A closer look at Apple's advanced notebook battery tech

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  • Reply 21 of 166
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by teckstud View Post


    A lot of people made fortunes running Windows at home too - so what's your point?



    I wasn't trying to make a point, despite the fact that you appear to be straining to make one yourself.



    What's clear that you are a very angry person with an agenda. Great. Just don't kick your dog over it.
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  • Reply 22 of 166
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by DWS-2 View Post


    I don't know anyone who has an extra battery for their laptop, and I know a lot of people with laptops. In other words, everyone I know would benefit from the new way Apple is approaching batteries. I only wish they had this on the 15" MacBook Pro; I'd buy a new one today.



    Ever since Jobs was reinstated, people have been complaining about Apple's bad decisions. No more clones! Death knell. The iPod was roundly criticized. etc. etc. Yet every year, Apple breaks new records with growth in Macs even as they expand into other product categories. I believe that Apple makes money precisely because everyone doubts its decisions, which means that people don't copy Apple's innovations until Apple already has the upper hand.



    Don't waste your breath. The only thing Apple haters can't tolerate is the truth. Misery doesn't love company; misery loves miserable company, and people like tekstud (great name, btw), seem to believe that their life's mission is to make other people as miserable as they are.
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  • Reply 23 of 166
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by teckstud View Post


    You must like to be a slave to Apple. Who buys a laptop without a removeable battery?

    No swappable battery= NO SALE.



    MacBook Air? Apparently lots of people. It amuses me how many people second guess Apple. Are they perfect? No. Do they buck traditional convention such as the need for removable batteries? Yes. Will it pay off for them? Sure looks like it. While your whining about it, people are going to line up to buy a notebook that doesn't need a removable battery.
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  • Reply 24 of 166
    nasseraenasserae Posts: 3,167member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by teckstud View Post


    You must like to be a slave to Apple. Who buys a laptop without a removeable battery?

    No swappable battery= NO SALE.



    Personally, I never bought a secondary laptop battery and I have been using laptops since the early 1990s. People who use secondary batteries use them because they want more time using their laptops. If this can be achieved without swappable batteries then where is the problem?! Everyone I now who uses a laptop never bothers with batteries.



    Unlike few years back, today you can find a power source almost everywhere. The last few times I flew I had a power outlet under my seat. Airports have plenty of power outlets as well.
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  • Reply 25 of 166
    virgil-tb2virgil-tb2 Posts: 1,416member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by teckstud View Post


    You must like to be a slave to Apple. Who buys a laptop without a removeable battery?

    No swappable battery= NO SALE.



    My advice to you is to never to buy an Apple product, they just aren't made for people like you.



    If you are going to have knee-jerk reactions about stuff before you even bother to think about it, you should probably just stay at home and shout at the TV.
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  • Reply 26 of 166
    nasseraenasserae Posts: 3,167member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by teckstud View Post


    Oh I see- so innovation means like no Matte screens, no Blu-ray, no Fire wire, no MMS pics, no Video capture on their phone, no small laptops????



    No floppy drive, no serial port, no modem.. etc. People usually don't quickly understand why Apple pushes toward specific technology and many times abandon others.
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  • Reply 27 of 166
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by teckstud View Post


    You must like to be a slave to Apple. Who buys a laptop without a removeable battery?

    No swappable battery= NO SALE.



    Take your swappable battery and shove it up your filthy stinking A'HOLE.
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  • Reply 28 of 166
    ipeonipeon Posts: 1,122member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by aaarrrgggh View Post


    As a stockholder, I sure hope Apple can find a compromise between being "cheap" and "high end" for the next few years. Based on the keynote, they sold 2.3MM macs this past quarter, which was a little lower than I hoped, but seemingly in-line with estimates.



    It will be hard to maintain sales and profits if the entire portfolio is biased to the high end.



