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From: (no name) (no email)
Date: Fri Jan 23 2004 - 04:44:09 EST
> If you're concerned
> about power, picking an older computer can help as
> many do not draw as much electricity a new machine.
I agree with much that you say, however, I'm not certain that the above is
quite true.
Battery life on laptops has always been an issue, and there are many laptops
now with 2 to 3 times more useful battery life. Some of this is due to
advances in battery technology, but much of it is due to the increased size
of the laptop market, resulting in a much greater focus on low-power
technology (Pentium-M etc).
So, I would say, choose a laptop with the longest life on batteries. This
is more likely to be one of the smaller, super-lightweight models, than a
big, desktop replacement, with a huge screen to light up. Previously, I
always used Toshiba Portege's, (not that the battery life was that great,
but they did have quite small batteries), but currently, I like the look of
the JVC mini-note - with the standard external battery fitted, they say it
will last up to 6 hours.
> Cheap old laptops may have bad betteries. Not a
> problem. The act of keeping a laptop battery charged
> draws much more than simply running the laptop itself.
> Remove the battery from a laptop and it'll be more
> frugal with your boats house batteries and it'll run
> physically cooler as well.
Well, constantly trying to charge a leaky/dead battery will take more
current than just running the computer, but it is not the case if the
battery is good - it will just stay charged, with next to no additional
current drawn. In this event, it is a good idea to keep the battery fitted,
as it wil help the laptop survive any 'brown-outs' (glitches when starting
or switching equipment or supplies, pontoon power tripping, etc..)
Certainly, with older batteries (NiCads etc), and to a degree with current
batteries, I would certainly recommend removing any AC supply when the
laptop is not in use - continuous 24/7 charging is a great way to shorten
the life of these batteries.
Alan
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