My pre-"x" 60 series doesn't handle fresh lithium totally properly either. Now that I think more about it, I'm guessing it's the reset chip that gets a signal for over- (or under-) voltage from the regulator, and shuts the unit down. But I obviously don't know...

Thing is, quality alkaline have a shelf life of easily 7 or 8 years (practically speaking), and they last so long in these units anyway compared to batteries in the "old days" of GPS. Perhaps lithium are not a cost-effective choice here? These units have very low drain compared to a camera where lithium are great.