[rocky2]

Because having owned a Pismo, iBook and 1.3 GHz PowerBook as well as a no-brand PC laptop, I am sick of running around trying to find bloody power outlets for laptops. Let's all be honest, battery life still SUCKS big time and we are still stuck with ancient battery technologies. Years ago, companies like Toshiba, Panasonic, etc., were promising fuel cells next year and they are still promising them next year—a bit like Free Beer Tomorrow signs in a pub.
When Apple come out with a methanol fuel-cell powered laptop that gives a genuine 12 hours on a single charge, then I will buy another laptop. Until then, I'll stick with the Macs I have and keep searching for power outlets.

[uicandrew]

why not for the reason of ergonomics? when you're using a laptop, you're bending your neck slightly instead of looking straight ahead with a desktop.

i had a powerbook for 2-3 weeks. after using an iCurve all the time, i figured it was ridiculous to pay such a high premium (beyond the "premium" of using an Apple) for a laptop when I was using it like a desktop. having all the cables taking up so much space on my desk made it hard for me to do non-computing tasks and computing at the same time.

in terms of battery life, i think it'll be very difficult to get significantly higher battery life. I mean, the battery in the macbook is the same physical size as the 17" powerbook, yet uses a new technology (Li-poly) that hasn't been used in the powerbook. However, we're also putting in a new brighter display that's the same brightness as an Apple Cinema Display. Of course, the power per watt advantage of the Intel chips is probably what is keeping the battery life on par with the G4 powerbooks.

I mean, imagine trying to power an apple cinema display off of a battery! let alone adding a hard drive, memory, wifi, bluetooth, etc.

[analogika]

I'm happy to say that your problems don't concern me.

I will rush out to buy my next laptop when Apple comes out with a smaller-size dual-core MacBook pro.

[jamil5454]

So... with a desktop you don't need an outlet?

[Maflynn]

You may be in for a long wait and are some what unreasonable in your expectations. Prototyping a possible design and implementing it for mass marketing are two different things. Right now most people are content with the battery life - they'd like more but accept the 3+ hour battery.

If you don't travel then a laptop makes little sense so a Powermac/iMac may be a better fit for you. As a photographer, the laptop goes with me regardless of the battery life.

[danonamac]

My PC laptops have not been as good as my Powerbook. The last PC laptop battery lasted about 40 minutes. It was a Boxx computer, fast as hell, had two hard drives in it (RAID), tons of RAM, and weighed in at 16 pounds. Try lugging that through the airport.

The Powerbook lasts 3 hours plus, and is 5 or 6 pounds. It does not perform as fast, but it performs better. In the long run - that's more important.

You shouldn't sit in front of any computer more than 3 hours anyway

[Hachimachi]

3 hours? Try telling that to a computer science student.

[fisherKing]

running a thread like this in a laptop forum invites criticism.
here's mine -

battery life is what it is right now; you can always carry a spare.
but, if a laptop is (or feels) essential, then you have to use it in the real world.

i wouldn't give up my 12" powerbook for anything (except maybe a 12" or 13" macbook pro, but that's another story).

i get 4.5 hours or so on mine; i get a lot of work done, then plug in somewhere & charge my battery; at the worst, a break (which i need more of anyway).

if it's not working for you, get an imac or a desktop and get on with it.

WHEN batteries improve, we'll welcome you back to the "laptop" forum.

[danonamac]

To clarify, I'm running 3D modeling and animation software on mine. These apps are taxing on the system, as are computer science programs, I'm sure.

[schalliol]

So you just wanted to make a statement about which computers don't make sense for you? Hmm. Gee, I don't think I'll buy an iMac because I have existing monitors and want expansion. World, take notice, iMACs ARE NOT THE COMPUTER FOR ME!

[TailsToo]

My battery life is ok - I can be away from an outlet when i want, and the plug is pretty small so I can use it pretty much where I want without having to carry much more... plus I can plug my monitor and other items into my PowerBook and it's like a desktop.

