Removing swollen battery

Hi All-
The battery on my MacbookPro 15 (late '08) is badly swollen, and it's been causing trackpad issues. A new battery is arriving today from Apple. In the meantime, I wanted to remove the old one, but can't get it out. I'm afraid that I'll break the plastic pull tab. Does anyone have any advice on how to get the old one out without damaging the computer? Thanks!

If the battery is stuck in the cavity due to it being swollen, it may damage your MBP if you force it out, or, as you say the pull tab may snap. I would take it to your nearest Apple store or Apple authorized dealer repair and have them remove it for you. The folks at the Apple store will likely not charge for removing the battery but I don't know that for sure, so be prepared to pay.

Thanks for the advice. Much appreciated.
--V