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The Next Notebook Battery? Lithium Polymer
Lewis Clarke writes "Sony is changing its course to use an old technology for its new battery manufacturing. ZDNet is reporting on comments from Sony Electronics President Stan Glasgow, where he said that Notebook makers will 'likely' soon choose to incorporate lithium polymer batteries (a battery technology that emerged nine years ago) over the current commonly used type, lithium ion batteries." From the article: "Lithium polymer batteries use lithium as an active ingredient. Lithium is a volatile material, but the lithium in these batteries isn't packed into cells as it is in lithium ion batteries. Instead, it is contained in a polymer gel. These gel batteries can't provide the same sort of energy density as lithium ion batteries, but that's now a plus."
Why not use dilithium, instead?
Is it just me or do others start to feel nervous when Sony start trying to push new battery technology..?
Less power and less bang for the buck? Can't wait for the marketing people to spin that one.
Didn't you hear that everyone has switched over to gel packs?
...if you as a consumer would indicate to the vendors that long range battery life is more important than over-all laptop or cellphone lightness. Are you willing to carry an extra pound or two in weight with your laptop? You can have (potentially) a bigger battery, that might be made better-more rugged-so that it is safer plus has good range. Consumers demand the lightest though (I call it the wimpification of society factor), so the vendors are stuck trying to accomodate that. Let the vendors know, starting at the local retail store and on up, tell them you want better batteries, even though it might be heavier. They won't change unless consumers change, end of story. 3 lb laptop with exploding batteries and no hang time, or maybe a 5 lb laptop that actually works and runs all day and doesn't catch fire. Now, maybe it's just me, but I would prefer the 5 lb model (whatever, units used for demonstration purposes only).
Now I have a beef with the cellphones, with the constantly shrinking size, last two stores I went into had no cell phones that to me are large enough to be useful. I don't want a tiny screen and buttons so small you mash three of them at once..but..that's all I am seeing until you get into the ridiculous price class range of PDAs, and now even those (smartphones) are too small. I'd swap 90% of the non phone call making functions in the phone if it was just a larger and to me a more practical phone. The couple I have now I will hang on to as long as possible because they are still moderately useful, but looking at the trends it looks like they want to embed cellphones into a tooth cavity or something pretty soon. I don't know what Lilliputians they use to test drive these new phones, but they have to be three foot tall max with fingers as big as toothpicks and eyes sharp as eagles.
Never trust lithium. I took it for years and my brain NEVER worked. I wish I was joking.
Property is theft.
The power:wight ratio? What kind of necromancy are you planning on doing with your laptop?
There is no mod option "-1: Disagree" for a reason. "Overrated" is not an acceptable substitute. Post something instead.
Actually Lipo are more likely to explode.
If the laptop owner has a chance of survival Sony might have to replace the device. With LiPo batteries, the number of reclaims could be greatly reduced.