[schalliol]

There's this neat thing to that portables provide, user swapable batteries! In moments you're ready to go with a new full charge! The only thing that would be nice is a way to keep a second battery charged, which we could do on the old 100+ series PBs with third-party battery chargers.

[Hachimachi]

Yeah, I hate that 18.5 hour commute from Singapore to Newark. My battery always dies in the middle of the Pacific.

[schalliol]

Yeah, fortunately there are power supplies for airplanes as well as cases of batteries.

[rocky2]

You all miss the point.
As I wrote, I have a 1.3 12" PB (maxed out with RAM and a 160 GB Momentus drive) and that will remain good enough for me because relatively small real-world speed increases when using a laptop for mundane non-processor intensive tasks when travelling are not a compelling enough reason to pay $3500 for a new laptop yet. The item that holds me back from buying is battery life and Apple, Dell and all the rest should shift some focus onto improving it dramatically. CPU speeds have seen order of magnitude increases almost every 18 months but battery life has been stuck at 3 or 4 hours for a decade and that needs to change. The technology (with very high energy density) to do this is the methanol fuel cell and there have been working prototypes in labs for 3 or more years with promises of commercialization next year and then next year and then next year. But next year never comes (for some good reasons I guess).
For heavy lifting, I'll still be using use a dual G5 at home (plugged to a wall socket!).

[ibook_steve]

Fuel cell technology is not even close to being commercial. Where do you hear "next year, next year?" If you can post a link, please do. If you want to help, instead of complaining about it, do research and learn about battery technology. Learn chemistry and materials science and come up with your own ideas for solving the problem. If the battery problem is such an issue and you don't want to do this research, sticking with your G5 is probably the best thing to do.


Steve

[schalliol]

Yeah, I think we get it. A better thread might be, "Frustration Over Lack of Recent Battery Improvement."

They're working on it, it's just not there yet.

[x_Estranged_x]

At work (an FE college) we have 16 G4 iBooks and we have virtually no problems with them. I can teach a class all day 9 - 4, without any battery issues as long as they are charged for an hour at lunch. That's the same whether we're doing some word processing or doing some editing in iMovie. That's the finest battery life i've ever found.

R.

[rocky2]

OK, here you are. This was on the web in April 2004 (almost 2 years ago). There are plenty more where it came from.

Yes, I am frustrated with laptops over this battery issue and rightly so. Apple (remember SJ said 2005 was the year of the laptop) and the other makers need to shift a LITTLE focus from obsession with CPU performance and battery saving towards power technologies--they might even do iPod users a favor too.

And when you get your MacBookPros in a week or so, don't start whining in this forum that they hardly have enough battery life to play a 2-hour DVD!

As to learning chemistry, etc., been there, done that and got a PhD too. Now spending my time in Japan making sure your 3G phones work like you hope they will.

Snip------------

Samsung Readies Portable Fuel Cell

 

Device could provide 10 hours of power to a notebook computer.


Martyn Williams, IDG News Service

Tuesday, April 06, 2004


Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, the research and development arm of South Korea's Samsung Electronics, has successfully developed a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC), the company says.




Advertisement






Direct methanol fuel cells mix methanol with air and water to produce electrical power and are viewed by many as a potential successor to Lithium-Ion and other batteries used in devices such as notebook personal computers and other portable electronics devices.


Many major electronics companies are developing DMFCs, and Samsung says its new fuel cell could allow a notebook computer to run for 10 hours on a 100 cubic centimeter cartridge of methanol.



Coming Soon?


For all its promise, DMFCs are yet to appear on the market although NEC has said it expects to commercialize a product for notebook computers sometime in 2004.


DMFCs for smaller devices like mobile telephones or PDAs are being developed now and are expected sometime within the next one to three years, according to estimates from companies developing the technology.


A lot of the development work surrounds the membrane at the heart of the fuel cell and the catalyst employed. Miniaturizing the DMFC and extending its life means using a higher concentration of methanol, although that has caused problems with the membrane and some wastage of methanol.


