<b>PowerBook 3400 battery problem; Apple replies

Reports have been bouncing around for the past several weeks about a problem with running a PowerBook 3400 on battery power. In brief, the problem is that the 3400 will sometimes shut down (when running on battery power) if pressure is applied to the case, usually while typing. When this happens, the only way to restart the computer is to plug in the AC adapter. Apple has now given an official reply to this, on its Portable Computers Discussion Board:

"This problem has cropped up on some machines but not on all of them, by any means. Apple engineering is working on the problem and we expect a solution in a few weeks. While a number of home made or 'field fixes' have been posted, it is important to realize that the engineering team needs to test out avariety of options and must test these to make sure it not on resolves the problem but does not cause any additional problems such as peeling off and jamming, etc. that these other home remedies may experience. I apologize for the delay, but you must realize that the 'quick fix' may not be the best."