Apple's lithium-polymer battery purchases hindering other manufacturers

Apple supposedly has a lock on the touch panel market, and now it seems the Cupertino company is doing the same thing in the Lithium-polymer battery market. According to Digitimes, Apple has bought up most of the available supply of Lithium-polymer batteries used in notebook computers and mobile devices. This is causing other manufacturers, like HP and Acer, to scramble to find new suppliers.

Apple's stronghold on the market should have a limited effect on the bottom line of other hardware manufacturers as only a few models use this battery technology.The lithium-polymer battery is more expensive than traditional Lithium-ion batteries, and Apple is the only manufacturer that has adopted it throughout its product line.