So it occured to me that I never got around to wrapping up the thread I started with My Day in H(D)ell, Dell Update Number 2,432,9400, and Dell Update Infinity.
It appears as if, for now anway, Dell cares about bloggers. Since I'm sure Dell is carefully scanning my blog, I thought I'd give a resolution to my battery issue.
First off - I never did get a call from Dell. I had been promised not one, but two calls. This wouldn't bug me so much if I hadn't spent more then 5 hours on the phone with them.
The battery is working great now - but mainly because I stopped using Remote Desktop Connection. Apparently it was using the heck out of the WiFi and draining the battery. Now I can get 2+ hours of usage which makes me quite happy. In fact, I used to work on my laptop every night until the battery died out. Now I find myself needing to put the laptop away or I'll work too much. (I know, I know, I should be focused on BlogCFC 4.0 - what can I say - I have a lift.)
So all in all - I'm happy I got the new battery - I'm happy I found a way to make it last a long time - but I'm very, very disappointed with Dell and I'm not sure if I'll buy with them again.