Computers & Networking

[joedavis]

I am going to buy a Netbook in the next couple weeks and had a question about the difference betwween the 6 cell and 3 cell lithium battery. Things like weight and runtime especially.

Thanks to all who reply.

[Nokia]

Um, the battery is twice the size, so just double everything.

[texruss]

You will not regret getting a 6-cell battery in order to get 4 to 5 hours of life. But having said that I would buy the netbook with the 3-cell to experience a neat 2.5 hour lightweight machine and get the 6 cell as a second battery for long computing sessions.

You can find the extra 6-cell batteries many places for about $70. That will give you about 7 hours of computing power without having to use the cord.

HTH,

Texruss

[joedavis]

Thanks for the non-sarcastic reply russ.  Does a 6 cell weigh quite a bit more than a 3 cell? Double as in what somendoy else said?

[TheLexMachine]

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joedavis wrote:

Thanks for the non-sarcastic reply russ.  Does a 6 cell weigh quite a bit more than a 3 cell? Double as in what somendoy else said?

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Pretty much, yeah.

[joedavis]

thanks

[Nokia]

Ask an obvious question, get an obvious answer.

[joedavis]

whatever

[texruss]

The weight difference between different size Netbook batteries depends on the model. And also whether it is from a third party vendor which presents other issues (may not fit as well, and may not deliver advertised battery life0. The official manufacturer batteries are best, but at times I have dabbled in third party like for my Asus EEE where I bought the big 9-cell from the company in the Netherlands. It  looked very nice and does work, but never approached the longevity advertised and it also is tricky to latch on one side (and when your battery slips and you're not plugged in, it is a bummer).

Specs on weights are difficult to come by from third party companies as they don't want to scare off folks who have a svelte netbook. Original netbook vendors' specs are easier to find.

Some models of the Acer Aspire netbooks have a 2.19 pound 3-cell and a 2.78 pound 6-cell. A jump to a 9-cell may approach double the weight of a 3-cell. One thing to be aware of is the bigger battery is slightly uglier, so you pay for the extra juice. It may interfere with fully reclining the screen also although normal viewing angles are fine.

The question I have is...what Netbook are you considering? I have seen a few models (Dell, HP, Toshiba, Asus, Acer). Out of those I like the Asus and Toshiba best for battery life and reliability and the Dell and HP lagging a bit. I don't think I would buy an Acer based on some I have come across, but YMMV and the price is definitely attractive. In any case budget $50 to imemdiately pull the little 1 GB RAM module out and get a 2 GB replacement. It will be 15% faster and well worth it.

[Entropy]

It'll double the weight of the battery, but you need to look at how much of the system weight is from the battery.

In my opinion, my Eee 1000HE is more than light enough, and I would NEVER want to sacrifice its amazing battery life.  (6-cell)

I've been tempted by 9-cells, but they're all third-party and expensive.