Generic laptop batteries -- safe?

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Hey guys,

I am all for buying generic products in general, when the price is right and there is good reason to believe the product will be very close in quality to the name-brand (e.g., aspirin, non-Scotch tape, supermarket-brand herbs and spices, computer RAM).
However, I am a bit leery about buying generic batteries, especially for expensive equipment like my IBM ThinkPad. My primary concern is not that the battery won't hold a charge as well (although this is a small concern), but rather that it will actually damage my laptop. Is there a general consensus about whether it's safe to buy generic laptop batteries? Or do they tend to 'splode? (Or otherwise cause harm).