To be fair to Dell, this is a problem with several laptop makers' batts. I learned more than I ever imagined about batts 7 years ago when I got into Radio Controlled Trucks with our son. I even built high performance batt packs for some NASCAR drivers (Jeff Gordon, Steve Park) and BattleBots!

The reality is that Lithium Ion batts carry a lot of power but are generally speaking, lower cost/quality than other types of batts. I have a Dell D410 with one batt made in Korea and one made in China. Guess which is the higher quality batt? They are both supposed to be 4800mAH but the one from Korea is higher - I estimate 5500mAH based on performance. The one from China is much less than 4800mAH even though I baby it and have "treated it" to increase capacity.

I don't blame Dell, but hope that their getting bit makes all manufacturers reconsider buying from lower quality suppliers.

BTW, if you want to see some photos and specs of one of my custom made trucks, click here