A Coppertop In Every Laptop?

Ronald E. Compton, Aetna Life & Casualty Co.'s chief executive, hates the 10 pounds of spare batteries he has to lug around with his laptop computer. He carries them because if his main batteries won't take a recharge, he can't just run to a store for replacements. They're a unique size, fitting only his Compaq Lite 4/25C. So his staff has to get them from a computer store or call Compaq. It's a pain Compton can't avoid. His laptop, he says, is "my one-on-one way of communicating with people."

The same inconvenience afflicts owners of about 150 other models of laptop computers, cellular phones, power tools, video cameras, and other portable devices that use nonstandard rechargeables. And not only are the batteries hard to get but they're expensive: up to $300, nearly twice the price for standard batteries that perform the same functions.