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Netbooks: Best battery life on a netbook?
Best battery life on a netbook?
by imaginarywhale. - 10/2/09 4:58 PMI'm a student looking to buy a netbook, but I'm torn between the Asus Eee PC 1005HA and a few others. What do you guys think would be the best netbook? Here are my specifications:
(1) excellent battery life (I mean, over 8 hours)
(2) under $400
(3) 10 inch screen
(4) able to use wordprocessing program and 2-3 internet tabs at a time
(5) preferably white, but that's not a biggie at all. I can deal with other netbooks if they fit my other requirements.
So, what do you recommend?
Also, I'm loving the upcoming Asus Eee T91 because of the touch screen, swivel screen, and overall look. But the price is a little on the steep side, plus the battery doesn't last more than five hours. Should I just wait for a more updated model to come out? When do you think that will be?
But wait.
by R. Proffitt
- 10/2/09 6:01 PM
In reply to: Best battery life on a netbook? by imaginarywhale.
Is that "real hours" or some spec, test? Here I get about half those hours on all machines. Why? Because we use the machine. So can you share if that 10 hour netbook comes in at 5 hours will you be upset?
Bob
I get it.
by imaginarywhale. - 10/2/09 6:16 PM In reply to: But wait. by R. Proffitt
I understand that what the manufacturer states as the battery life is not the real deal. But at the very least, the netbook should last at LEAST 6 hours while being used as an e-reader (which will probably be my primary use) or for note taking.
Let's find a 12 hour life and keep in mind that
by R. Proffitt - 10/3/09 5:04 AM
In reply to: I get it. by imaginarywhale.
The batteries are only 300 cycle units so that in one year the battery will need replacement. This is not hearsay, conjecture but reality and real world testing. The E-READER is very close to what we use the machines for. While it is a presentation either with Adobe Reader or PowerPoint we get 1/2 to less the hours that you see from the maker and reviews.
Look for 12 hour units like the Nokia Booklet 3G.
Bob
Price?
by imaginarywhale. - 10/3/09 8:49 AM In reply to: Let's find a 12 hour life and keep in mind that by R. Proffitt
The Nokia Booklet 3G hasn't been released yet, so I'm not sure how great it will be. Also, the estimated price is well above my budget at app. $600.
There are other 12 and 14 hour machines out there.
by R. Proffitt - 10/3/09 10:08 AM
In reply to: Price? by imaginarywhale.
Are you sure it must work 6 hours continuously without taking a break? The time I'm noting is for continuous use. No breaks that would let the display or CPU nap.
Also why not the real thing? That Kindle display is absolutely readable. Have you seen it?
Bob
Oops.
by imaginarywhale. - 10/3/09 12:19 PM In reply to: There are other 12 and 14 hour machines out there. by R. Proffitt
Sorry, I've been so unclear! I never meant 6 hours without a break. I would use the netbook uniquely for each class. Meaning, in one class I would use it as an e-reader for about 1.25 hours. And then perhaps an hour break, and on to my next class, where I would use it to take notes for another 1.25 hours. Then, another half hour break. And so on. I just wouldn't want my netbook to die out on me on a day where my classes last from 8 in the morning to 4 in the afternoon.
I'd also like to check my email every now and then, so Kindle's a no-no for me.
I see the Acer is touting 7.5 hours now.
by R. Proffitt - 10/3/09 12:48 PM
In reply to: Oops. by imaginarywhale.
The Acer Aspire One with 7.5 hours battery is hovering at 310 bucks on amazon with free shipping. I own the 6 hour unit and while it is not a laptop it is what we use for presentations and when we need something small to run out the door with.
Bob
My preference is Samsung
by c.reaney - 10/17/09 8:36 AM In reply to: Oops. by imaginarywhale.I have two Samsung NC-10 netbooks, one for myself and one for my wife, along with three other Fujitsu standard notebooks. The Samsungs have become our main use machines. They will last for +/- 5-6 hours with the 6 cell battery. This of course, includes utilizing power saving features enabled and tweaked for reasonable power conservation, and not having your screen up over the 2nd from the dimmest setting, which I find more than acceptable. In fact the brightest setting is TOO bright for my preferences. There are also aftermarket 9 cell batteries available (+/- $65.) which may give you an additional 1.5 - 2 hours or so when it's time to replace the original.
If you set it up to go into Standby when you close the lid between uses, you should have NO problem achieving your time/usage goal of +/- 5-6 hours, and will probably have power to speare.
Samsung has several updates to this original machine, including the nc-12, the nc-20 and others. They run from about $340. - $500. on Amazon, last time I checked.
I did upgrade the ram in both from the original 1 gb to 2 gb at an addtional $23. (?). I wouldn't trade my Samsung netbook for ANYTHING!
$270 off ebay
by time_out - 10/10/09 7:27 AM In reply to: Best battery life on a netbook? by imaginarywhale.I bought an asus 1000h refurb off ebay and am very happy with it.
It is rated at 4 to 7 hours and you will get max life if you turn off the radios(bluetooth and wifi) unless needed and you can use the function buttons on the keyboard in windows to do that. On a flight from maui to missouri(3 legs) I was able to watch 2 1.5hr movies with the screen brightness turned down as much as possible and still had over 50% battery left. I was using vlc media player and watching 700MB xvid videos. So with being a little frugal you can go all day, also another 3 cell battery isn't heavy or too expensive if needed.
For 20 bucks more.
by R. Proffitt - 10/10/09 8:36 AM
In reply to: $270 off ebay by time_out
I ran across one of the new 11+ inch Acer netbooks NEW on amazon.com with 11 hour battery.
Why would I bother with Ebay?
model number plz
by time_out - 10/10/09 10:47 AM In reply to: For 20 bucks more. by R. Proffitt
I don't see an eleven hour acer netbook, just the 8hr. but amazon has an 11 hr asus for 409.00. Of course things change so fast(daily) it's hard to keep up.
Its not on my list but the number 751 rings a bell.
by R. Proffitt - 10/10/09 11:09 AM
In reply to: model number plz by time_out
As the models change so fast I can't keep them all lined up.
Curious about...
by imaginarywhale. - 10/12/09 10:51 AM In reply to: Its not on my list but the number 751 rings a bell. by R. Proffitt
...why you would recommend the Acer over the Asus 1005HA? As far as what CNET is telling me, the battery life of the Asus exceeds that of the Acer.
US Service centers.
by R. Proffitt - 10/12/09 11:07 AM
In reply to: Curious about... by imaginarywhale.
That's why. Having dealt with both company service centers I can't give any nod to the Asus today.
Also, go get reviews on battery TIME. Battery LIFE is equal at 300 cycles.
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