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    External laptop/notebook battery's

    Discussion in 'Asus' started by Johnny9ball, Apr 25, 2006.

  1. Johnny9ball

    Johnny9ball Notebook Evangelist

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    I was thinking about getting an External notebook battery for extended trips where I don't have access to a power outlet. For my W3J.

    Whats your thoughts on an External notebook battery?

    Is there a popular brand compatible with Asus?
     
    Johnny9ball, Apr 25, 2006
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  2. Loaf

    Loaf Notebook Evangelist

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    have a friend who uses an electrovaya external battery for his tablet and it seems to work fine. tho i cant remember how much time he's getting out of it. from some of the reviews i've read about external batteries, one problem is that they begin to lose capacity quite quickly.
     
    Loaf, Apr 25, 2006
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  3. Johnny9ball

    Johnny9ball Notebook Evangelist

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    Why would that be they are basically the same Li-Ion as the Notebook internal batteries? Perhaps your thinking about older nickel-cadmium cell batteries. They suffer from something called memory effects over time, they lose the ability to hold a complete charge.
     
    Johnny9ball, Apr 25, 2006
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  4. ivar

    ivar Notebook Deity

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    There are LiIon external batteries.However, those I have seen are unreasonably heavy for the power you get. For example, the 6Wh battery from APC (not sure if they are sold under this brand in the USA) is 750g heavy, while the extended
    6Wh battery for my notebook weights 500g. This was the reason FOR ME not to go for it. However, in general, those batteries appear to be a good solution.

    Note, in a year or two, there will be available external batteries based on a new technology (of fuel elements using methanol).There are market versions already but they are still too expensive and too bulky to serve for the notebooks in most cases.
     
    ivar, Apr 25, 2006
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  5. Johnny9ball

    Johnny9ball Notebook Evangelist

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    Johnny9ball, Apr 25, 2006
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  6. lazybum131

    lazybum131 Notebook Evangelist

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    There's Polarmate's NBMate-118, an external 118Wh battery. Will more than double the battery life of a W3 with both main and secondary batteries but weighs 750g (1.65lb).
     
    lazybum131, Apr 25, 2006
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  7. Johnny9ball

    Johnny9ball Notebook Evangelist

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    Wow thats sounds great!
     
    Johnny9ball, Apr 25, 2006
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  8. CalebSchmerge

    CalebSchmerge Woof NBR Reviewer

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    I have an older Electrovaya battery. I could run it for three hours where it was powering my computer and charging it, then gain that time back again. I would consider it about a 6-8 hour battery, while the internal battery was about 5 hours. So with both of my internal batteries and the external, I could push 18 hours of battery. Its older now, and doesn't hold a charge very well, but I don't know if I will get a new one (its 3 years old, and was $300, more than I can afford right now).
     
    CalebSchmerge, Apr 25, 2006
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