    Not gonna happen. Apple is an innovator not a puppet factory. An intelligent person recognizes the value in Apple's products, the rest can go to M$ to get what they deserve.
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  • Reply 29 of 166
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by hiimamac View Post


    Additionally, if Apple can crank out these new revolutionary batteries now then why don't they sell them for all their products? It should be a priority for all Macbooks don't you think?a



    Think again. the reason we get 8 hours is because the 17" is a huge computer. you don't have nearly that real-estate on a 15" or 13". So you will not be able to get 2x the battery life on a 15" or 13" by the same method until battery tech improves a lot more. Maybe in a year or so it'll filter down, but until then I highly doubt it. Please think before insulting.
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  • Reply 30 of 166
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SkateNY View Post


    The only thing Apple haters can't tolerate is the truth. Misery doesn't love company; misery loves miserable company, and people like teckstud (great name, btw), seem to believe that their life's mission is to make other people as miserable as they are.



    Great name, thought entirely inaccurate. The only constant with Teckstud is that if he doesn't like something it's generally the right move for Apple and its consumer base.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by NasserAE View Post


    Personally, I never bought a secondary laptop battery and I have been using laptops since the early 1990s. People who use secondary batteries use them because they want more time using their laptops. If this can be achieved without swappable batteries then where is the problem?! Everyone I now who uses a laptop never bothers with batteries.



    I have three batteries for my MacBook. While this gives me 300% the original juice, which is lower than the current 17" MBP's reported 8 hour battery life that 60% more than the previous MBP, I would love to have this option as extra batteries is a PITA.



    I would like to a least have the option to buy an external MagSafe connected battery from Apple or an approved 3rd-party, but that isn't too much of a big deal as 8 hours covers most international flights.



    PS: The previous 17" MBP was 5 hours and the current MB and 15" MBP is 5 hours, so hopefully we'll get this in the other Mac notebooks as well.
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  • Reply 31 of 166
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by NasserAE View Post


    Personally, I never bought a secondary laptop battery and I have been using laptops since the early 1990s. People who use secondary batteries use them because they want more time using their laptops. If this can be achieved without swappable batteries then where is the problem?! Everyone I now who uses a laptop never bothers with batteries.



    Unlike few years back, today you can find a power source almost everywhere. The last few times I flew I had a power outlet under my seat. Airports have plenty of power outlets as well.



    I have family members who carry 3 spare batteries with them (think transatlantic flights). 4 batteries total = approx 16 hours of life. Granted, some airlines have plugs under the seat, but most don't. Here's the thing though... the battery is replaceable, you just need a screwdriver. So you cary one extra battery (2 batteries * 8h = 16h) and a screwdriver... you can replace it on an airplane just fine (honestly, how many times are you going on a transatlantic flight anyways?). In other words, even for those who cary LOTS of extra batteries, I'm missing the problem here.
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  • Reply 32 of 166
    How about External Spare Battery. Those External Battery Packs exist on iPhones and iPod Touch, and they are small, so I assume that someone will offer those for this New MBP Unibody, right? Or Battery Pack Chargers?



    Solar recharging will eventually become more common?



    As to outlets on planes and airports....



    Only on select planes, and mostly not in coach, except for a few seats, that one has to reserve ahead of time. First Class is easier, but most people don't fly that way.



    Outlets in Terminals are not nearly as plentiful as they should be!





    My bigger concern is EASE of installing more RAM and bigger HD in this New Unibody MBP 17'.



    500GB 7200 rpm HD's already exist and Other World Computing is either already selling them, or will be any day now. Wish Apple offered those!



    Same with 8GB RAM = $1,149.99, which is LIFETIME WARRANTY and $50 LESS then Apple! Still expensive! But OWC offers a Rebate for Apple's 4GB (2x2), they don't mention on their site how much they'd be willing to pay for it.



    http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other.../8566DDR3S8GP/



    Glad to see NON-GLARE Screens back. Hope they are the same high resolution as Glossy. Wish they had the same Black Bezel option too! I am beginning to like it!



    Waiting for 3rd Gen iPhone, with Copy + Paste, Spotlight, Memo Syncing! Then I'd get this New Unibody MBP 17', and live happily ever after!



