanese rival Sony, which may lead to greater issues for other notebook manufacturers that have not yet stepped forward. Notebook makers like Apple and Lenovo are not immediately expected to be touched by the issue as the both have been known to use Sony-made lithium-ion packs in the past.

Filed under: Apple, computers, industry
Other story tags: Dell, LG, HP, Lenovo