PDA Batteries (In general)

[dazno1]

Few years back you could get a b/w pda with AAA batteries and would last for weeks

Today the pda's use custom battery, use colour etc etc..

Why have manufacturers stopped the AAA types? My battery life is about 2 weeks on an SL10

Surely not everyone wants colour/built in speakers...?

Sorry... just having a rant..

[Lucky Bob]

Originally posted by dazno1
Few years back you could get a b/w pda with AAA batteries and would last for weeks

Today the pda's use custom battery, use colour etc etc..

Why have manufacturers stopped the AAA types? My battery life is about 2 weeks on an SL10I have an m100 that I used to use as my primary PDA, and it lasts pretty long on AAA batteries (more than 2 weeks). But it's much cheaper and more convenient to have a rechargeable battery.Originally posted by dazno1
Surely not everyone wants colour/built in speakers...? I know I do...

[ZekeSulastin]

Well then, find a PDA from 5 yrs ago ... the primary reason I got a new PDA (SJ-33) was the internal battery ... and the color/spkr/hires is really nice, and much more useful than I thought it would be when I had my m105 ...

[Unregistered]

Good ranting... : )

With faster processor, ever increasing RAM, battery-draining screens and this-and-that feature, alkalines AAA just don't last long on the latest PDA.

There are NiMH AAA... But at the same size LiIon (maybe LiPoly as well?) holds more charge than NiMH... Not sure about the cost...

Also, for PDA to be made slimmer, customized batteries provide greater flexibility to AAA.

Of course, you and me can get a AAA-powered Palm anyday on eBay, right?

Another rant... : )

Originally posted by dazno1
Few years back you could get a b/w pda with AAA batteries and would last for weeks

Today the pda's use custom battery, use colour etc etc..

Why have manufacturers stopped the AAA types? My battery life is about 2 weeks on an SL10

Surely not everyone wants colour/built in speakers...?

Sorry... just having a rant..

[strider_mt2k]

Not to mention the mountain of used batteries filling up landfills!!

How much will you be spending on disposable batteries this year, or in the time that your PDA remains in "in service"?

I haven't done the math, but I'll bet the LIon rechargables are a better per-dollar value over the lifespan of the unit than disposable batteries.

Lithium-Ion batteries also have the convenience of being able to be recharged at any point in the discharge cycle with zero "memory effect", and remain on a charger indefinitely.

[palmgeek]

Oh, come on...

When was the last time anyone here went for a stroll through a landfill, and stumbled upon "mountains of used batteries"???

Tree-hugging aside; as someone already mentioned, the reason manufacturers have gone to LiIon is because the newer units *HOG* power. LiIon is the only cost-effective solution. LiIon batteries produce more voltage, in a smaller package, than existing Alkaline or NiMH units.

[strider_mt2k]

When was the last time anyone took a stroll through a landfill period? It's hardly the point.

Where do you think disposable batteries go for the most part, other than incinerators and illegal dumping? -Battery Heaven?

If giving the slightest crap about the planet gets me labeled as a tree hugger, then label away.
I alway understood that it was unwise to "crap in one's lunchbox".
But perhaps you were taught differently.

I think we can all agree using rechargeable batteries just makes sense from many different aspects.

[palmgeek]

No one disputes the usefulness of disposable batteries. I simply reacted to the regurgitated tripe about "mountains" of batteries in landfills. Unless you’ve seen it for yourself (hence, the question about strolling through a landfill), you’re just spewing someone else’s exaggerated viewpoint with no tangible proof. It is more likely that it would take a person several hours to find just one disposable battery in a land fill, than to find a mountain of them.

Since we’re on the subject of loving mother earth; the car I drive gets 31+ MPG (with stop-and-go driving). How about yours?

[AcuraCL]

Originally posted by palmgeek


Since we’re on the subject of loving mother earth; the car I drive gets 31+ MPG (with stop-and-go driving). How about yours?

Oh boy, car talk.

28 mpg. V6/225hp. Love that vtec engine.

[palmgeek]

Hmmm... Nice Acura!!

I drive a poor-man's Acura... a Honda Accord, 4cyl, 0 HP (that's *with* feeding the chipmunk). 

 

:-)

[AcuraCL]

Originally posted by palmgeek
...I drive a poor-man's Acura... a Honda Accord, 4cyl, 0 HP (that's *with* feeding the chipmunk). 

 

:-)

Nah. Acura is nothing but a Honda with a $5000 nameplate. Accord is one of the greatest cars ever designed.

Heck, I'll probably get one the next time around. They don't make the big coupe any more in the Acura, but there is still a nice-looking Accord coupe.

[mike p]

they should ban dispobble batterys and ony sell recharbles

heck id love to use aa s in my sj33 ( 1950mah nimh of cource)

[Unregistered]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by mike p
[B]they should ban dispobble batterys and ony sell recharbles
QUOTE]

Long live the alkaline battery!

