The netbook market has grown out of nothing in 2008 and it looks likely to finish the year with all the major brands such as HP, Lenovo, Acer and Dell all offering at least one netbook if not more.

However, while I’ve already blogged about the choice of operating system and storage options, there’s another feature you’ll need to be aware of before you settle on your final choice – and that’s the battery.

To keep netbooks light and slim, it’s quite common for netbook vendors to use what’s often called a “three-cell” battery. I prefer to call them a “half-capacity” battery as it better reflects what actually happens. Half-capacity batteries were originally used by the major notebook vendors in their low-cost models as a way of dropping the price.

A half-capacity battery still gave the user some battery life but didn’t cost as much to produce.

These batteries are now used in many netbooks and deliver about the same level of battery life at around 1.5 to 1.75 hours. These batteries however also help keep the weight down to around the 1kg mark or less.

By contrast, “six-cell” or “full-capacity” batteries push up the netbook weight to around 1.2kgs when offered but they’ll also double the battery life to three or 3.5 hours. Typically, a full-capacity battery will change the chassis lines of a netbook and be a visible “bulge” hanging off the back of the unit.

So if design and sleekness is important, a three-cell battery will be more your go but if you want to get decent battery life, check to see if your intended netbook has a six-cell battery available. It’ll make all the difference in the long term.

Similar Posts: