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Dell batteries don’t have a long life and often they start failing after 1 or 1.5 years, i.e., just after the usual warranty period is over. After this, they give just 10-15 minutes of backup with continuous red-green blinking battery indicator warning. So, you go hunting for a replacement. You look at the Dell battery prices and boy are they pricey. Then you also see several third party batteries with almost half the price. Thats compelling. The laptop is old as well to be investing so much into it. So, some like me would go ahead and buy the third party battery. Does it work out? Most of the times NO. Can something be done about it now that you have already purchased it? NO, except for returning it and buying a Dell battery. And I think you should complain about this to Dell (details at the end of the article).

Some of these third party batteries only work for some models, only for a certain batch of laptops. And for most, it doesn’t work. Dell refuses to charge these batteries saying it’s not a Dell battery. And blocks out the ones that work in newer versions. Ridiculous? You bet.

I looked around everywhere I could, for a solution. It was just hard to believe that someone, as reputed as Dell, would actively block other batteries from being used. But there are no solutions. Sorry. In my case I wasn’t able to return my third party battery. So it’s a dead brick to me now and I lost money trying to be smart about saving some.

When you boot your laptop, you get this message saying: “The model number for the primary battery cannot be determined. This will prevent any battery present from charging. Please insert a Dell battery for best system operation.”

We Have Band

Still, hoping that it’s a generic message and they aren’t really serious about it.. you go ahead and continue to boot… but you know what, they are totally serious about it.

Does Dell mention anywhere that no third party battery is allowed to be used? Does it mention anywhere that they are being actively blocked? NO. Not until you actually buy one and use it.

You also cannot use third party power adapter to charge your Dell laptops. Again Dell refuses to charge your batteries. And the Dell supplied power adapters, split open at the same place for most users. At the junction where you connect the power adapter to the power socket, the junction is weak and splits open… and after a while goes broke. So be careful as to not bend / twist it too much at that junction, which usually happens if you change postures many times, lying on couch, etc., and the power socket is behind you. A more elaborate description about it’s cause and a possible solution (if you are brave enough to break open the circuitry and solder) is here: http://www.laptops-battery.co.uk/blog/dell-ac-power-adapter-type-cannot-be-determined-solution/

So, what Dell does is something cunning. BIOS upgrades wont cut it. It’s all in the power circuitry of the laptop. Dell sells their laptops for a slightly lower price. But locks you in permanently with their low quality batteries (their power backup and life is lower compared to competitors like HP) which die just a while after warranty expires. You can’t choose anyone except them for the batteries and power adapter. This was a rude WTF moment for me and for many many others who have had the same problem.

Another outcome of this stupidity is that the circuitry involved in checking for Dell batteries isn’t robust enough, and sometimes even Dell batteries suddenly, out-of-the-blue, start failing this check. Suddenly they stop being recognized as Dell batteries and stop charging. And you’ll have to buy a new battery anyway, even if the battery can be charged fine. See here for some samples of frustration with this problem: http://en.community.dell.com/forums/p/18961707/19531733.aspx

Do I hate Dell now? Not really. Would I buy Dell again? Sure. Their offering is compelling to me despite this treachery. And I suggest Dell to many of my friends with a warning about this battery problem.

If you are looking to replace your Dell battery / power adapter, do yourself a favor and don’t buy a third party one. Even though they are of higher quality and from reputed companies. Dell doesn’t want you to buy them.

We Have Band

If you think that this is bad behavior on Dell’s part, that it is not acceptable and that they need to rectify it in their future models, let them know. I have opened a request on Dell’s official feature request website IdeaStorm. Please vote it up. Dell has never responded to this problem in their support forums. There is also a similar request made for the power adapters. Please Vote it up. It requires an account, which is easy to create.

Finally, WTF Dell?

A few days back Shahrukh Khan got on to twitter and has been posting a tweet now and then… The latest one is interesting:

   shahrukh_khan: When two rivers cross, do they actually meet?

Now what is your first reaction to this? Mine was:

Gaah, what was that?

I thought for a while, but didn’t know what to respond with… I thought it would be fun to see how others respond to it… and it really was fun

Here they are:

• 

  supersam5: @shahrukh_khan More like they embrace and begin a journey together.

• 

  athick2: @shahrukh_khan does it really matter? When 2 seas meet they don’t mix (science in Quran)

• 

  dineshbabu: @shahrukh_khan Rivers will have to meet, in order to cross. We meet people as we cross their lives.

• 

  theenmusketeers: Is SRK crowd sourcing screenplay work by asking varied hatke responses? RT @shahrukh_khan: When two rivers cross, do they actually meet?

• 

  jun6lee: @shahrukh_khan In the end they have to. How long can they not? [सुर से सुर जब मिलता है, इसको कहेते है सर्गम ~ राम-जाने]

• 

  aarjav: @shahrukh_khan only if they flow together for a while. Bt even when they don’t, the waters tht separate are not the same as the ones tht met

• 

  LokeshAwasthy: @shahrukh_khan if you want to believe, why not! ( i do )

• 

  akohli: @shahrukh_khan yes; that’s the confluence point or sangam.

