Mobile computing's energy crisis

Battery technology hasn't kept up with twin demands of taking up less space and powering more features in disconnected computing devices.

By Robert L. Mitchell

January 10, 2005 12:00 PM ET

Computerworld - When Dave Saltzman prepares for a business trip, he charges up the main battery in his notebook computer, removes the CD-ROM drive and fills the bay with a second battery, and then packs a third one in his bag. That's sufficient for long trips, says Saltzman, systems manager at United Parcel Service Inc. in Atlanta.

Like many users, Saltzman wants to be able to work continuously during extended flights, but he also wants to use power-hungry features such as wireless networking while traveling. These changing usage patterns and the demand for faster notebooks have created a power gap between what batteries can provide and what systems can deliver.

While notebooks continue to benefit from Moore's Law, batteries haven't kept up. The future of disconnected computing depends on century-old electrochemical technology that has improved only gradually.

It's not that batteries haven't gotten better. "If we were to put today's battery on a notebook built five years ago, you'd get eight hours of battery life," says Carl Pinto, director of product development for notebooks at Toshiba Corp. in Irvine, Calif. The problem is that mobile devices are demanding more power, he says.

Until recently, investment in battery technology has been relatively small. "In the last 100 years, there hasn't been enough work put into batteries. It's just not exciting stuff," says Rob Enderle, an analyst at Enderle Group in San Jose.

But battery life has risen to become one of the top three purchase criteria for notebook computers, says Mike Trainor, chief mobile technology strategist at Intel Corp., which produces logic boards and chip sets used by the majority of notebook makers. "IT shops want more performance, more wireless and slimmer systems, which cuts down the room for batteries," he says.

Intermec Technologies Corp.'s prototype IP3 RFID scanner combines a PDA (top) with a scanner (left). The fuel cell system and fuel cartridge (front) are embedded within the scanner, along with a lithium ion battery to handle peak power demands. "It's produceable. The question becomes is there a viable market for this device?" says Dan Bodner, director of RFID products.
Intermec Technologies Corp.'s prototype IP3 RFID scanner combines a PDA (top) with a scanner (left). The fuel cell system and fuel cartridge (front) are embedded within the scanner, along with a lithium ion battery to handle peak power demands.

Intel's Centrino mobile chip set has reduced power consumption, extending projected operating times from two to three hours into the five-hour range, which is still short of the all-day battery users want. Eight hours of life would require 100 watt hours (Wh) of power, but the best available battery technology—lithium ion—delivers less than 60Wh.

Trainor is confident that Intel can "give Moore's Law's worth of features" through the end of the decade while keeping consumption at the 100Wh mark. But that still leaves a power gap. "The other side of the equation has become equally important: How do we get more energy into the system?" he says.

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