[Discuss] My God! It's Full of Batteries!

[gaf at blu.org (Jerry Feldman)]

On 03/17/2012 10:19 AM, Richard Pieri wrote:
> On 3/17/2012 9:18 AM, Jerry Feldman wrote:
>> The desirability of the tablet computers are their portability. My
>> mother, for instance, has a Kindle, but she won't put it in a case,
>> because it makes it too heavy.
>
> Yep.  Amazon's "official" Kindle covers roughly double the carry
> weight of the devices.  That's why I got a third party sleeve for my
> DX. Remember convenience?  The sleeve protects the Kindle when it is
> in my pack, and stays in my pack when I'm using the device.  This is
> why Apple redesigned the "official" cover for the iPad 2 as a folding
> flap that functions as screen protector and stand base.  It's all
> about convenience with these devices.
>
>
>> lighter batteries, the tablets are not going to significantly replace
>> the laptops until we can reduce the weight of the batteries.
>
> This is a big part of why I believe that resonant inductance will
> replace batteries.  RI short circuits the battery weight problem by
> eliminating or reducing the need for battery power.  An RI-powered The
> New iPad wouldn't need 42 Watt-hours of battery packs.  A 5 Watt-hour
> battery pack would provide enough power for about 30 minutes of
> roaming use or several hours of standby power and it would
> considerably reduce the total mass.
>
Agreed, but RI does require in-home or in-business equipment.
Additionally, in a truly portable solution, where you are outside or
possibly in a train, plane or bus you most likely won't have RI. Today's
battery technology is very much improved over a few years ago. This is
why I think that carbon nano-tubes will replace Li-ion batteries in that
they are essentially capacitors that retain their charge much longer
than normal capacitors, and hence a faster recharge cycle, and no
chemicals. But, the main for tablets is weight, and batteries are a big
factor in weight. Same with electric cars.

-- 
Jerry Feldman <gaf at blu.org>
Boston Linux and Unix
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