[strider_mt2k]

Originally posted by palmgeek
No one disputes the usefulness of disposable batteries. I simply reacted to the regurgitated tripe about "mountains" of batteries in landfills. Unless you’ve seen it for yourself (hence, the question about strolling through a landfill), you’re just spewing someone else’s exaggerated viewpoint with no tangible proof. It is more likely that it would take a person several hours to find just one disposable battery in a land fill, than to find a mountain of them.


Millions of disposable batteries are sold in the US alone every year.
Again I ask, where do you think they are going when they are done being used if they aren't being recycled or burned?

No "regurgitated tripe" here, just simple math.
Track the sales. Do the math. Face the facts.
The information is available to anyone who cares to be accurate.


If you have a less polluting car, good for you.
Again, hardly the point. :rolleyes:

[Unregistered]

Originally posted by strider_mt2k


Millions of disposable batteries are sold in the US alone every year. Do the math. Face the facts.
The information is available to anyone who cares to be accurate.


As with many things, we make it into too big of a deal. As in the case of second hand smoke. If you believe what you read and see on television, if a pregnant women even thinks she smells smoke, her baby is doomed to deformities. There is much propaganda if you really look at the facts. And, much politically motivated.

[strider_mt2k]

I'm sorry I have blown this up at all.
I don't want to tell anyone what choices to make, I only can claim what I do for myself.

To be honest, I was really just trying to make another case for using rechargable batteries.

If they made a good PDA that used AAA bats, there is a fair chance I'd be running it because I could hit my company up for batteries, so I can't say that I'm a dyed in the wool hippie tree hugger, just someone who tries to be aware.
That doesn't stop me from being opportunistic when it suits me, I can be that honest.
I can be a wastefull b@stard and like it. USA! USA! :D

So let me hopefully diffuse any bad feelings over this by admitting this, and saying hey, my car is a POS '91 Mustang with 126,000 miles on it, so it couldn't possibly be doing the world any favors! :D
(Alreight, we have a 2003 Hyundai Accent GT too, but I don't think the milage is comperable, but close.)

[Unregistered]

Originally posted by strider_mt2k
I'm sorry I have blown this up at all.
I don't want to tell anyone what choices to make, I only can claim what I do for myself.

To be honest, I was really just trying to make another case for using rechargable batteries.

If they made a good PDA that used AAA bats, there is a fair chance I'd be running it because I could hit my company up for batteries, so I can't say that I'm a dyed in the wool hippie tree hugger, just someone who tries to be aware.
That doesn't stop me from being opportunistic when it suits me, I can be that honest.
I can be a wastefull b@stard and like it. USA! USA! :D

So let me hopefully diffuse any bad feelings over this by admitting this, and saying hey, my car is a POS '91 Mustang with 126,000 miles on it, so it couldn't possibly be doing the world any favors! :D
(Alreight, we have a 2003 Hyundai Accent GT too, but I don't think the milage is comperable, but close.)

Not a biggie at all and sorry I read this so "black and white". I still use AAA alkalines in my Visor due to the great battery life, but I would like to see us get away from fossil fuels. If I can possibly afford it, the next car I buy will hopefully be electric. I just think we have to hit a happy medium on some of this stuff. Technology is great, but unfortunately, there are prices to pay.

[palmgeek]

Originally posted by strider_mt2k
I'm sorry I have blown this up at all.
I don't want to tell anyone what choices to make, I only can claim what I do for myself. ... 

Hey, no hard feelings... 

Confession: My gas mileage concerns are certainly not centered on environmental issues, but more so on the sheer *cost* of fuel these days! 

Besides, I agreed with you all along on the merits of rechargeables.  I use them in my digital camera, and I used to use them (most of the time) in my old Palm IIIxe.  Both uses of rechargeables, by the way, were driven by cost issues, not environmental ones. 

With rechargeables, however, there *is* a tradeoff in "run time".  In my experience, I got roughly half the run time out of NiMH batteries, compared to Alkaline.  In addition, NiMH batteries lose about 1% of their charge per day when they're being stored (not used). 

In the long run, NiMH probably cost less to use... but then again, has anybody run the numbers for the cost of electricity to recharge them the 1000+ times they are said to last?  Might be interesting - maybe we'd all find out that they have more of a negative impact on the environment than we think.  Think of the fossil fuel fumes which are released into the atmosphere for each NiMH battery recharged (or how about storing spent nuclear reactor cores)???  Hmmmm....  Disposables don't sound so bad anymore.

 

[Yakir]

I currently have an (old) M500 and I'm thinking of getting an SJ33 with its HiRes/Speaker/MP3/16mbRAM/Sony software/etc. but I'm worried that's its battery life is too short for any practical usage as a MP3 player. My brother has had his T665 Clie (w/MP3 player) for a year or so and apparently its battery life is too short to make it a practical MP3 player. I was hoping someone might be able to tell me of thier own expirience with an SJ33 and its battery life. I also was wondering if anyone knows if there is an "extended battery" kind of product for the SJ33 (i.e. a more powerful/longer lasting battery that one could buy - assuming that the life of the original battery is too short).

