T61 - 4 Cell or 6 Cell - Which should I get?

I know the 6 cell sticks out of the case, but the battery life of the 4 cell is really pretty low (2 hours or so I believe). I was curious what everyone else ordered on their T61, as well as how they like it. Its very hard to tell from the pictures I've seen how much the 6 cell sticks out of the case, so if someone could post how annoying it is to them or maybe a picture or two to give us a better indication of the size then I would really appreciate it. Also, if you own the 4 cell, is the notebook nearly unusable with the integrated graphics and that battery and do you regret not getting the bigger battery?

Incidentally, I'm not interested in the 7 cell as I simply can't justify the extra money. Thanks very much for all of your help in advance, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

 

I ordered 4 cell, but I am rarely off ac. If you are, I'd go 7 b/f I went 6.

 

I had no option when ordering, hence 4-cell. Planning on getting 6-cell (or 7 if a find one).

 

Not sure why this needs a poll. The 6 and 7 cell batteries are the same size and they both stick out.

So just ask yourself. Is 4-cell gonna give me enough battery life? If the answer is "yes" then you're done. If the answer is "no" then ask yourself. Do I mind the battery sticking out? If the answer is "yes" then get two 4-cells. If the answer is "no" then get the 7-cell.

 

Ideally you should have both the 4- and 7-cell. I regret ordering mine with the 7-cell and should have bought it later off eBay when prices are lower. Shuttling between home and office is a pain with the protruding battery. I wouldn't consider the 6-cell.

 

In all honestly the battery life sucks. Even with the 7 Cell (i have intel graphics) I can only get about 4hrs if I really be careful (not a lot of HDD intensive apps, low screen brightness, etc.). I would bet the 4 cell barely gets 2hrs unless you very careful. In fact I just ordered the ultrabay battery to help out.

6Cell is sorta stupid in my mind since it is the same size as the 7 cell.

I would order the extended battery at order time as it is only like $20 more but the batteries are like $160 when bought outright.

 

i get three hours outta my 4 cell. i dont like a protrusion on the back.

 

I get under two hours on my 4 cell. I have dedicated graphics and 7200rpm HD

 

I have the 100gb 7200rpm on mine and it will last a little over 2 hours with 7-cell. However, I think the choice should be between 4-cell and 7-cell since 6-cell is the same size as 7-cell.
However, I am not bothered by it sticking out, as it really doesn't get in the way with anything and it does not weight that much more. I choose functionality over aesthetics any day.

 

i get about 2 hours and 30 minutes with the 4 cell. call me self centered, but i purchased the 4 cell because of aesthetics

 

7 cell if you don't care about the extrusion. 4 cell if you do care.

 

Solid gun - what can you get out of your battery?

 

Why are people concerned with its sticking out the back? When you're using it, you can't even see it. When you're not using it, do you care that it has an extra 3/4"? It's not like HP's extended battery that LIFTS the laptop up an inch (look online at pictures, it's stupid). IBM has a very good extended battery solution IMO

For me, it's all about the added time. For an extra 3/4" I can't even see.. not an issue. I think people like to nitpick

What do you mean? I've tried many different orders since the very first day the 61 was available and the 7 cell was always there.

 

It makes finding sleeves and bags that fit a little more tricky. Otherwise, during use, it won't be noticeable at all.

 

I recommend the largest battery possible.

 

Wow, you guys get only >>TWO<< hours with a 7200 RPM HDD on the T61's? Is this with the WiFi on / internet/email / screen turned all the way down?

 

I get about 2 hours even on my 4 cell on a T61. That's with the screen at about 25%, wireless on, BT off, surfing the web or printing wirelessly.

 

I got a 4 cell battery. I want some laptop light, but not depend on battery to work. as long as the battery can last a while for me to check e-mail, it is ok.

 

Hmmmmm... battery life doesn't sound too great.

Can anyone make a comparison between the base battery life on the T61 vs the Dell D630? How about the extended batteries?

Friend has the D630 with one of the extended batteries. It protrudes out front and is sorta a wrist rest. Its ugly as crap and really makes the thing fill big. I don't like it. If the IBM is in back and/or not nearly as wide as the Dell I might consider it.

With that said, I think my roomie gets something like 4 hours of battery life on his Dell. Its pretty ridiculous.

I don't work non a/c too often, so maybe the 4 cell is fine. Though I was hoping for something closer to 3 hours than 2 I really don't want the dimensions any larger....

 

The extended battery sticks out the back - is about 60-75% the width of the laptop, protrudes out the back by only a little bit.

I get about 4.5 battery life on my T60 with my extended battery.