Use EXTERNAL Batteries for Laptops

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240

Use EXTERNAL Batteries for Laptops

240 points posted to Accessories (Keyboards, etc.), Laptop Power by thekingrich 03/21/07

I believe Dell should invent EXTERNAL batteries inside the Dell Laptop Bag!

I want the weight and heat of the battery away from the laptop (and my lap), and left inside the bag. Inside the bag, you would have a power adapter for the wall, as well as an auto-adapter. The battery can be bigger, since I don't mind carrying the case, just don't want the 10-lbs pound in my laptop.
The case would always keep my power adapter in it because of the designated pocket for it.
THen I would plug my Laptop into the battery in my BAG!
GENIOUS!

Basically, the BAG would be the power adapter (if you can think of it this way), but it would also include a battery, removing it from the laptop itself.

This works perfect for us that travel a lot, in airports, air planes, and remote offices, to be able to have something light to lift and use, while the bag is the heavy part (still filled with folders, magazines, etc... but now also a battery that would otherwise sit in the laptop itself).

kdubber 03/21/07	This idea needs a little refining..but should be a doable thing.. would STILL need a battery either inside or attached directly to the laptop though as well I am afraid.. HOWEVER.. using a much smaller battery, less heat, less problems etc.. inside the laptop and a power supply external to the computer ..ie in the bag.. is a good idea..I have seen external batteries for sale as accesories to laptops.. but adding them from the factory seems an easy enough idea and a fairly practical one.. the battery could be heavier and more capable. Sort of like a mini-UPS setup...and as you say all 'in the bag'
thekingrich 03/21/07	Absolutely! The laptop can still have the battery in the laptop.. I have a D820 right now. But I could just drop it in the bag, and use the laptop without the battery in it, when I am in a plane, office, etc... If I need battery power for cable free operation, I can pop it in... Afterall, the battery must be one of the heaviest components in the laptop currently. Currently, I don't use battery power in my laptop. I use my laptop at work, use it at home, in the hotel room, and in the plane I usually plug in the auto/air adapter, so I am never really ON battery power, although I always carry it with me. When I am flying, I put the laptop bag under the seat in front of me, and I could easily take out the battery-power cable from the bag up to my laptop (if I don't have my regular battery in already.) So technically, it wouldn't need ANY change to CURRENT laptop configurations... You would just need to buy the bag with the powersupply/battery in it. Make sure the bag is properly insulated by the battery pocket, with plenty of air-vents on the sides. (of course, Mini laptops could then be constructed as such to NOT host the battery at all, but I digress) Preferrably, the battery size and shape would be standardized, so other bag vendors could create their own bags for the same apparatus. If you have a roller-bag, like most carry-on luggage, you could place the battery between the two sticks from the handle in the back. There is always an empty useless space right there... Cables could peak out from the corners (accessible from left and top, or right and top).
howardnyc 03/21/07	hmmm... the question comes back to whether you are seeking a portable computer... or a portable workstation that includes a computer...? for those in need of complete mobility, this is a good idea... for anyone grumlbing about weight, this is not...
jmxz 03/21/07	If this is in addition to a small internal battery, I love the idea. I do sometimes walk around with my laptop (say to show someone in a different office) - but if I go for more than a few minutes I'd be happy to carry the extra adapter/battery/case that you describe. A lightweight internal battery (possibly could be large capicitor) that lasts a couple minutes - plus the external battery you describe - would be great.
reg 03/22/07	Clever. A Battery-Less laptop sure would be smaller, lighter, and cheaper to build. Combine a Battery/Power supply - plug in for AC or just run off the Battery DC until it runs out. Also have a light weight AC power source - smaller and cooler than the power supplies sold with Dell laptops today. GREAT IDEA!