Samsung says its fuel cell uses a new membrane that halts more than 90 percent of methanol crossover and also uses a catalyst made of mesoporous carbon, cutting by half the amount of catalyst required.



Product Plans


Alongside Samsung and NEC, several other companies have recently announced breakthroughs in DMFC technology and begun talking about plans for commercialization of the devices.


Toshiba is planning a DMFC-based recharger for devices as an initial step before commercialization of DMFCs small enough to replace batteries in portable products, while Hitachi is developing a DMFC-based PDA.


Fujitsu also recently announced development of a new membrane for DMFCs.


Samsung says it has been invited to present details of its DMFC at the International Conference of Small Fuel Cell, scheduled to be held in Arlington, Virginia, in May this year.

[mduell]

6 hours of battery life is enough that I don't feel like I'm running from outlet to outlet; 12 would be nice, but the 6 I get makes me happy. Now if only Apple would release a laptop where you can easily replace the optical drive with another battery...

[rocky2]

And this time, we might see it by 2007! How many times in the last 4 years have I reade this same story over but the technology never makes it to market.

Clipped from BBC reporting on Ceebit

Soon you could be running your laptop computer all day without a recharge as commercial versions of fuel cells go on sale.

At the Cebit technology fair in Hanover, Taiwanese hi-tech firm Antig said its fuel cells should be on the shelves of computer shops by early 2007.

The first versions of the methanol-using units should keep a laptop going for up to nine hours.

Fuel cell technology got a boost recently when international air flight regulators changed rules that banned passengers from carrying flammable methanol onto aircraft.

Linnet Tsai, deputy marketing manager for Antig, said the first fuel cells to go on sale would marry familiar lithium-ion batteries with the methanol-based technology.

Instead of storing power, fuel cells generate electricity by breaking down methanol via an electrochemical process.

The fuel cells can be recharged by topping them up with methanol from a cartridge.

These "hybrid" devices will work with existing laptops and will fit into the media bay - typically the location of the CD/DVD drive.

Laws changing

Ms Tsai said its manufacturing partner was currently evaluating the finished product - a process that could take up to six months.

Preparing sales channels and the delivery system so consumers find it easy to get hold of methanol cartridges will take a few more months.


The regulations are coming along, the product is coming along and the third part with the infrastructure for the cartridges is coming along too
Linnet Tsai, Antig
But she was hopeful that Antig fuel cells would be on sale by early 2007.

She added that international air travel laws would limit the attractiveness of fuel cells before that date.

"There used to be restrictions on passengers to take methanol on flights," said Ms Tsai.

But, she explained, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) recently changed its guidelines to allow passengers to take methanol cartridges with them when they travel.

Ms Tsai said the change in regulations come into force in January 2007.

"The regulations are coming along, the product is coming along and the third part with the infrastructure for the cartridges is coming along, too," Ms Tsai added.

[skyman]

Originally Posted by analogika

I'm happy to say that your problems don't concern me.

I will rush out to buy my next laptop when Apple comes out with a smaller-size dual-core MacBook pro.

Amen brother!

[romeosc]

Originally Posted by analogika

I'm happy to say that your problems don't concern me.

I will rush out to buy my next laptop when Apple comes out with a smaller-size dual-core MacBook pro.

NO I want the 17" or even a 19"!

I want a transportable.... vs laptop.

Many people like me just carry them to 2 locations and then use like a desktop..... There is
room for all of us!

[hldan]

Originally Posted by rocky2

You all miss the point.
As I wrote, I have a 1.3 12" PB (maxed out with RAM and a 160 GB Momentus drive) and that will remain good enough for me because relatively small real-world speed increases when using a laptop for mundane non-processor intensive tasks when travelling are not a compelling enough reason to pay $3500 for a new laptop yet. The item that holds me back from buying is battery life and Apple, Dell and all the rest should shift some focus onto improving it dramatically. CPU speeds have seen order of magnitude increases almost every 18 months but battery life has been stuck at 3 or 4 hours for a decade and that needs to change. The technology (with very high energy density) to do this is the methanol fuel cell and there have been working prototypes in labs for 3 or more years with promises of commercialization next year and then next year and then next year. But next year never comes (for some good reasons I guess).
For heavy lifting, I'll still be using use a dual G5 at home (plugged to a wall socket!).

