Computerworld
Quick Menu
Search



Ads by TechWords

See your link here


Subscribe to our e-mail newsletters
For more info on a specific newsletter, click the title. Details will be displayed in a new window.
Mobile/Wireless Computing
Computerworld Daily News (First Look and Wrap-Up)
Computerworld Blogs Newsletter
The Weekly Top 10
More E-Mail Newsletters 
Computerworld 2007Subscribe to Computerworld
40 years of the most authoritative source of news and information for IT leaders.

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.
 

Sign up to receive Mobile and Wireless Resource Alerts

January 10, 2005 (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.

Continued...
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | NEXT  



Print this Story Send Us Feedback E-mail this Story Digg! Digg this Story Slashdot this Story
Sidebar: Battery Research: Too Little, Too Late?
Mobile computing's energy crisis
Sidebar: Aftermarket Batteries: Don't Get Burned
Sidebar: Ultracapacitors Aim to Fill Energy Gap
Sidebar: Stretching Battery Life
"In Monday's IT Blogwatch, Richi Jennings watches Apple rumor blogs run at full throttle. Seems as though Steve Jobs will..." Read more...
"Apple, on Tuesday will release a full plate of new portable Macs.  In the months leading up to the event,..." Read more...
Read more Mobile & Wireless posts or See all Blogs
Feds considering changes to H-1B application process in wake of report
Exploit code loose for six-month-old Windows bug
With market meltdown, which tech firms become predator or prey?
More top stories...
The Grill: Privacy is a thing of the past, says private investigator
Report: World Bank servers breached repeatedly
Apple asks judge to make iPhone lawsuit moot
Too much junk food, too little exercise and a 24/7 tether to technology? Your body ain't happy, friend. Let us count the pains.
Instruments on the surface of Mars have detected falling snow that is likely evaporating before it reaches the planet.
One positive development stemming from the collapse of Wall Street may be a boost in interest in computer science and IT careers among students who were previously interested in financial services jobs.
Getting new software installed on Linux doesn't have to be hard, but it can differ depending on what you're installing.
Reviews, analyses, how-tos, visual tours, hot issues and predictions about Microsoft's new OS.
Four years from now, the IT field will be a vastly different place. Will you be ready?
All Zones
Application Performance Zone
Business Continuity Zone
The File Data Management Zone
Security Management Zone
The SAS Zone
Business Intelligence and Analytics Zone
Windows Protection Zone
The Enterprise Search Zone
Software as a Service Zone
The Security Zone

Ads by TechWords

See your link here
Mobility @ the Speed of Business
Download this new tech briefing, free, compliments of HP.
(Source: HP) Enterprises have a keen interest in making sure their increasingly mobile workers can get information when they need it, where they need it - not just when there is a Wi-Fi hotspot around. Many are turning to embedded broadband modems as the most cost-effective, easiest to manage solution to connect workers to the right applications. The results speak for themselves in this new tech briefing.
Download this executive briefing download
Virtualization Everywhere
Download this white paper, free, compliments of Citrix.
(Source: Citrix) Adoption of virtualization is concentrated among large enterprises, while adoption by mid-sized companies has been much slower. For these companies, the cost and complexity of server virtualization solutions has been a barrier.

In this paper, we'll discuss how Citrix XenServer" provides simple, economical server virtualization for any size company. Download now!

Download this white paper go
The Promise of Mobile Unified Communications
The Promise of Mobile Unified Communications
Download this webcast, free, compliments of RIM.
Go to the webcast 
White Papers
Read up on the latest ideas and technologies from companies that sell hardware, software and services.
Business Transaction Management: Facilitating the Management of Virtual Environments
Quick Sizing Guide for SAS Grid Running on HP BladeSystems and EVA Storage
Prudential Financial protects its brand with Symantec Data Loss Prevention solutions
View more whitepapers