As recalls fly fast-and-furious from laptop manufacturers who used certain models of Sony batteries, concerns are mounting that these recalls, and the subsequent disposal of yet-unshipped laptop batteries could create a shortage this holiday season.  Sony can only produce so many batteries in time for Christmas, and with manufacturers like Dell, HP, Gateway and Apple having dumped significant portions of their previous battery inventory, they may not be able to meet the demand. 

Even rival battery makers might not be able to make up the shortfall, in part due to a lack of standardization in battery manufacturing, making it hard for a rival to produce identical batteries.