Somehow I feel the need to straighten you out on the this matter. You are taking this battery issue stuff way too far when you should be giving Apple credit for it's battery life. Here's is a link to just one of Sony's Vaio notebooks that have battery life that will make you cringe. Scroll down the specs page and towards the bottom you will see that this lovely Pentium M 2.0Ghz sports a nice long battery life of 1.5-2.5 hrs. I'm sure it's worse than that on high settings. What portable device that you know of that generates a tremendous about of heat and powers up a backlight and has parts that are motor driven and runs on battery for hours and hours on end? The iPod even drains battery life fast. Stop complaining.

http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTE...me=specs&var2=

[lizardgator]

Battery life is the reason I'm thinking of getting a Thinkpad T60p instead of a MacBook Pro. With the 9 cell battery it gets about 6 hours battery up time and together with the ultrabay secondary battery up to 9 hours. I have come to the conclusion that battery life is one of the most important things to me in a notebook computer, and as nice as the MacBook Pro is it's battery life just doesn't cut it. It might be the first time in 4 years that I don't have an Apple laptop.

[mrmister]

Man, people here can be dense. rocky2 offends you for some reason, but he's right--battery life is very important, and currently the entire computer industry is much more centered on desktop level performance in a laptop. He wishes instead they'd concentrate on making a longer living battery?

What's wrong with that opinion? It doesn't even remotely sound crazy to me--I wish my current AlBook lasted twice as long. He's right that it hasn't been a focus for computer makers, though partly that's the public's fault--forums like these are whores for speed, speed, speed over battery life. We all know that's true. And that's what the industry adjusts itself to compete on. Apple has traditionally done a good job with battery life--but only by comparison. No computer maker has really leapt ahead of the pack.

OTOH, battery tech is a lot harder to innovate than microprocessors--you can't just design new power sources the way you do chips, by shrinking the die, you have to actually find new sources of power, or innovate them into ways to release more electricity while remaining stable when not in use. It's very hard engineering.

Fuel cells are very promising, even though we all wish they were already here. The nice thing is, your "vow" isn't all that much of a threat--you have a G5 AND a 1.3 gig G4 laptop, right? Well, you shouldn't need to upgrade for a long, long time--and by the time you do, I think there will be new battery options finally available.

[yticolev]

Battery life is easy, just make a laptop with a battery five times the size! In fact, there are accessory batteries that are just that. I've read of at least two such products, never seen anyone use them.

Manufacturers certainly can make such a laptop if they feel that the market would support it. Apparently they don't, their market research seems to suggest that laptops that weigh less sell better.

iPod forums are full of complaints about battery life and how much longer the competition lasts. Yet iPod owns the market. What does that tell you?

But I feel everyone's pain. It was a big lifestyle adjustment for me when I replaced my Titanium with an Aluminum. I never thought about plugging the Ti in until I was finished using it. Now it is the first thing I think of when using my Al. For me, the four hours of the Ti was a sweet spot. And frankly, I would be OK with an extra half pound for that. But apparently, not withstanding this thread, I seem to be in the minority.

[Big Mac]

Any person that hung up on battery life definitely has no need for a laptop in the first place. My iBook isn't a necessity in my life, but it's damn close to being one.

[iREZ]

why not carry an extra, or maybe even two extra batteries?

[sledsbehave]

i'll take less power for longer battery life anyday...

most people using laptops aren't doing anything that needs dual processors or 17" screens...

i would love a smaller, core solo, 1280x screen with 8-12 hours of battery life...

bringing extra batteries is just more bulk and expense...

this is possible...

