24/7 Notebook Power?

RobPiano asks: "Help! I am working at a health care facility that may be expanding its network to have eight Fujitsu wireless notebooks. These notebooks would be required to run nearly 24/7 with minimum downtime. Unfortunately, charging and replacing lithium-ion batteries is expensive, and cost is definitely an issue. The notebooks are placed on carts, so an 'on-cart power supply' is an option, but having it plugged in is not. I considered a car battery, but most of the nurses would have trouble pushing both cart and battery. How have you readers kept your systems powered?"

Comments

Your best option.

[Neck_of_the_Woods]

Having worked in a hospital setting and knowning what problem you about to have the battery life of you laptop is going to be the smallest problem with what you are about to try to do.

Anyway, problem at hand. I know how hospitals are about money, your not solving a problem you are the problem. Damn money pit that IT group is but you going to have to ask for more money and I will supply why.

#1. You can't do the "recarge" batterys and replace them schtick because laptops are frail little things and you know they will break with repeated switching of batteries within the month. Look who your going to be giving them to and really ask your self this question. Will they break them and how fast. Yep, your going to need backup systems, and at least 3 of them at any given time.

#2. My guess is your best bet is going to be to get some kind of tablet computer "Mira" would be and example. Or a small CE device, something that has low power consumption that will last at least 4 hours. That is a basic shift. What ever software your trying to run get it for Citrix and ICA client them in over a wireless backbone. Remember that HIPPA is coming soon, your going to need to get the specs on your wireless, encyrption, etc..don't get left holding the bag on the HIPPA restrictions. Bring them up now!
We did a wireless CE to citrix solution using arrowpoint switches. These handhelds had light pens to scan the patients to pull med records. Again I stress security, wireless--medical records...you see my point about your battery life not being your only concern.

I wish you the best of luck, Doctors and computers are about the hardest thing in the world to get to work together. If you say it is for the nurse, well then it is for the doctor. Believe it. Anyway, good luck.