New battery test for all sj-33 users. Thanks to you all

[biblord]

I read the thread were people posted their's sj33 battery life, using the Palm Bench software, It was good to compare different batteries in the same handheld.

I downloaded the software, but I didn't tried my battery.

Yesterday I downloaded an Application called App Usage. Basically what this application does is that it works like a timer that counts all the minutes you use your palm. It gives you a grand total, plus you get detailed information on how much time you used the different applications you have in your palm.

I would like to propose all of you to test how different applications combine to drain all the battery in your palm. The best part of this "test" is that you just need to fully charge your sj-33, download and install the little aplication, use your handheld just like you do every day, and then submit your results to this thread. There's even an export to Memopad feature in the program, so at the end of your week or whatever it takes to drain your battery life you won't even need to type your results. Easy isn't?

If we all cooperate here people, we'll get more real results than the ones you can get with Palm Bench. We could all see if our good-looking sj-33 has a good battery.

You can get the software here: http://www.benc.hr/appusage.htm (It's a trial, but it'll work just fine for the test, I believe you can use the software for 250 hours (Don't think any of your sj-33's battery will last for that long)

I started the test yesterday, I will use my handheld with 25% backlight on, I think that my results will be in in about a week or so.

Ps: If any of you actually follow my proposal, please make sure to specify how many backlight did you use aprox. during the whole test, send us the total time and if possible the partial time, at least for most of the applications that you used.

Thanks to all of you.

Let's see who's palm gets more avantgo, bejewled or whatever programs you use time.

[PaulNB]

If we all cooperate here people, we'll get more real results than the ones you can get with Palm Bench. We could all see if our good-looking sj-33 has a good battery.

Nothing personal but I think people worry WAY too much about testing their batteries. Sure there may be some bad ones out their but there are a couple of different websites not to mention enough end user reports to be able to figure out how much battery life you can expect. Basically it's anywhere from 4-8 hours depending mostly on how bright you have your Clie set. I'm not trying to be nasty here it just seems that this subject has been covered quite thoroughly both here & on the Internet.:rolleyes:

[biblord]

You are right Paul, maybe some of us do worry too much about our batteries. Still I just got my SJ-33 two weeks ago, and would like to know what can I expect from my batteries. The total time doesn't relly matters to me, what I'm actually interested to see is how the different applications We all use affect our battery life.

So if there's someone out there who has 5 minutes to install the app, I would love to see the different results we get. Nobody needs to do anything besides installing the little software, the test runs on the background and won't bother you at all.

Ps: I'm glad there's still people like Paul in this forums, who expresses their opinion without actually attacking people´s ideas.

Thanks to all again.

[PaulNB]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by biblord
[B]You are right Paul, maybe some of us do worry too much about our batteries. Still I just got my SJ-33 two weeks ago, and would like to know what can I expect from my batteries. The total time doesn't relly matters to me, what I'm actually interested to see is how the different applications We all use affect our battery life.

Since you're interested in real world performance I do use a battery tracking application called Battery Log. With my brightness set at 25% I get anywhere from 4-7 hours depending on my usage. (I've never let the charge go lower than 44% however so I could get a longer usage in some cases, I don't want to risk running out of power when I need my unit) When I'm using the memory stick a lot it's on the low end of the scale. (MP3's, Kinoma, Photo stuff,etc) Most of my usage is the built in apps & a lot of Avantgo page reading. I almost never turn the backlight off save for the occasional period of 20-30 minutes 1-2X a week outdoors when it's very sunny.

Hope you enjoy your Clie...I honestly don't think about battery life as much now since I've established a comfortable routine.
:)

[biblord]

PaulNb: "I've never let the charge go lower than 44% however so I could get a longer usage in some cases, I don't want to risk running out of power when I need my unit"

I have a question Paul, If you don't let your battery fully die before recharging, don't you experience a shortage in battery life in the long term? I had a Palm M500 and the first year I charged it only every time the battery drained (battery lasted for 2 or 3 weeks always), after the first year I did exactlly as you did, never letting battery go less than a half of its power, after a copuple of months my battery didn't even hold a charge for more than 5 days. I don't know if that was just meant to happen to my battery, or if It was because of how I charged it.

