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    Spare Battery

    Discussion in 'Sager and Clevo' started by birdsonbat, Jun 13, 2012.

  1. birdsonbat

    birdsonbat Notebook Consultant

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    posted this in np9150 thread but no one answered so i guess i would ask here

    Is it common for people to carry around a spare battery with them?
    For example in college would it be worth buying an extra battery to carry in my pack?

    thanks
     
    birdsonbat, Jun 13, 2012
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  2. vuman619

    vuman619 Notebook Evangelist

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    NO, to elaborate... no. Li-ion batterys deteriorate over time even if they aren't being used, I would find it to be a waste of money. Better off buying one only when the first one dies. They generally have a 3 year life-span if you look after them.
     
    vuman619, Jun 13, 2012
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  3. birdsonbat

    birdsonbat Notebook Consultant

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    nononono i mean like have two charged batteries (one in laptop + spare one)
    and throughout day if first one is about dead i just power down andswitch batteries
     
    birdsonbat, Jun 13, 2012
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  4. Kiol

    Kiol Notebook Consultant

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    I know some photographers carry backups when they go on trips.
     
    Kiol, Jun 13, 2012
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  5. John Yaya

    John Yaya Notebook Enthusiast

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    If there is somewhere during your day where you can plug it in for awhile (lunch, library etc.) to get your battery through the day consider taking your power supply with you. Heavy and bulky I know, but so is an extra battery and charging up 2 batteries every night is a pain.
     
    John Yaya, Jun 13, 2012
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  6. vuman619

    vuman619 Notebook Evangelist

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    IMO it is better to look after your battery and replace it when it is finished; rather than have two batteries that will end up keeling over around the same time and having to buy two batteries again, though YMMV.

    EDIT: I have been down the two battery phase before, I used to like to think that I had double the capacity wherever I went with any of my electronics, but now I feel much better about looking after your battery better to prolong it's life. There is a thread around here about looking after your battery, etc. Will post it when I find it.
     
    vuman619, Jun 13, 2012
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  7. YAYTech

    YAYTech Notebook Consultant

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    Carrying two batteries is going to be quite a pain.

    a) You have to charge them both up, so you'd either have to get a second charger that's capable of charging a battery directly, or have a nightly ritual of swapping the battery once the first one is charged.

    b) You're most likely going to have to shut down the laptop to swap the battery. You might not technically have to if you're plugged in, but there's risk of power spikes from a live swap, and if you're plugged in anyway, it's probably just as well to let the first battery charge.

    c) It's that much more cost, and no guarantee the batteries will have any longer life.

    d) It's that much more weight to carry around.

    All that said, it can serve a function, and you're the only one who can decide if it's worthwhile.
     
    YAYTech, Jun 13, 2012
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  8. Aethereal

    Aethereal Newbie

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    This.
    But I did have to buy a spare battery at one point. There was an unfortunate semester of university where I had 6 straight hours of classes and no outlets in any of these classes. So unless you're as unlucky as I am, one battery should suffice.
     
    Aethereal, Jun 14, 2012
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  9. birdsonbat

    birdsonbat Notebook Consultant

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    ok very helpful thanks
     
    birdsonbat, Jun 14, 2012
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  10. chaconne

    chaconne Newbie

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    I seriously doubt that the extra battery would be a convenient addition. As others have mentioned, it's going to be heavy, inconvenient to charge, and rarely (if ever) useful. If you're going to be needing that much battery life, the Sager is probably not the best choice.
     
    chaconne, Jun 16, 2012
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  11. ruly

    ruly Notebook Consultant

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    You could always get an external battery pack, which seems for me a much better decision.
     
    ruly, Jun 16, 2012
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