<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by number_6:
Can't you afford to buy a real laptop if power conservation is important to you? It is important to me, so I spent oodles of money and got a laptop that lasts 5 hours (and 10 hours with a 2nd battery), plus I have a digital tablet for taking notes (that lasts for about 20 days and will take 50 pages of notes). I back it all up to a Microdrive, so I can lose the laptop while traveling and still have all my data. Never really need inseat power unless I want to watch DVD movies, as the batteries last long enough. But I have noticed that the cheap laptops, even Dell, have mediocre batteries and poor power management (some don't even use a Mobile cpu, to save money).
As for in-seat power, more than half of CX planes have it functioning, which is about the same ratio as SQ (where it seems to be off quite often) and BA. CX got distracted with Tenzing and fell behind (they would be far ahead if that technology had panned out). The only reliable inseat power is by LH (who supply 3-prong AC, rather ironically). All the other Empower-ish systems seem to have reliability problems.</font>
Well, lets see. I have am IBM T30 which is not exactly the WalMart of laptops. Since it is also my primary desktop, I am not willing to skimp on the processor even stepped down for in flight use, the mobile P4 2ghz is a pig. Next, I certainly can reduce my screen brightness to the point that I can hardly see, but that seems to be rather counterproductive. With Bluetooth and WIFI turned off and with the extra cost super cell main battery and the second battery in the ultra bay, I am good for 4 hours of CPU intensive work or 5 hours of normal work. This also precludes use of the DVD drive which would of course go in the Ultra-Bay.
I have been using IBM A and T series notebooks for about 3 years now and would not trade the build quality for anything.
Re the Microdrive, the day that I could hold all of my important data on a 1gig device is a distant memory! I must have 4 times that in my document imaging directory and my OST is almost a 2 gig when the necessary public folders are synced.
PLus, I might just WANT to watch a movie. So, I am not really satisfied that my problem is because I have a junk laptop but rather that power access has become rather ubiquitous - ergo my dual frustration of CX 747's and most UA 777's
FYI - AA is flawlessly reliable for in seat power - it always works and is on every aircraft other than the old TWA equipment - always working is more than I can say for LH power (yes - I said something nice about AA!)
[This message has been edited by B Watson (edited 01-13-2003).]