• 

  RajaSen: @shahrukh_khan When a superstar is cross, does he actually tweet?

• 

  shreyankg: @shahrukh_khan Two rivers never cross, they meet! And we have a larger river!

• 

  pavanaja: @shahrukh_khan Do rivers cross? They normally join

• 

  shrikhande: @shahrukh_khan yes, not only do they meet, they mix with each others like 2 lovers

• 

  sujeet: @shahrukh_khan Yes. Unless one’s an underground river.

• 

  shahpar_selim: @shahrukh_khan no they dont. two rivers only meet when they merge. when they cross, they part after a while.

• 

  Clochette1948: @shahrukh_khan Not ‘meet’. It’s a joining where fusion takes place and a parting where each will take along elements of the other.

• >

  sushobhan: @shahrukh_khan They embrace, exchange fluids and move on to their tomorrows.

• 

  SeshuThePhotog: @shahrukh_khan Isn’t that what "sangam" means? Two rivers crossing, meeting, becoming one.

• 

  Kaylias: @shahrukh_khan Just like people. They meet, and when they leave they leave a part of them with the other. =)

• 

  ravijain1984: @shahrukh_khan They not only meet but go on creating something that didn’t even existed before they met

• 

  jannat01: @shahrukh_khan It’s just a matter of time, but they’ll do, because their reason what they’re there for is the same – flow.

• 

  jannat01: @shahrukh_khan I think, they somehow do, because their reason what they´re there for is the same – flow.

• 

  avra83: @shahrukh_khan…it should hypothetically..wrt 2 rivers..btw what was the connotation..and do u check ur @replies

• 

  Koliah: @shahrukh_khan Depends on the raindrops, falling in this rivers, like each other.

• 

  suryasnair: @shahrukh_khan they just say "Dude, see you @ the sea!" and run. The ocean is where the meetings happen…

• 

  purvapar: @shahrukh_khan I think they meet, merge and separate.. each one taking memories of the other when they do.

• 

  glaksh: @shahrukh_khan Technically are they still two rivers after they meet? :p

• 

  ShahRukhFanClub: RT @shahrukh_khan When two rivers cross, do they actually meet?

• 

  Shaheema: @shahrukh_khan Nope, they don’t meet. The three rivers in Kanyakumari are clearly separated. That’s the beauty of nature.

• 

  Srkfreak: @shahrukh_khan Dont known !! I think they Dont !

• 

  cornelia_: @shahrukh_khan They meet in the ocean at every point of time. Whishing you the very best always! Love & Peace

• 

  giusippe: @shahrukh_khan need more updates from u!!!

• 

  BlakeyBoy12: @shahrukh_khan take Pakistan and India as being rivers, have they ever met? So i assume not!

• 

  abhiomkar: @shahrukh_khan very difficult question

• 

  shaktijs: @shahrukh_khan they meet and lose themselves in each other. That’s the beauty…

Whats your answer to SRK’s question?

Professor is six minutes late.

Venu wrote a nice post presenting his hypothesis to explain the decline in enthusiasm with regards to studies among the undergrad students. 

It was a great read and a good topic to contemplate on. Go read his post to understand what exactly I’m responding to. 

The “pecking order” might be one of the factors. But I’m not entirely convinced. I think the “social proof” factor which he mentioned at the end of the post is a much more important factor. The definition of “cool” changes from year to year.

Take for example, the gamers in third and final years, the hierarchy was well known, still the enthu was never down. There were many surprise new entrants once in a while fighting their way up. Also, take for example, the enthu level in pre-graduation days. i.e, the primary, high school, etc., classes. The hierarchy is pretty much set and stagnant there. But the enthu isn’t exactly on a decline year on year.

I think most of the people who enter graduation know all too well not to accept their positions in the hierarchy as a given. So, I don’t think it’s got much to do with competition.

I think students don’t exactly know what is expected of them (percentage marks) when they enter first year. So they try to get roughly as much as in their pre-grad days. But with time, as they settle down, they come to accept that 70% is also an okay marks and everybody else is taken that much anyway, so theres nothing much to feel ashamed about. There just isn’t much pressure to perform. So, only the truly interested stick on, while others move on to finding their interests or just realize their lack of interest. Many of them aren’t in it by choice anyway. Most wanted to be done with it asap.

There always has been a big percentage gap between the toppers and the average junta…. even if they have accepted their place in the hierarchy, there should have been some attempts to close the gap. Theres also not much effort to differentiate in the crowded ranges, because an hierarchy just didn’t matter in that range.

There were many other factors too for decreasing interest in studies, like the quality of teachers, better knowledge of “what matters”, desire to have girl friends and be cool etc., 

What do you think? Why was YOUR enthu on a decline?

Maa tells me this when ever she reads a news item about someone getting mugged and beaten to death on lonely Bangalore road at night

Avoid going outside late nights and in lonely places.

Maa tells me this when ever there is a terrorist attack anywhere:

Avoid going to crowded places.

When I point this out to her or when she reads about horrowing house theft stories in paper she tells:

It’s nowhere safe anymore. Only way out is to return to our village to live peacefully again.

I think she is right. But we are not returning to our village either.