[voicebox]

Originally Posted by mrmister

Man, people here can be dense. rocky2 offends you for some reason, but he's right--battery life is very important, and currently the entire computer industry is much more centered on desktop level performance in a laptop. He wishes instead they'd concentrate on making a longer living battery?

What's wrong with that opinion? It doesn't even remotely sound crazy to me--I wish my current AlBook lasted twice as long. He's right that it hasn't been a focus for computer makers, though partly that's the public's fault--forums like these are whores for speed, speed, speed over battery life. We all know that's true. And that's what the industry adjusts itself to compete on. Apple has traditionally done a good job with battery life--but only by comparison. No computer maker has really leapt ahead of the pack.

OTOH, battery tech is a lot harder to innovate than microprocessors--you can't just design new power sources the way you do chips, by shrinking the die, you have to actually find new sources of power, or innovate them into ways to release more electricity while remaining stable when not in use. It's very hard engineering.

Fuel cells are very promising, even though we all wish they were already here. The nice thing is, your "vow" isn't all that much of a threat--you have a G5 AND a 1.3 gig G4 laptop, right? Well, you shouldn't need to upgrade for a long, long time--and by the time you do, I think there will be new battery options finally available.

Well said mrmister - my thoughts exactly!
rocky2 has made an important point about battery technology - a subject which could/should be discussed in a calm and intelligent manner in this forum - he is not whinging!
See his last two posts - where I think he makes his point.

[hakstooy]

Umm, what exactly do Apple, Dell, etc. have to do with developing battery technology? They build computers.

And are you seriously insinuating that there isn't enough focus on battery technology?! That is one of the most ridiculous things I've heard in a while. With the plethora of portable electronic devices becoming more prevalent and powerful the battery issue is a HUGE concern and everyone and their mother is trying to find the next golden goose.

Problem is, no one has found a suitable solution. And fuel cell's may not be the answer, there are li-polymer batteries that are used in space applications that hold about 10x more charge for an equivalent mass, but they cost upwards of $50K.

[mrmister]

"Umm, what exactly do Apple, Dell, etc. have to do with developing battery technology? They build computers."

I'll do the math. Apple and Dell need a certain kind of battery technology to exist for their consumers, and thus they become agents of change--the reason there is demand at all for new battery tech are companies like them, who implement the technology. They also make important decisions like when they will implement a technology, and how--they are where the rubber meets the road. This is, I hope, obvious to most of the forum.

"And are you seriously insinuating that there isn't enough focus on battery technology?!"

I'm not insinuating--I'm saying it. I think the focus is on performance, because everyone measures clock rates against one another. I wish the focus was a little more balanced, and that battery run times should be steadily rising instead of falling. Apple and Dell could do that today by sourcing lower-powered chips and parts, but they're each afraid that doing so will cause them to fall behind in the power race. It's a hard conundrum.

[DekuDekuplex]

Originally Posted by danonamac

My PC laptops have not been as good as my Powerbook. The last PC laptop battery lasted about 40 minutes. It was a Boxx computer, fast as hell, had two hard drives in it (RAID), tons of RAM, and weighed in at 16 pounds. Try lugging that through the airport.

The Powerbook lasts 3 hours plus, and is 5 or 6 pounds. It does not perform as fast, but it performs better. In the long run - that's more important.

You shouldn't sit in front of any computer more than 3 hours anyway

Originally Posted by Hachimachi

3 hours? Try telling that to a computer science student.

Indeed; I was a computer science student at Yale before graduating. One of the Computer Science professors there once did a poll, and discovered that the students spent an average of twenty hours per biweekly homework assignment per course. Since the students were required to take between four and five courses per semester, that comes to a maximum of about 50 hours per week, which is about 10 hours per day if the students took nothing but programming courses for the semester.

Three hours per day?! You've got to be kidding. One first-year student I knew told me that he went without any sleep at all for the first three days of college. I myself went without sleep an average of two nights per week because of all the Computer Science homework. And from what I've heard, Yale is much easier than MIT for Computer Science. Go complete a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science at MIT and tell me that again.