I have 3 digital cameras from sony, with infolythium technology batteries, and those I'm pretty sure I can recharge whenever I want because they don't have the memory effect. Do you know if the Sj-33's battery will be more like my Palm m500 or like my sony infolithium batteries? That is, Do Clie batteries have memory effect and are affected by recharging it when it's really not needed yet.

Thanks again Paul

Ps: I do am enjoying my new clie very much, specially the screen, if you consider my last palm was a 16 gray scale M500. Bejewled is great fun, and pictures from my 5 megapixel F707 look just great.

[davidtm]

My understanding is that the lithium batteries (as seen in Clies and other devices) have no memory effect; that's seen in NiCad's and NiMH's only. I've also read (several times) that Lithium batteries like to be "topped off", that deep discharges are what affect a lithium battery's life.

[PaulNB]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by biblord

I have 3 digital cameras from sony, with infolythium technology batteries, and those I'm pretty sure I can recharge whenever I want because they don't have the memory effect. Do you know if the Sj-33's battery will be more like my Palm m500 or like my sony infolithium batteries?

Just like Davidtm wrote the batteries used in the SJ33 don't suffer from memory effect so it's ok to recharge them without fully discharging.

[biblord]

I've also read (several times) that Lithium batteries like to be "topped off", that deep discharges are what affect a lithium battery's life.


I was reading about different batteries this morning, and found out that just as you say they don't need to be fully discharged and that they don't have memory effect

"There is no battery memory effect with a lithium ion battery - you can charge the battery whenever you like without fear of reducing its charge capacity, and you do not need to drain a lithium ion battery completely before recharging it. "

, still I didn't come across a text where it says that the batteries actually should be topped off, and that deep discharges affect batteries more.

Are you sure about this? Because at the moment that is what I'm doing with mny Palm, fully discharging the battery everytime before recharging, and now I don't know if I'm doing wrong to my handheld, any help here would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[biblord]

Hi everyone, after a week of use, and another week of Cliesource not working properly, I'm posting my results, I'm not sure if anyone ias actually interested in them, but if you are, here they are. The program that took more battery life was Bejewled. My Sj-33 battery lasted from May 5 until may 10. For some people 5 days may be not enough, but let me tell you, I did use my palm a lot these week.

Application Usage Report 10/5/03

Application Usages(#) Time(min)
Vexed 9 92
Aggression 23 91
AvantGo 15 63
Bejeweled! 8 54
Date Book 25 22
HotSync 13 18
Memo Pad 8 12
SheetToGo 3 11
1Year 4 9
Address Book 10 7
CityZen 4 6
PG Pocket 5 4
Tender 3 4
World A.Clock 2 3
X-Master 6 2
DocsToGo 6 2
PalmaSutra 3 1
To Do List 6 1
FiveSeeds 1 1
LightsOff 1 1
lovedice 1 1
volleyball 1 1
SecureVault 2 1
General 6 1
Static 1 1
WordView+ 1 1
pBench 1 1
Buttons 1 1
Gobble! 1 1
Kinoma 1 1
MSBackup 1 1
Calculator 1 1
Security 1 1
Preferences 4 0

Grand Total 6:47:42 120 uses
Backlight: 25% on.

I guess that now I know more about my battery, so I will start enjoying my clie and stop worrying about battery life. The only question I still have is if I should be fully discharging my palm before charging it, or if I can charge it whenever I want. Any help here Would be greatly apreciated.

Thanks.

[Andyvan]

Just passing along what I've read many places: charge early and often. Do not run it down. Topping off is much better.

-- Andyvan

[Unregistered]

Originally posted by biblord

before charging it, or if I can charge it whenever I want. Any help here Would be greatly apreciated.

Thanks.

From what I've read you don't have to worry about totally discharging lithium batteries. At least one article I read claimed they actually "enjoyed" being topped off frequently.