HP's Longer-Lasting Laptop Battery

HP's Longer-Lasting Laptop Battery

The new battery, developed by the startup Boston-Power, will be available next year.

HP will be the first laptop maker to offer a new battery designed toHP's Longer-Lasting Laptop Battery

The new battery, developed by the startup Boston-Power,dell laptop battery, will be available next year.

HP will be the first laptop maker to offer a new battery designed to maintain its energy capacity over the life of a laptop, according to an announcement from the battery maker, Boston-Power, based in Westborough,dell laptop battery MA. The battery will be available as an option for some HP laptops starting next year.

The capacity of most batteries fades markedly after just a few months, making it hard to predict how long a laptop will last between charges. Boston-Power says that the new battery will last three years without fading and that it charges to 80 percent capacity in just 30 minutes.

The battery, which has been certified by more than one environmental organization for green design and manufacturing,Inspiron 6000, should also be safer than ordinary laptop batteries, which have been known to catch fire.

For more details on the battery design and chemistry, see "A Better Battery for Laptops."

Update: In a conversation this afternoon, Christina Lampe-Onnerud, the company's CEO and founder, said that the initial HP charging systems won't be able to take advantage of the 30 minute charging time, although doing so will require relatively simple changes that will be available soon. Inspiron 9300,She also said the company has started work on a battery for electric cars, and expects to have news on this front next year.

Apple Ensures Laptop Obsolescence

A bigger, better battery means consumers must toss their laptop when the battery wears out.

The new 17-inch MacBook Pro. Credit: Apple

Apple announced a handful of somewhat interesting features and products at Macworld in San Francisco today, including new features in iLife '09, the ability to wirelessly download songs on the iPhone, iTunes music without digital rights management restrictions, and a new MacBook Pro. But the announcement that caught my eye was a new battery design for the MacBook Pro: it essentially limits the lifetime of the new laptop, ensuring its worthlessness after the battery dies.

Apple's team of dedicated engineers specializes in making batteries that fit into the sleek cases that houses its laptops. And in the new MacBook Pro, the engineers aimed for a battery that was thin and holds more energy than ever. At the keynote, Phil Schiller, vice president of products at Apple,Inspiron 9400, claimed that the battery lasts eight hours, depending the use, and can be recharged 1000 times, giving it an effective lifetime of about five years.

The trick to improving the battery charge, however, was increasing its size by about 40 percent. And the limited volume within a laptop case meant that the engineers had to take something out. The component that got the boot is the housing that allows the battery to be removed and replaced when it wears out. (A great explanatory video is here.)

This means that the lifetime of the laptop itself is directly tied to the lifetime of the battery, ensuring its uselessness and disposability in five years. While Apple touts itself as a company concerned with the environment, limiting the reuse of its technology seems to blatantly ignore environmental concerns.

Apple surely anticipated this criticism. At the keynote, Schiller displayed a slide that flaunted the MacBook Pro's "environmental checklist": it's arsenic-free, BFR-free, mercury-free, has a PVC-free system, is highly recyclable, 34% smaller packaging, and a 1000-recharge battery.

Still, when those 1000 charges are up, the laptop doesn't get another life. 310-6321,It heads to the shredder.*

*Apple confirmed late Tuesday that the MacBook Pro 17'' batteries can be replaced professionally for an additional cost of $179.

maintain its energy capacity over the life of a laptop, according to an announcement from the battery maker, Boston-Power, based in Westborough,dell laptop battery MA. The battery will be available as an option for some HP laptops starting next year.

The capacity of most batteries fades markedly after just a few months, making it hard to predict how long a laptop will last between charges. Boston-Power says that the new battery will last three years without fading and that it charges to 80 percent capacity in just 30 minutes.

The battery, which has been certified by more than one environmental organization for green design and manufacturing, should also be safer than ordinary laptop batteries, which have been known to catch fire.

For more details on the battery design and chemistry, see "A Better Battery for Laptops."

Update: In a conversation this afternoon, Christina Lampe-Onnerud, 310-6322,the company's CEO and founder, said that the initial HP charging systems won't be able to take advantage of the 30 minute charging time, although doing so will require relatively simple changes that will be available soon. She also said the company has started work on a battery for electric cars, and expects to have news on this front next year.

Apple Ensures Laptop Obsolescence

A bigger, better battery means consumers must toss their laptop when the battery wears out.

The new 17-inch MacBook Pro. Credit: Apple

Apple announced a handful of somewhat interesting features and products at Macworld in San Francisco today, including new features in iLife '09, the ability to wirelessly download songs on the iPhone, iTunes music without digital rights management restrictions, and a new MacBook Pro. But the announcement that caught my eye was a new battery design for the MacBook Pro: it essentially limits the lifetime of the new laptop, ensuring its worthlessness after the battery dies.

Apple's team of dedicated engineers specializes in making batteries that fit into the sleek cases that houses its laptops. D5318, And in the new MacBook Pro, the engineers aimed for a battery that was thin and holds more energy than ever. At the keynote, Phil Schiller, vice president of products at Apple, claimed that the battery lasts eight hours, depending the use, and can be recharged 1000 times, giving it an effective lifetime of about five years.

The trick to improving the battery charge, however, was increasing its size by about 40 percent. And the limited volume within a laptop case meant that the engineers had to take something out. The component that got the boot is the housing that allows the battery to be removed and replaced when it wears out. (A great explanatory video is here.)

This means that the lifetime of the laptop itself is directly tied to the lifetime of the battery, ensuring its uselessness and disposability in five years. While Apple touts itself as a company concerned with the environment, limiting the reuse of its technology seems to blatantly ignore environmental concerns.

Apple surely anticipated this criticism. At the keynote,G5260, Schiller displayed a slide that flaunted the MacBook Pro's "environmental checklist": it's arsenic-free, BFR-free, mercury-free, has a PVC-free system, is highly recyclable, 34% smaller packaging, and a 1000-recharge battery.

Still, when those 1000 charges are up, the laptop doesn't get another life. It heads to the shredder.*

*Apple confirmed late Tuesday that the MacBook Pro 17'' batteries can be replaced professionally for an additional cost of $179.