Power Tips for Notebooks
Blackouts are more common than you think: Be prepared.James A. Martin
Feature: Tips for Working Without Electricity
The recent blackout on the East Coast should have reminded everyone of a few key survival tactics:
Desktop machines connected to an uninterruptible power supply with a battery backup may continue to work for, say, 15 minutes after the lights go off. But a notebook is designed to run on an internal battery. So when the power goes off, you've got all your files, e-mail messages, and other stuff on a computer that can still run for a few hours.
While blackouts like the big one in August won't happen every month (let's hope), less dramatic power outages happen fairly often, thanks to ice storms in the winter, lightning in the summer, and so on. With a little planning, you can keep your notebook's juices flowing even when the wall socket runs dry. Here's how.
Keep Two Batteries Charged
Some notebooks, such as many Dell Inspiron models, offer interchangeable drive bays that can accept batteries or other devices, such as CD-R/RW and other optical drives. These notebooks let you install an extra battery in one bay and an optical drive in the other.
The ideal power backup scenario would be to keep a battery installed and fully charged in each bay at all times. Unfortunately, that means you'd have to hassle with swapping a battery with the optical drive every time you needed a CD or DVD. And external rechargers aren't often an option for notebook batteries.
Solution: When you're not traveling, attach an external optical drive to your notebook. That way, you can easily access CDs and keep both batteries fully charged. External CD-R/CD-RW drives have dropped dramatically in price, with some models, such as Hewlett-Packard's CD-Writer Plus, costing only about $50.
To shop for external CD-R/CD-RW drives, go to the PCWorld.com Product Finder.
Investigate Battery Options Before You Buy
If you're in the market for a new notebook, consider a model that can run off two batteries without requiring you to swap one out for an optical drive. Keep in mind, though, that notebooks with a fixed optical drive and two bays that can hold batteries tend to be heavy. For example, the Dell Inspiron 8500 ($2166) weighs nearly 9 pounds.
Also, check to see if the manufacturer offers optional high-capacity batteries for the notebook you're considering. For example, the Sharp Actius UM32W ($1899) ships with a battery that lasted about 2 hours in our tests. But Sharp sells a long-life battery that the company says will last up to 9 hours. It costs $349, though, while a standard replacement battery for the UM series notebooks is $179.
You can check our Product Finder for the latest prices on the Actius UM32W.
Do a Reality Check
In terms of battery life, what some computer makers claim and what a given notebook actually delivers are often two different things. So if you're shopping for a notebook, read impartial reviews first, paying close attention to the real-world battery results.
For instance, the notebooks we evaluate at the PC World Test Center have all been tested for battery life. For a quick look at test results, check our monthly Top 15 Notebook PCs. You can always find the latest chart linked to our Reviews page. At the Top 15 Notebook PCs page, click the Test Report link that accompanies each notebook and scroll down toward the bottom of the page to find the battery test results. The results are given a rating (such as "outstanding" or "very good"); the duration (such as 3:49) is listed as well.
Look for Longevity
Notebook battery longevity can vary widely, from about 90 minutes to more than 6 hours.
The latest generation of notebooks, particularly those based on the Intel Centrino chip set architecture, offer some of the longest battery lives yet. Some recent examples:
And Then There's the PowerPad
Some third-party companies sell extended-life notebook batteries. The Electrovaya PowerPad 160 ($449), for instance, delivers up to 16 hours of juice (depending on use), the company says. Electrovaya offers lower-cost models with shorter battery life, too.
Resources
Notebooks & Accessories
Tip: Can't Find an Airport Power Outlet? Try Baggage Claim
Wi-Fi hot spots are proliferating at airports. And yet, Wi-Fi connectivity can quickly drain notebook batteries. The result: Many mobile professionals, hoping to check e-mail before boarding a plane, scramble to find available power outlets near their departure gate.
Too often, though, there aren't any wall outlets--or other notebook users have already plugged into them. In a sidebar to one of his recent business travel columns, USA Today's David Grossman offers advice on plugging in at the airport. Among his tips:
News: Removable Hard Drives
Iomega's new Removable Rigid Disk system is, in essence, a removable hard drive inside a cartridge with up to 35GB capacity. Based on standard hard drive components, RRD products will feature an air filtration system and an automatic head cleaning mechanism to help avoid data corruption. RRD systems will also include an enhanced version of Iomega's Backup software that can perform data compression and encryption. RRD products are expected to ship early next year; an external version will connect via USB 2.0. Prices should range from $350 to $500.
News: External FireWire Storage
The Lucid M2X Portable FireWire DVD-Multi Drive is an external, bus-powered drive that can burn CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW, and DVD-RAM media. The drive, from peripheral maker MCE Technologies, carries a $389 suggested retail price, weighs less than a pound, and works with PCs and Macs that include a FireWire port. And it ships with a double-sided DVD-RAM that, unlike other writable optical media, can act as a "virtual hard disk," the company says.
Handhelds
Tip: A PDA Can Show the Way
Next time you're in the dark, turn on your backlit PDA. Many Palm and Pocket PC models project enough light (particularly with backlighting turned all the way up) to act as ad-hoc flashlights. Example: In New York during the recent blackout, a Palm advertising executive used his Zire 71 to make his way along darkened sidewalks and stairwells, The Wall Street Journal reports. Emergencies aside, the Zire 71 is one of the best midrange PDAs available.
News: Music (and Late-Breaking Bulletins) to Your Ears
In addition to its duties as a cellular phone, the new Nokia 3300 lets you listen to MP3 files downloaded from your computer.
But while I'm on the subject of blackouts and emergencies, consider this: The phone also acts as a stereo FM radio. So in the next emergency, when your mobile phone can't connect (which was often the case during the big East Coast blackout), at least you'll be able to pick up late-breaking news on the radio.
Wireless
News: Delta Extends Talk Time
Delta has joined American, Continental, and Spirit in allowing passengers to use mobile phones (and other portable electronics) as a plane is taxiing to the gate. Previously, passengers were asked to wait until the plane came to a stop.
Business Travel Bulletin
News: American Airlines Accepts Changes
Along with Delta and other airlines, American Airlines is now giving travelers up to one year to reschedule a nonrefundable ticket without losing the ticket's value. The change, announced in mid-August, was effective immediately. The only stipulation: You must cancel a reservation before the scheduled departure time.
Previously, passengers with nonrefundable tickets had to first cancel them, then rebook and receive a new ticket no later than the original departure date. That was a big drag for business travelers, who are subject to shifting travel plans.
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