    Wish people stopped getting into personal insults on a great site like this!
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  • Reply 33 of 166
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by iPeon View Post


    Not gonna happen. Apple is an innovator not a puppet factory. An intelligent person recognizes the value in Apple's products, the rest can go to M$ to get what they deserve.



    well said. Those who don't like the lack of easily removable battery can buy something else. Many people on this forum represent a niche market, so Apple is gaining more than it is losing. Honestly though... how many people who are bashing the product were thinking of buying one anyways?
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  • Reply 34 of 166
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by macologist View Post


    How about External Spare Battery. Those External Battery Packs exist on iPhones and iPod Touch, and they are small, so I assume that someone will offer those for this New MBP Unibody, right? Or Battery Pack Chargers?



    3rd party units like this will be created I'm sure. Run to the patent office now!!
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  • Reply 35 of 166
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by federmoose View Post


    I have family members who carry 3 spare batteries with them (think transatlantic flights). 4 batteries total = approx 16 hours of life. Granted, some airlines have plugs under the seat, but most don't. Here's the thing though... the battery is replaceable, you just need a screwdriver. So you cary one extra battery (2 batteries * 8h = 16h) and a screwdriver... you can replace it on an airplane just fine (honestly, how many times are you going on a transatlantic flight anyways?). In other words, even for those who cary LOTS of extra batteries, I'm missing the problem here.



    Here is where I do have an issue. If you need more than 8 hours, which could be 10-12 hours if you have WiFi off and aren't HD movies or using the Optical drive, then changing the internal battery is very inconvenient. 10 tiny screws in coach may not take long to unscrew, but the potential for dropping/losing screws is high and I can't help but imagine what the other passengers and crew would think about you taking apart your laptop halfwy through a flight. Try wearing a turbine or reading from the Qur'an right before you do it. You'd probably have a nice anecdote after they release you.
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  • Reply 36 of 166
    cggrcggr Posts: 37member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by DWS-2 View Post


    I don't know anyone who has an extra battery for their laptop, and I know a lot of people with laptops. In other words, everyone I know would benefit from the new way Apple is approaching batteries. I only wish they had this on the 15" MacBook Pro; I'd buy a new one today.



    Ever since Jobs was reinstated, people have been complaining about Apple's bad decisions. No more clones! Death knell. The iPod was roundly criticized. etc. etc. Yet every year, Apple breaks new records with growth in Macs even as they expand into other product categories. I believe that Apple makes money precisely because everyone doubts its decisions, which means that people don't copy Apple's innovations until Apple already has the upper hand.



    Sorry - I really have to disagree with those who seriously entertain the idea that a non-replaceable battery is a good idea in a professional computer. Professionals use these devices as tools to do real work. On planes. On trains. On the move. If the battery runs out thats it - have to find a power point. The iphone design makes it difficult to use as someone who uses a phone all day during the workday. I have had to buy 2 iphones just so that I can make it through the day using the iphone as my primary phone. To use a non-replaceable battery in an energy-hungry monster like the 17" macbook pro seems really crazy. At the end of its charging cycle when it only lasts 2 - 3 hours you will have to wait to have the battery changed over - what so your primary work machine is out of action for 2 - 3 days or longer just so a battery can be changed? If you are finishing off a last minute piece of work and the battery dies you cant quickly swap in a new one? If it dies during a presentation in front of a room full of clients and you cant swap a battery in and have left the power cable at home?



    Non-replacable batteries are a disastrous direction for apple - if they are marketing to mobile professionals. All of these situations arise in real-world usage. what they should be targeting is cheap and long-lasting replaceable versions of this high-density Li-polymer battery. By all means make the cheap laptops use these batteries - but for pros who actually use them to make a living - sorry - but we need the flexibility and ability to get out of trouble with a new battery on the fly - however rare its required.
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  • Reply 37 of 166
    For me personally, if I ever had to hot swap batteries for a laptop, there must be something wrong with the laptop. I think there is a very select group of people that need more than 5 hours of battery life between charges. The other guestimated 98% can buy the new 17" MBP.