Regarding the battery life issue, I use a PowerBook myself, but it sits on my iCurve®, perpetually connected to an outlet. I purchased a PowerBook because of lack of room to put a desktop, so the battery issue is almost irrelevant to me. But if I needed to save battery life, I'd turn down the brightness of the screen, turn down the sound, and try not to run too many applications at the same time. Aside from that, I might try to get a portable power generator.

-- DekuDekuplex

[john h]

I have a G5 Desktop at home and use a G4 867 Ti Laptop at work. Only on occasion do I need the battery and that is generally at home when I want to use the computer in bed on in the living room. At the office I use an external monitor and full size keyboard and mouse. My G4 Laptop looks like it just came out of the box as I have not used the keyboard much and it has traveled mostly between home and work.

A question I would like to pose is if you do not use a Laptop to travel or bang around will it stand up as long as a desktop? Heat does not seem to be a problem on the laptop as it sits on an I Curve. So far neither my G5 desktop or G4 Ti 867 has had any problems.

I am thinkiing of buying a new Intel 15" laptop. Would any of you suggest I wait until their is more experience to base my purchase on?

[hakstooy]

Originally Posted by mrmister

Apple and Dell need a certain kind of battery technology to exist for their consumers, and thus they become agents of change--the reason there is demand at all for new battery tech are companies like them, who implement the technology. They also make important decisions like when they will implement a technology, and how--they are where the rubber meets the road. This is, I hope, obvious to most of the forum.

I think the focus is on performance, because everyone measures clock rates against one another. I wish the focus was a little more balanced, and that battery run times should be steadily rising instead of falling. Apple and Dell could do that today by sourcing lower-powered chips and parts, but they're each afraid that doing so will cause them to fall behind in the power race. It's a hard conundrum.

Well, my first post wasn't directed at you, but rather the original poster; but seeing as you seem to agree with him, I suppose it doesn't matter.

The potential windfall for any groundbreaking advance in battery technology in the present market with its utter saturation of portable electronics would be absolutely mindblowing.

Industry and researchers are not ignoring this problem, but rather, are clawing tooth and nail to find, and patent, any advance they can. A few laptop vendors are only a drop in the bucket of the motivation these guys already have.

Problem is, the technology has hit a brick wall, there isn't a nice reliable path to increased performance (like there is with most other electronic componentry). There isn't some mass collusion going on here or something.

The 15" MacBook Pro is a "Mario" (in MarioKart terms) that is it goes for respectable performance in all categories: speed, battery life, portability. If you want longer battery life, then buy one of the many laptops that is designed to offer it using ULV processors and other efficient components.

P.S. Your snide attitude is abrasive and unwarranted.

[mrmister]

Almost everything you've posted, I've already said--so I don't really understand why you think we're in conflict. The main difference seems to be that you believe the industry has options that give the kind of battery life that would be ideal, and my response would be that none exist that run OS X, and that would be a rulebreaker for me.

I'm sorry if I seem snide and abrasive to you--I think I'm an angel compared to most posters, with their cries of "get over it", "stop complaining", and "WHEN batteries improve, we'll welcome you back to the "laptop" forum." If I've lowered myself too far, I apologize--it seemed to be what all the cool kids were doing.

[explosivpotato]

Originally Posted by romeosc

NO I want the 17" or even a 19"!

I want a transportable.... vs laptop.

Many people like me just carry them to 2 locations and then use like a desktop..... There is
room for all of us!

thats exactly what i use my 17 inch powerbook for.. its a transportable, not a notebook (to me, at least).

that said, i couldnt stand a desktop (or transportable) with less than a 17 inch screen. i love it!

[zubro]

I did not read the whole post but I believe that fuel batteries will never be welcomed in planes...