thekingrich 03/25/07	I think the best part about it is... You can use it with All the laptops that exist today! They don't need to be changed, and laptops don't have to be "specially" designed for this! Just give me a tiny little battery that is not heavy, and the bag with the battery in it and I am all set. It is even backwards compatible with Dell Laptops going back several years.... since nothing has to be done to the laptop itself!
kenjennings 03/25/07	I like this. Dell could redesign the internal chemical brick into a minimal version that keeps the system running an hour, perhaps less and then the battery in the bag would be larger than normal, allowing 10, 20, or more hours or run time. Electrovaya has PowerPads -- flat, thin polymer Li-ion external batteries to extend laptop battery life. Take a couple of these and use them in place of the semi-rigid structural panels of a laptop case.
thekingrich 03/26/07	I see three people have demoted this idea... Would they mind telling us WHY? or is this just "revenge" for not supporting Unionized labor in one of the other ideas on here?
jordann 03/29/07	APC (American Power Conversion) already has one of these. My father bought a bag from them about three years ago.
thekingrich 03/31/07	Great! Since Dell is already partnering with APC, that should be a quick and easy process to develop these batteries then! Hurray!
jmxz 04/05/07	thekingrich: Agreed hurray. But to get all the benefit I'd also like to see them make a lighter/cooler/sleeker laptop with only a tiny internal battery.
reg 04/06/07	Sleek Laptop + External Battery + Fold-over laptop case containing battery (carrying case becomes 'lapdesk' for the notebook pc).
tricky 04/06/07
reg 04/07/07	Ah, the Lap Desk Notebook Battery bag would be an 'OPTION' you could buy, if you want to. Personally I would like a LapDesk / Notebook / External Battery-Power Supply Hybrid Bundle purchase, because then it would all work together and I could order it all at once. If you want to use your own bag, well - don't order the optional lap-desk bag. Have fun - Buy Dell.
tricky 04/07/07	It would be a nice and light computer without that big battery. I like this idea. It is very interesting to imagine the design possibilities.
thekingrich 04/07/07	In Fact, if Dell started designing external batteries, I am pretty sure it would catch on, and other Bag makers might add the pocket for these External Bags. If they had those roller bags, with the handle that pulls out for easy rolling behind you, they could add 2 bars on the handle, so that they could fold out to support your laptop in front of you, when you're at an airport, or not in office/desk/home... couple that with the external battery, and you suddenly have a mobile office! lol..
badblood 04/07/07	it is the only idea on this site with any originality and possible appeal.
thekingrich 04/07/07	Thanx! AND... it doesn't matter if you have LINUX or not! LOL
reg 04/08/07	thekingrich - considering the 'pull out handle' roller laptop bags, a new design: Pull out roller bag handle like you see in the airports, but: The handles are adjustable at a push of a button to fold over twice in two places, making a little desk, kind of in a 'Z' formation. Then you could sit and wait for the flight, typing away at the little desk, when the gate gets called, shut down, close the laptop, zip the bag shut, and snap the Z handle bars into the standard / formation and go to your flight! - It could happen.
badblood 04/08/07	ENOUGH with the HANDBAGS!
reg 04/08/07	Hey, it's my notebook's ManBag .
thekingrich 04/10/07	LOL... it's a European Male Carry-all... And Carry-All/Laptop-Desk/Roller-Bag.
hjwasson 04/23/07	Unless you plan to offload the CPU, GPU & RAM, most of your heat is still going to be generated in the notebook! Yes, the battery does get warm when charging/discharging - but nothing compared to the output of a Core 2 Duo! Off-loading the power source only makes you dependent on wires again - in which case you could just remove the battery to save weight, and plug the device into the wall using your handy Dell bundled AC power adapter. There are external battery packs you can purchase and leave in your bag, and run wires to your now much lighter notebook (or you can leave the battery in your notebook for even higher run times): http://www.apc.com/resource/include/techspec_index.cfm?base_sku=UPB80 http://www.batterygeek.net/ So there's really no need for Dell to get involved in this market - your solution is already here...unless you really want to get rid of the heat. If heat's the issue, you'll have to think of a way to offload the CPU, GPU & RAM. Wait - that's called a desktop! You're looking for a portable desktop that has an LCD monitor & keyboard you can balance on your lap! ;-)
