Notebook Rental News – Are Battery Problems Solved?
Notebook rental and sales companies may soon be able to market a new feature that promises to rectify one of the main complaints of notebook users – short battery life.
The idea of replacing batteries with fuel cells is not new, but a story on Reuters on March 22, 2009 notes that Toshiba is planning to mass produce fuel cells for recharging devices like notebook computers as early as April, 2009.
Notebooks and Fuel Cells
A quick scan of news stories about the use of fuel cells in notebook computers shows that they were being discussed as far back as 2003, when NEC began experimenting with the technology, trying to make it usable for portable electronic devices. In 2005, IBM started talking about fuel cells for ThinkPads. And in October of 2008, Panasonic unveiled a prototype of a methanol fuel cell that is about the size of a traditional notebook battery.
So, why all the excitement over fuel cells? A PDF on Neah Power (a manufacturer of fuel cells), available on fuelcells.org, tells us. The main points of the article are summarized below.
In essence, the demands of our portable electronics have grown immensely and battery technology has not kept pace. Consider that most portable devices – including media players, PDA's, "smart phones" and notebooks – require power to run a processor, screen, and audio components, but also to provide WiFi access. The power demands are huge.
Lithium–ion battery technology has lagged far behind the developments in computing power, creating a "power gap" between batteries and computers. With new video technologies, like Blu–Ray and HD, the gap is expected to widen further. Many experts think lithium–ion technology has hit the wall as far as increasing the efficiency of batteries. (There have also been safety concerns, as these batteries have been shown to overheat and cause fires.)
If you travel for business and use your notebook on the road, you have a choice between recharging or carrying an extra battery. There are currently airline restrictions limiting travelers to one battery per person containing no more than 8g of lithium, which is what most batteries today contain.
The bottom line? A longer lasting and lighter power source is needed. Enter fuel cells.
How Do Fuel Cells Power a Notebook?
According to the fuelcells.org, fuel cells combine a fuel, like methanol, with oxygen in a chemical reactor to produce electricity. They can generate electricity continuously, as long as fuel and oxygen are available. Fuel cells can be refueled instantly with small, replaceable fuel cartridges – i.e. you get long runtimes with no need for AC power or extra batteries.
Will It Work and How Much Will It Cost?
There are potential limitations to any new technology, many of which are outlined in the fuelcells.org article. Given that big notebook manufacturers, like Toshiba, are behind fuel cells, it looks like the concept will become a reality.
Will the technology cost more? Probably. Most new and exciting technologies do. This is where notebook rentals come in. For those businesses that cannot afford a fuel cell and the replacement cartridges needed (or any other new bells and whistles manufacturers dream up), a notebook rental is ideal. Imagine renting a fuel cell notebook for business trips, when longer battery life is essential. You wouldn’t have to buy, but could still have access to this fantastic new technology when you need it. The potential of this technology, and its effects on notebook use, is huge. And with notebook rentals, you could obtain it, at least for a little while.
Call 1–800–827–0352 for international notebook computer rentals or fill out our Flexquote to get your quote in one hour.