[amazing]

Because of Apple's low market share, they don't have the luxury of designing multiple laptops for niche market users. If they had a huge market share, they could increase market dominance by developing ultra-lights or tablets or powerful gaming laptops--or optional high-capacity batteries. Since that's not the reality, they develop laptops that have a broad market appeal and hit the major market needs. Apple needs to have a certain sales volume on its laptops otherwise they're just not profitable.

For reference, take a look at what Apple's doing with its dominant iPod market position: It's gathering up the niche markets, first with the Mini and then with the Nano (the Shuffle represents the crumbs.)

That said, the subject of this thread is silly: If better battery technology were available, 3rd party manufacturers would be making them. The technology simply isn't there.

Also, the 9-cell battery for the Thinkpad mentioned adds an extra $160. Having seen one with that battery, I think the Thinkpad is fugly and incredibly heavy. In any case, all you'd have to do is take that $160 and buy a second battery--you'll be carrying the same weight and will have saved some money. It's also more flexible--when you're going to the coffee shop, you carry a slim, svelt laptop rather than an ugly, heavy behemoth. Then, when you get on the transatlantic flight, you grab the extra battery.

[amazing]

On the other hand, why try to be reasonable?

I've just decided I'm not going to buy another Apple Powerbook until Apple starts using atomic fusion in all its laptops--I'm holding out for battery life measured in decades. After all, some scientist or other just announced he got atomic fusion to work and I think it's entirely reasonable to expect Apple to have atomic fusion batteries.

Also, I am not going to buy a Porsche because it doesn't get 100 mpg. The technology exists, right?

[mrmister]

amazing, you had me with the first post, which was very well reasoned, and then you had to go an post again. Reductio ad absurdum doesn't work every time, and this is one of those times.

"I did not read the whole post but I believe that fuel batteries will never be welcomed in planes..."

The FAA has approved fuel cell tech, which is one of the main reasons it's gaining momentum--you can google it.

[zubro]

Thanks for the info mrmister :o)
what about the "recharger"... I (personal opinion) think that it is risky anyway.. but then again, you can have a bomb in your suitcase... or bring a nuke by sea in a container as everybody knows but I am now out of topic. ;o)

[WOPR]

Why don't they make an extra battery that's the full size of the laptop and about 5mm to 10mm thick, you'd fix it to the underside of the MacBook. This way users could choose if they wanted to, to add some thickness to their laptop, in order to gain a huge amount of battery life.

Any thoughts on this? (And yes I know it will never happen!)

[amazing]

A Taiwanese hi-tech firm announced at Cebit in Hannover that they'd have a fuel cell battery on the market in early 2007 (which most likely means late 2007 or 2008). No specs about size or price/performance.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4794920.stm

So I invite anyone refraining from buying an Apple laptop until it includes a fuel cell battery to take a vacation from posting in the Powerbook forum until that time. Can you tell that I think this is a silly topic?

As for the battery the size of a laptop, it's been done. It velcroes onto the bottom of a powerbook and weighed 3.4 pounds, made by Lind Electronics. Provides up to 10 hours of runtime and costs $450.

http://www.lindelectronics.com/cgi-bin/store/shop.cgi/!ORDERID!/ppack/MP90-G4/dbx_gen_detail_product

That's about the cost of slightly more than 3 regular batteries, though it does come with it's own charger.

At $450, you could add a couple hundred more $ and buy a refurbed 12" iBook, which would weigh 4.9 pounds and provide up to 6 hours of runtime. Slightly thicker, of course, but it's a fully functioning computer for all your exhausting computer needs--and when velcroed onto the bottom of your Powerbook, can function as a firewire target device.

[milhouse]

Originally Posted by Hachimachi

Yeah, I hate that 18.5 hour commute from Singapore to Newark. My battery always dies in the middle of the Pacific.

[mrmister]

"So I invite anyone refraining from buying an Apple laptop until it includes a fuel cell battery to take a vacation from posting in the Powerbook forum until that time. Can you tell that I think this is a silly topic?"

So people who own a PowerBook now and aren't going to buy one for a couple of years shouldn't post? I'm certainly grateful you haven't got any power around here.