New BATTERY: Recommendation?

Anyone update/upgrade or change out their HDX (or the like) battery? My primary is dead and the backup (which only lated a year) is dying.

Since buying batteries are pretty much a hit or miss, does anyone have any experience with the various brands?

Otherwise I'll just have to go to ebay and take my chances. Its a shame the industry doesn't standardize and/or rate these things better.

 

This looks like a pretty good alternative, if you don't mind the price--

HP HDX X18-1180US Battery by Level 8 Technology

 

You're probably going to have a hard time finding a good one. Most HDX batteries were manufactured while the HDX series was in production. Now that they've been out of production for three+ years, even a "new" battery will have been sitting around deteriorating for that same amount of time, unless some company actually manufactures them to order.

 

Doesn't the updated DV series have the same battery configuration? I think it does.

I wanted an extended version but this one looks good as well. I most likely won't upgrade for another 18 months so I'll probably get two.

 

Extended? I wouldn't advice investing more money in that dinosaur. Have you seen the deals hp has going for the new dv7? right around $1000 fully loaded.
Which is probably less then you will spend on batteries in the next 18 months considering how fast your lappy kills them.

 

If it's the same configuration as the DV series, why not buy the batteries new from HP - that way you know you're getting the top quality product - in my experience third-party batteries and AC adapters have always been busts - the batteries have low capacities and don't hold them well and the adapters are horribly made and usually blow within a week.

 

I don't know if Ravovac makes any for the hdx... But I've only had good experiences with their batteries.. They're a little pricey, but they're worth it.

 

Price! We all want a bargain, don't we?

Nevertheless, I see your point. I still remember those $25 tires I was convinced were as good as ones costing twice as much. I learned the hard way that wasn't the case.