trevorc@uwovax.uwo.ca (03/22/90)
I am interested in discovering how many laptoppers actually use the battery feature of their machines. I have a Zenith Z-181 which has the battery built in so that, even with the power pack, the battery must be toted around. I also have a SuperSport 286 from which the battery can be detached and that is the way it is always operated. I claim that one is VERY rarely far from a power source and that the battery is just extra ballast. Do others share that opinion and are there any models that do not have batteries but expect to be close to either 110 or 220 volts? If you wish to answer to my e-mail address I will summarize the responses rather than clutter up the list. -- Trevor Cradduck, | Phone: (519) 667-6574 Department of Nuclear Medicine, | FAX: (519) 667-6734 Victoria Hospital, | E-mail: University of Western Ontario, | BITNET: TREVORC@UWOVAX.BITNET LONDON, Ontario, | INTERNET: TREVORC@UWOVAX.UWO.CA Canada, N6A 4G5 | UUCP: TREVORC@RIA.UWO.CA
pfeiffer@nmsu.edu (Joe Pfeiffer) (03/22/90)
trevorc@uwovax.uwo.ca, in <5448.26080b81@uwovax.uwo.ca>: |I am interested in discovering how many laptoppers actually use the battery |feature of their machines. I have a Zenith Z-181 which has the battery |built in so that, even with the power pack, the battery must be toted |around. I also have a SuperSport 286 from which the battery can be |detached and that is the way it is always operated. I claim that one is |VERY rarely far from a power source and that the battery is just extra |ballast. Do others share that opinion and are there any models that do not |have batteries but expect to be close to either 110 or 220 volts? The best way to find this out is to lose the batteries. I have a Kaypro 2000, with a fuse between the battery pack and the board. For an unknown reason (I suspect a short in the batteries, but never mind), the fuse frequently blows when you plug in the charger. It's hard enough to get to that I now effectively have a laptop whose batteries really are just ballast. It just demolishes the usefulness of the machine. I had no idea how frequently I popped up the top and worked without plugging in. The machine now sits at home in my den; I can't remember the last time I actually took it somewhere. Without batteries, you just plain won't use it as a portable. I've got to do something about those batteries.... -Joe.
perry@key.COM (Perry The Cynic) (03/24/90)
In article <5448.26080b81@uwovax.uwo.ca> trevorc@uwovax.uwo.ca writes: > I am interested in discovering how many laptoppers actually use the battery > feature of their machines. I have a Zenith Z-181 which has the battery > built in so that, even with the power pack, the battery must be toted > around. I also have a SuperSport 286 from which the battery can be > detached and that is the way it is always operated. I claim that one is > VERY rarely far from a power source and that the battery is just extra > ballast. Do others share that opinion and are there any models that do not > have batteries but expect to be close to either 110 or 220 volts? There's several reasons why I like to have a battery-driven laptop computer. First, my main reason for having a laptop at all, is to take it around with me "wherever I go". That includes drives to the park to let the sun shine on my belly. I use it as an electronic notebook and workbench, to be there whenever inspiration strikes me (if you forgive the poetic flash). I'm sure that if I searched hard enough, I could almost always find a power source (e.g., some- body's car battery), but the point is that the box (a T1000SE) takes about three seconds from off to ready. I type my thoughts and turn it off again. The laziness threshold to use the thing is pretty low. If I had to hunt for a power outlet, or go beg for somebody's permission to use his power, I would probably just let it go. Then there's the places where you just can't get a power line: airplanes, for example. Or try to ask that nice train operator. Or think of using your laptop on the bus to work, or just sitting on a bench waiting for the many things that you have to wait for on site. Five-to-fifteen minute occasions that I couldn't use if I had to hunt for power first. Another reason: I take the word "laptop" serious. The computer more often than not sits (or bounces) on my lap. As you can imagine, a cable would cramp that style. I can hop from table to bed to couch, taking the box with me, without disconnecting, reconnecting, cursing short cables, getting the cat tangled in the cable, having somebody stumble over it, etc. All that of course assumes that you're actually talking about a *laptop* computer, not a *portable*. If you move your computer from point A to point B and back on schedule (e.g., from home to work and back once a day), you don't need a laptop. In short, if you never expect to use your computer outside of a small set of places (home, work, customer sites, Ma's den), you may very well not need a battery at all. Mostly, batteries are useful for computer use "in between". Without batteries, your laptop is just six pounds of weight on the way. If that doesn't worry you, then indeed you should look for a model without batteries. (Toshiba's Tnnnn where nnnn>3000 are mains power-only, for example, mostly because they use power hungry displays.) We're having a power outage here, and the backup unit's running low. Good bye until another time... :-) -- perry -- -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Perry The Cynic (Peter Kiehtreiber) perry@arkon.key.com ** What good signature isn't taken yet? ** {amdahl,sgi,pacbell}!key!perry
jdudeck@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU (John R. Dudeck) (03/24/90)
>In article <5448.26080b81@uwovax.uwo.ca> trevorc@uwovax.uwo.ca writes: >> I also have a SuperSport 286 from which the battery can be >> detached and that is the way it is always operated... A word of caution is in order here. Not all portables can be operated with the battery removed and only the ac adapter connected. Some may be damaged this way! Read the fine print in your user manual carefully, and if it doesn't say that it can or cannot be operated without the battery in place, you are on risky ground if you try it. -- John Dudeck "You want to read the code closely..." jdudeck@Polyslo.CalPoly.Edu -- C. Staley, in OS course, teaching ESL: 62013975 Tel: 805-545-9549 Tanenbaum's MINIX operating system.