Thanks,
- Yakir

kiroosh@yahoo.com
http://masorti.jerusalem.muni.il/yakir/palm.asp

[palmgeek]

An SJ33 is a VERY EXPENSIVE MP3 player. IMHO, the SJ33 MP3 feature is just a "bell", or a "whistle". In terms of actual usage, it simply isn't very practical as an MP3 player.

There are far better MP3 products out there, which have excellent battery life, and reasonable storage options. Think about it... 128MB, or even 256MB isn't very much MP3 storage.

I would get a dedicated MP3 unit, if I were you.

[Yakir]

Don't get me wrong, I want the SJ33 for its uses as a handheld organizer, etc. it's essentaily a choice between the SJ22 and the SJ33. Another way to put it is: is it worth the extra $40 for the MP3 function or does it eat away at the battery?

Thanks,
- Yakir

[mike p]

screen off (playing mp3 on hold) u get 10+ hrs

[Aces]

If you want to compare the SJ-33 with the T665, here's a post of mine in a thread that covered the subject pretty completely:

http://www.cliesource.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=176073&highlight=Mastervtec#post176073

And as for MP3 playing use, you will only get about 8 hours on a fresh charge, because the SJ-33 will turn itself off when it gets to 20% battery life, when using it as a MP3 player.

The biggest gripe I have about the player is that the MS is limited to 128Mb sticks (256Mb if you don't mind poping it out and switching it).  I make my MP3's at 96kbps, which means only 38 songs (2.5-3 hours) per MS. That's a lot of music, but you still have to recopy songs if you want variety.  I recently got a MP3 player for my car.  With 10+ hours of music on a CDR disk, it still doesn't seem that I've heard the same song twice.

[Lucky Bob]

Originally posted by Yakir
Another way to put it is: is it worth the extra $40 for the MP3 function or does it eat away at the battery?If you don't use the mp3 function all that much, you should be able to get good battery life. At least, I would hope so (I only have an m130). Anyway, your brother's T665 has a smaller battery, so it doesn't have a good a battery life as the SJ33.

[ZekeSulastin]

Yes - that is part of the reason the SJ-33 is so thick; the battery is quite a bit larger than the battery in the T-series. Larger batteries contain more electrolyte ...

As long as you charge the device every night, you shouldn't have a problem with the battery life ...

[Unregistered]

I own a sj20 so i never need batteries, but even if theres not many batteries being put into landfills, think about what is in the batteries that could be the problem, lead, mercury, and other heavy metals, if theres enough of the heavy metals and they get into the water supply well lets just say not many people will like sushi anymore or any other type of fish. Even though the alcamehst might like the fish, they might turn the fish into goldfish

[palmgeek]

Originally posted by Unregistered
I own a sj20 so i never need batteries, but even if theres not many batteries being put into landfills, think about what is in the batteries that could be the problem, lead, mercury, and other heavy metals, if theres enough of the heavy metals and they get into the water supply well lets just say not many people will like sushi anymore or any other type of fish. Even though the alcamehst might like the fish, they might turn the fish into goldfish

Ah...  But your SJ20 (like mine) **DOES** contain a battery!  What happens when that battery dies? 

And... Did you know that LiIon batteries pose an explosion hazard as they age?   Forget about dying from drinking polluted water, just think about carrying your 2 year-old Clie in your front pant pocket, and all of a sudden... **BOOM** ... the battery explodes and blows off your... [body member closest to your pocket]!

Disposables are looking better every minute...

[strider_mt2k]

Yes, but if you swallow your Lithium Battery, it will make you calmer. ;)

DISCLAIMER
Batteries are not food, do not eat them.
Reading this disclaimer removes the poster from any and all liability.

[blck1jack]

So then if you use disposable they corode and ruin the connectors so then your clie won't work period.

[palmgeek]

Originally posted by strider_mt2k
Yes, but if you swallow your Lithium Battery, it will make you calmer. ;)

DISCLAIMER
Batteries are not food, do not eat them.
Reading this disclaimer removes the poster from any and all liability.

Was I supposed to unplug it before I swallowed it???  ...because now I have this PDA hanging over my bottom lip, and it makes it hard to talk.  I am much calmer, however.

[kjbad]

Battery life is the #1 issue hindering wireless devices right now, and the big boys are taking notice. Now that the Intels and IBMs of the world have decided they need more battery life to promote wireless computing, it'll get done.

I give it one year before the next big "breakthrough" in bettery technology.

[kjbad]

OK, so what is the tradeoff? We are still burning fossil fuels to power the electrical outlets that eventually recharge the batteries anyway, so it seems to be a moot point. The laws of thermodynamics still apply, but we should not suspend reality and think that rechargeable is some sort of savings.