Ultrabay battery

I am going to be ordering the following machine within the week, I would like to know if the Ultrabay battery is worth getting?

I am looking at following machine:


Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 (2.2GHz 800MHz 4MBL2)[1]
Genuine Windows Vista Home Basic[12]
15.4 WSXGA+ TFT
Intel GMA X3100 GM965
2 GB PC2-5300 DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz SODIMM Memory (2 DIMM)[8]
UltraNav (TrackPoint and TouchPad) with Fingerprint Reader
100GB Hard Disk Drive, 7200rpm[4]
DVD Recordable 8x Max Dual Layer, Ultrabay Slim[5]
Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN[10]
9 cell Li-Ion Battery


OS will be Linux. Arch or Mint (Ubuntu based).

I want to be able to be unplugged for a long while. I typically enjoy writing my Java code while sitting on the front porch with a nice stoggie and while I COULD plug in, I would rather not as its just less stuff to deal with.

Does anyone know how much extra battery life I could expect from the Ultrabay battery? I've seen anywhere from 30 -40 minutes to ~1:30hrs. Is there anyone that has any experience with this battery? Am I better off not spending the cash on it and getting something else?

Thanks in advance.

 

What type of system is it? T61 15.4" screen?

And while runtime varies for many different factors, as a really rough estimate the Ultrabay battery will give you an extra 60 minutes of system use (wireless enabled, multiple apps open, no constant CPU load).

 

Yes, its a 15.4 WSXGA+ screen.

Thanks for the information ocellaris.

 

I got the ultrabay and its a total waste of money, for one you can get another six or nine cell. I dont see the point of it, esp if you want to watch a movie on a long flight, since you have to remove the dvd drive.. not worth it

 

I'm afraid I have to agree with Brusso - if you want to run for a really long time, you might as well get another big battery.

I get about 1:30 with my UB with normal use, about 60 if I'm virus scanning or something. Really the best thing about it that I can avoid having a big battery hanging off the back of my machine - to me it's mostly cosmetic. For me it was worth it - I get about 4 hrs combined with my 4-cell. Many others also like it.

I also expect the life the UB to be shorter than the main battery, since it is drained completely before the main battery kicks in.

 

Thanks everyone for the great information, based on that I think I will not get it and probably invest in a spare 9cell.

Thanks again!

 

It's true that the price of the Ultrabay Battery is roughly the same price as another 9 cell.. but..

FYI: Remember that you now have double the amount of batteries to charge. And you will have to consistently switch back and forth between batteries to charge/discharge.

For the ultrabay battery, you're paying for the convenience that you don't have to switch back and forth between batteries.

If you plan on watching DVDs alot on batteries, well, then that's a different scenerio.