Here's a company that doesn't want to end up like Dell.

Apple has initiated a worldwide battery exchange program for certain rechargeable batteries that were sold for use with 15-inch MacBook Pro laptops from February 2006 through May 2006. The company recently discovered that some 15-inch MacBook Pro batteries supplied to Apple don't meet their standards for battery performance.

The affected batteries have model number A1175 and a 12-digit serial number that ends with U7SA, U7SB or U7SC. To check if your MacBook is equipped with the batteries in question, just take out your MacBook's battery and check the serial numbers located above the battery's barcode. If you've recently bought an extra battery for your MacBook Pro, check the serial numbers on those babies too.

An exchange form is available in the Support section of the Apple website. You can exchange up to three batteries using the form, and if you need to exchange more than three batteries, you can call Apple. Contact numbers are also listed in the website.

This exchange program is free of charge.