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Portability vs battery life

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Portege_R600_portegescreen_left.jpgHow short can the battery life be on a laptop before it negates the whole point of having a mobile computer?

I was pondering this while trying out Toshiba's Portege R600 (see image), which is a fantastically light system weighing in at just 773g, but preliminary tests suggest it will give users less than ninety minutes work from its standard battery pack.

Of course, the good point of having such a lightweight laptop is that you hardly notice you are carrying it. If your job involves giving presentations at customer sites, then battery life presumably doesn't matter too much - but then you would probably want a larger screen than the Portege's 12.1in display.

It seems to me that such ultra-slim models are in a way self-defeating; if you really need to work while away from a mains connection, then you are probably going to have to carry several fully-charged spare battery packs around with you - or else take a heavier laptop that boasts a longer battery life in the first place.

Perhaps better battery technology might improve the situation, but then again, perhaps not - modern laptops are stuffed full of drivers and background services that keep the system busy and using up more power than it needs to, even when the user isn't doing anything other than reading the screen.

The dream of an all-day laptop that doesn't require a course in body building before you can carry it around seems as far away as it ever has been.

A full review of the Toshiba Portege R600 will feature on VNUnet.com in the near future.


 

02 Feb 2009

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<p>Progress has led the industry to these ultra-slim models – there’s no denying this is a technological feat in itself – but, given the battery life problems, perhaps running mobile applications on workers’ existing smartphones and mobile devices would better serve the purpose. </p> <p>Pure mobile working, as opposed to just ‘portable’ working, could be a more cost effective and efficient option for many businesses. Many of today’s field workers need the same access to company information as their office-based colleagues, so why not equip them with direct access to back-end systems via their existing mobile devices? By automating workers day-to-day processes using mobile applications companies have the potential to maximise productivity and minimise cost, without the fear of an extra piece of equipment malfunctioning. </p>

Posted by: Rikke Helms, Dexterra 06 Feb 2009

<p>I always use <a href="http://www.ardenmktg.com/rechargeable-batteries-and-charger"> aa rechargeable batteries</a> to cut down on costs. Makes so much more sense that using normal batteries and throwing them away once they are all used up. Don't you think this is a better choice?<br /> </p>

Posted by: melodie.chia 06 Feb 2009

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