    I believe people that say Apple made a huge mistake with this design decision need to see what the general populous need/want in laptop computing and muse on that a moment before decrying the lack of availability for their specialized needs.



    And I'm extremely tired of people complaining about Apple targeting consumers instead of professionals. If I was looking to be successful and make a ton of cash, I'd target the broadest market available, general consumers. The moms and pops and tweens that edit and post photos/videos with as little hassle as possible, that surf the web, that write school essays, and do home finances. Apple seemingly has found a way to target Toyota's market with Mercedes' profit margins. So they're a little low-end for the neediest professionals and gamers, so they're a little high-end for casual users, I still think they hit the mark.



    If they are so wrong, why hasn't it hurt them with year after year of "poor decisions", "botched launches", "slow updates", "and "buggy software." Why are their sales rising higher than ever with more profit than ever? And why is the competition always copying them? (Have you seen the new HP notebook that looks like the "ugly" new macbooks.)
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  • Reply 38 of 166
    cggrcggr Posts: 37member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by silverpraxis View Post


    For me personally, if I ever had to hot swap batteries for a laptop, there must be something wrong with the laptop. I think there is a very select group of people that need more than 5 hours of battery life between charges. The other guestimated 98% can buy the new 17" MBP.



    I believe people that say Apple made a huge mistake with this design decision need to see what the general populous need/want in laptop computing and muse on that a moment before decrying the lack of availability for their specialized needs.



    And I'm extremely tired of people complaining about Apple targeting consumers instead of professionals. If I was looking to be successful and make a ton of cash, I'd target the broadest market available, general consumers. The moms and pops and tweens that edit and post photos/videos with as little hassle as possible, that surf the web, that write school essays, and do home finances. Apple seemingly has found a way to target Toyota's market with Mercedes' profit margins. So they're a little low-end for the neediest professionals and gamers, so they're a little high-end for casual users, I still think they hit the mark.



    If they are so wrong, why hasn't it hurt them with year after year of "poor decisions", "botched launches", "slow updates", "and "buggy software." Why are their sales rising higher than ever with more profit than ever? And why is the competition always copying them? (Have you seen the new HP notebook that looks like the "ugly" new macbooks.)





    Agree that consumers drive a successful business model (although it could be said that niche professionals probably kept apple afloat for the years prior to intel) but there's a difference between consumer hardware and professional hardware requirements. The computer shutting down with no power is no big deal if you are editing in iphoto but being unable to continue your presentation with a new battery or just buying a new battery as opposed to putting your laptop in for repair for a battery change seems like an obvious choice to me.



    i think apple has made excellent decisions in the past couple of years (the best was PPC -> intel) but equally simply buying an apple because it is an apple is an equally silly approach - and I think there must be a middle ground - why not have a built-in AND swappable battery - retain the flexibility and the baseline built-in battery.



    I just think that innovation for innovation's sake isnt neccessarlty a good or beneficial thing for anyone...
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  • Reply 39 of 166
    virgil-tb2virgil-tb2 Posts: 1,416member
    Here's a thought ...



    I don't really believe these folks really even exist, but if there *are* people out there (as some people here are arguing), that need to have three or even four batteries for their laptops and swap them back and forth ....



    ... they should be damned ashamed of themselves.



    This kind of gobbling up of resources and environmental abuse, just so you can (likely) watch porn on your transatlantic business flight, is nothing to be proud of at all.
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  • Reply 40 of 166
    cggrcggr Posts: 37member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Virgil-TB2 View Post


    Here's a thought ...



    I don't really believe these folks really even exist, but if there *are* people out there (as some people here are arguing), that need to have three or even four batteries for their laptops and swap them back and forth ....



    ... they should be damned ashamed of themselves.



    This kind of gobbling up of resources and environmental abuse, just so you can (likely) watch porn on your transatlantic business flight, is nothing to be proud of at all.



    But I like porn. Especially on a transatlantic business flight.
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