Laptop Fuel Cells Coming Soon

tomsastroblog writes "Soon laptop batteries could last all day and be recharged from a cartridge. BBC News has a piece on fuel cells as laptop batteries, and what their adoption could mean for laptop usage." From the article: "At the Cebit technology fair in Hanover, Taiwanese hi-tech firm Antig said its fuel cells should be on the shelves of computer shops by early 2007. The first versions of the methanol-using units should keep a laptop going for up to nine hours. Fuel cell technology got a boost recently when international air flight regulators changed rules that banned passengers from carrying flammable methanol onto aircraft."

Comments

Price and Stocks

[komodo9]

I especially like the ability for them to fit into existing laptops (in the media bay), rather than only working with new, specially-designed laptops. Overall it sounds great, however expensive. It'd probably be years before they can get the price down to a reasonable level. Either way, it might not be a bad idea to go invest in fuel cell stocks now. :)
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BMW Forum

Re:Price and Stocks

[stunt_penguin]

*slaps forehead*

I think he may have been talking about the price of the technology, not the price of methanol as fuel.

Convenience Really Counts

[BoRegardless]

Most laptop owners don't sit in a proverbial flower field and run their laptops.

Hence, what % of laptop owners would buy a new and no doubt very expensive methanol fuel cell module &, expensive methanol (prepackaged of course), and this assumes a properly package fuel cell module is available for your particular Laptop.

If it leaks and destroys your laptop is it covered by a warranty that replaces your laptop?

Lots of unanswered questions

Re:Convenience Really Counts

[Firehed]

The reason I'm selling my old laptop on eBay right now is that the battery life is horrid. Now of course 1.5 hours is on the low end of bad nowadays, but I'm really looking for something that should last for a full day of school. While I may not be in some field of flowers, longer battery life is a must for me. I'd say it's just as important as, if not more important than the price of the thing. I don't need a powerhouse (I've got my desktop for that) but being able to get some work done on the go is extremely important for me. I know there are some units available rated for six hours, but that's probably time spent just sitting at the desktop.... I need to at least be able to have a word processor or spreadsheet open. I'd imagine every other soon-to-be college student in the world is looking for that at the very least, not to mention most people that are looking for a laptop that's not to act as a DTR.

Most people wouldn't care whether it's a micro-fusion reactor in their laptop or a flock of nano-gerbils on micro-running-wheels as long as they get good life out of the thing. Well I suppose PETA would take some offense to the latter, but they don't need to know. Point being, for most people, having a laptop is all about mobility, and for the most part battery life is the main issue that comes into play, probably with network access coming in next.

I need a fuel cell powered laptop...

[Nova Express]

...to run my copy of Duke Nukem Forever. By my estimate, we've been hearing about the imminent arrival of each for about the same length of time...

Laptop, not plugstop.

[miffo.swe]

Today most laptops are just dragged between electric outlets since they wont go for more than a couple of hours without recharging. Having nine hours worth of computer time changes the way you can use a laptop in a pretty significant way. From being used as a portable desktop you can use it as a really portable computer, taking it whereever you go without running amok for a piglets nose.

For me this is something i have longed for since the dawn of laptops.

Re:You realize...

[LiquidCoooled]

Its the Gilette principle brought to computers.

Never before has anyone had to purchase daily consumables for their computer.

My bet, once these take off, they will be sold in the stores at the cig counters alongside the lighter fuel.

Re:Hardware: Laptop Fuel Cells Coming Soon ...

[Concerned Onlooker]

I can understand your possible burnout on the topic, but I think that Slashdot is generally read by people who are interested in cutting edge tech. If the editors only posted articles about things that had already been produced then this would be nothing more than a consumer review site.

As for the "giant can of Zippo," yes, we would all like to have a fuel cell battery that lasts for a week and fits right into the old battery slot, but cut them a little slack. It's a new thing and it's bound to improve and the fact that there may be a laptop fuel cell at all in the near future is pretty interesting.

Re:Sounds Dangerous

[Dunbal]

It's a neurotoxin! It casues blindness! And it's highly flammable!

Sounds like a terrorist's dream.

      These toxic effects take far to much time for it to be effective as a weapon. Plus you would need an incredible amount of it if you planned to kill people with an methanol aerosol. In fact ethanol (another neurotoxin you may be more familiar with) might be more effective for this. If you offer it free in a glass to most people, they will actually drink it!

Methanol On Board

[wildsurf]

Fuel cell technology got a boost recently when international air flight regulators changed rules that banned passengers from carrying flammable methanol onto aircraft.

So now when the guy sitting next to you's computer bombs, it means something entirely different.