kdubber 07/28/07	Have recently seen solar rechargeable power packs that have built in 110V outlets.. they can be recharged either by plugging in or by a built in solar panel.. little pricey..but not compared to big battery for a laptop.. you could use one of these.. they are about the size of brieif case IIRC..great idea I think.. WHY is it that laptop batteries are SO expensive!!???!?!!!?? OUCH.. Might look at the website of Canadian Tire to see the battery pack I am speaking of.. not sure where to get them in the states..
kenjennings 07/28/07	It would be ideal if the battery(ies?) being charged in the handbag (that is, my buffalo-skin, viking-village-pillaging, studly, dude bag) were the same spec as the one that go in the laptop, so if I have to move without the bag, fully charged batteries are already available.
reg 08/07/07	This is STILL one of the Very Best Ideas on Dell Idea Storm.
thekingrich 08/08/07	Reg, then we need to get people in here to vote for this!
reg 08/20/07	I'd vote twice - if I lived in Ohio or Florida ! The New Dell DeskBook. - There - I gave a name to Dells new product line - merging the very best features of notebooks and desktops into one machine. The market for this would be huge - most people sit and plug in somewhere - they only carry around a laptop - or the REALLY like how a notebook computer puts everything into One Box - with no cable rat nest - the off the chart sales of the new iMac demonstrates that people are simply sick of dealing with 'computer issues' - the box should work like an appliance, if it gets more complicated than their VCR - they ditch it. Consider the new battery - less computer the NEW Desktop - Call it the Dell DeskBook - a 17" Core 2 Duo Ultra Slim with DVD burner, 2 GB RAM, Nvidia graphics, bluetooth 2.0 + ERD, video conferencing camera, BOSE speakers, Dolby Audio, and high speed wireless all built in. The New Dell DeskBook. - make it 'super sexy' - but at a good price (no battery costs, remember!) People keep buying those funky HP desktop touch screen things and Sony VIAO systems because they look cool - an eMachine could do the same thing - but people want cool computers just like they drive cool looking cars and not station wagons. p.s. DEAR DELL - Nice Job on the 'Engine DEVO Girls XPS Commercials' - music, lovely ladies, power tools, cool technology - a commercial worthy of Home Depot or the Man Show, (tastefully done of course!) Very beautiful commercial - fun to watch. Maybe put DELL in full screen Over sized letters at the end for 4 seconds, or watermark DELL @ 20 % in the background of the video for the next commercial (so the name is subtly visible in the background for the full length of the commercial.)
jmxz 08/20/07	For what it's worth - I also think this is the best non-software idea on IdeaStorm.
hjwasson 12/01/07	I respect your opinions to the contrary - but I'm completely baffled as to why so many of you believe that this is such a great idea! You're all talking about a laptop with the battery taken out - which would save you about $100 at best, and make the machine less usable. You should buy the desktop replacement of your choice, and yank the battery out. If you want to use an external battery with your laptop, they are readily available from 3rd parties, and Dell even lets you buy them in the Accessories section of the site. If (heaven forbid) you ever felt the desire to use your "Dell DeskBook" without trailing wires...you could slip your battery back in. Anyway, if you are really serious about this idea, it should submitted as: Dell should allow "No battery" option for notebook purchases
jmxz 12/02/07	hjwasson: "Dell should allow "No battery" option for notebook purchases" Nope. The main point to the idea (in my opinion) is that a major contributor to the size of a laptop is the battery. Design one where this large block is external (in the computer bag or in the power cord near the wall) and you'd have a more lap-friendly laptop.
kenjennings 12/02/07	99% of the time I'm using my laptop connected to the power adapter. The battery only acts as an emergency UPS.
jmxz 12/04/07	@kenjennings: Mine's usually plugged in. The exception is when I'm away from power (like on a camping trip (yeah, I'm that much of geek that I bring a laptop on camping trips); or a flight (often international) - and the internal battery's inadequate for both of those. No battery (or a tiny one to handle carrying the laptop from one office to another) in the laptop and a _large_ external battery in the laptop bag would work well for me.

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