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MacBook Pro Info! (Battery and DVI to Video)

4K views 11 replies 9 participants last post by  PosterBoy 
#1 ·
I was speaking to someone in the Consumer Relations dept. at Apple Canada today regarding some questions I had about the MacBook Pro.

The first thing was the battery - I asked him about the battery life on the MacBook Pro, as there is still very limited information available. He advised me that the battery is expected to last at least the same amount of time as the PowerBooks, but quite possibly longer. He also brought to my attention that the MacBook Pro uses a new type of battery. Currently the iBook and PowerBook use a lithium-ion battery, but the MacBook Pro has a lithium-polymer battery - something that Apple hasn't used before. I feel pretty confident that we will see some improvements on the battery life with the MBP.

The other thing I asked him was about the DVI to Video adaptor for the MacBook Pro. When I ordered my MBP, I searched and searched the Apple Store to find the appropriate adaptor to output S-video or composite (for a TV or projector), but I couldn't find it anywhere. The PowerBook didn't need this, as it has an integrated S-video port. He advised me that the correct DVI to Video adaptor is part# M9267G/A. If you search for this on the Apple Store web site, you will find it is the same one for the PowerMac G5's and the Mac Mini. I was happy to hear this, as I already have this adaptor for my Mac Mini ... saves me a little money :)

Just thought I would enlighten the ehMac community :)
 
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#2 · (Edited)
I would hardly expect Apple Consumer Relations to say something to the contrary...

Lithium [Ion] Polymer uses the same battery chemistry as Lithium Ion, the advantage of Lithium Polymer is it's lighter, thinner, and can be shaped into a variety of forms that lithium ion cannot.
 
#5 ·
My phone I had before, Nokia 6319i, had a lithium ion polymer battery, it was a very small and lightweight battery yet the phone could last me 8-10 days between charges under normal uses.
 
#6 ·
Apple can suggest "same or better" not solely because the battery is lithium-polymer, but because it's a higher-capacity battery: it's rated for 60W. The newer battery technology is mainly there to ensure that Apple can get this capacity in the thin shape of the MBPro.
 
#7 ·
solely based on that, that leaves out a lot, that on top of all the regular practice of exaggerating battery life across all manufacturers
 
#8 ·
The display macbooks showed about 3.5 hours - prototype or not, how much longer could it get once they're at the end of the design stage?
 
#9 ·
The big advantage of LiPo batteries is that because they don't require the metal casing that Li-Ion batteries do, they are typically smaller and lighter.

LiPo is about 20% higher energy density, but has typically degraded faster over time than Li-Ion (both types lose capacity slowly as they are used), but this is being overcome as the technology is more refined.

It's worth noting too, that despite having higher energy density, that doesn't necessarily translate to higher battery life in a device. In most cases, the manufacturer will make the battery smaller, lighter, etc, and the battery life will likely be about the same.
 
#11 ·
gnatsum said:
if the iPod uses it, then it definitely sucks, and will probably crap out on you in exactly 18 months... a common occurrence in the iPod world...
Not really, actually. And like a Li-Ion battery, if you take care to use an actual discharge/charge cycle (that is, discharge it fully then charge it fully) at least every couple of weeks, then your iPod (or laptop) battery will last a good long time.

I've met a guy with a first generation iPod in which the battery still lasts a reasonable amount of time.
 
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