Cheap netbook gets power from AA batteries

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Shane McGlaun16 June 2009, 2:30 PM

Netbook gets all the power it needs from eight AA batteries.


I always tell people to go for AA batteries in their cameras so when you are out and about and you run out of juice you can just pop in a new set. With rechargeable internal batteries if they go dead you are done until you can find an AC outlet. A company called Norhtec has applied the same theory to a netbook called the Gecko EduBook.

The netbook is now available for purchase, if you are brave enough. The machine gets all the power it needs from eight plain 'ol AA batteries. This sounds great at first glance, but the reality is that the batteries will need to be replaced every day if you use the machine much. Sure, you could replace them anywhere and never need an AC outlet, but AA power sounds more like a backup option to a rechargeable for most of us.



Still, I can certainly see the use for this machine in the education markets in third world countries where power is unreliable and often just not available. The rig sells for $US200 and runs Windows XP with a questionable Xcore86 processor.

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Hemma (User):

wouldn't it be more cost efficient to buy the rechargable types from Kmart in comparison to purchasing a specific battery for your laptop?

16 June 2009, 4:43 PM (9 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Halcon (Advanced member):

Problem is, this gizmo sucks power.
Eight batteries! You would need to spend a lot of money if you are going to use it frequently, the other option is buying rechargeable batteries.
Again this would sound great, but you will need to have spares just in case, charging time would range from 2 to 5 hours depending on the brand of batteries.
In the third world, people would be totally unlucky, because the cost is a premium compared to here in Australia, USA, UK and any other country with much "better" economy.

16 June 2009, 5:18 PM (9 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

AnthonyBrisbane (User):

2 to 5 hours to charge AA batteries? What brand do you use? I have a battery charger that charges 4 batteries in 15 minutes.

16 June 2009, 6:56 PM (9 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Halcon (Advanced member):

I have omitted the Varta 15 min charger and Batteries, because the company has discontinued that line, now the sane brand has another charger and batteries called "Ready2Use" up to 4 batteries can be charged in 2 hours, is said to be more efficient than other brands.
While there are other brands that can charge the batteries in 5 hours time, said to long last more and blah, blah, blah; you see marketing strategies to get more people to buy whatever brand that claim better efficiency than the others.
The 15 minutes charger and batteries was good enough, pity no longer made available at shops.

16 June 2009, 10:35 PM (9 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Tin (Senior Forumologist):

Quoting AnthonyBrisbane:
I have a battery charger that charges 4 batteries in 15 minutes.


I find it hard to believe that they'd work for long doing that to them.

17 June 2009, 12:00 AM (9 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Halcon (Advanced member):

Tin, did you read my previous comment?
The Varta Brand did manufactured that kind of fast charging batteries, I was lucky enough to buy it long time ago, however these seems to have been discontinued, to get more info head to this page:
www.varta-consumer.com.au

Note: I went to the web page and it says this 15 minute charger and batteries is of professional use, so it may still be on sale somewhere else.

17 June 2009, 1:15 PM (9 months ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

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