Rethinking this Ultrabook thing (non-replaceable batt)

[Bster13]

I've been hunting for a deal on a 13in ultrabook, but come to find that their batteries generally are not replaceable. Even if you can get to the battery by removing various screws, I'm finding it hard to find/order replacement batteries from websites like ifixit.

So it's great these ultrabooks will meet all my "websurfing/watch some video" needs for years to come, but if the battery craps out, I've essentially got a desktop because it'll have to be plugged in 24/7.

What's a guy to do who wants 5+ hr battery life, decent specs (not a netbook or chromebook) for home use, and replacement battery capability (I am comfy taking a laptop apart to get to an internal battery) ???

 

[Bster13]

I was really digging an Asus UX31-RSL8.

 

[larrym]

There are lots of things that could go wrong with it..not just the battery. They are made to last for years, but could die in a week or 5 years..who knows. If it covers all your needs, and you are worried about it, get a extended warranty or move up to a laptop that has a replaceable battery. I worried about the same thing with the Ipad I bought my wife 3 years ago. It's still going strong. It appears I will replace it before the battery dies as new tech is coming out all the time.

 

[Bster13]

I agree, other things can go wrong, but as a manager of a corporate helpdesk with over 2K laptops.... man do we go through a lot of batteries. Sure other stuff breaks, but the battery going is a given IMO and I suppose I should start researching the smallest laptop with a traditional battery.... any suggestions with i#+ cpu?

 

[larrym]

What is your budget per laptop and what os are you looking to get?

 

[larrym]

Wouldn't it make more since to get some type of contract with a PC company to supply your hardware if you are going through so much? Seem like having some sort of service contract/replacement contract in place would be more efficient.

 

[nbelote]

You might want to look into leasing. Lease terms can often cover battery degradation and replacement. Plus, you always have current machines and replacements should something go wrong.

If not, you could order a bunch of HP Sleekbooks (not all Sleekbooks have removable batteries, you have to check first), something like this:
http/www.amazon.com/HP-Pavilion-14-b010us-14-Inch-Sleekbook/dp/B009AU2ICY

That one has a removable battery.

 

[Bster13]

Can't get into the corporate stuff too much, but we don't lease and generally warranties do not cover consumables.

If I caught a refurb deal for a 13in, ~3lb, i3+ processor, 5+ hour battery, 1366 x 768 or better res, replaceable battery for ~$500 I'd be ok with that.


Anyway, for my home use, I'll be running some flavor of Linux generally speaking. It'd be nice to have a WIN7 COA, but eh.

I'll look at the sleekbooks. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Bster13]

Seems like the replaceable batteries start to come in at the 14in offerings?

 

[ram1009]

I've been hunting for a deal on a 13in ultrabook, but come to find that their batteries generally are not replaceable. Even if you can get to the battery by removing various screws, I'm finding it hard to find/order replacement batteries from websites like ifixit.

So it's great these ultrabooks will meet all my "websurfing/watch some video" needs for years to come, but if the battery craps out, I've essentially got a desktop because it'll have to be plugged in 24/7.

What's a guy to do who wants 5+ hr battery life, decent specs (not a netbook or chromebook) for home use, and replacement battery capability (I am comfy taking a laptop apart to get to an internal battery) ???

Welcome to the world of portables. If everyone could get everything they want from a portable, desktops would have disappeared by now. Portable devices are pretty much throw aways. Buy accordingly.

 

[Bster13]

Well I ended up with a Dell XPS Ultrabook. It's not 3lbs, but the specs work for my particular situation. The battery is not removeable, but you can order a replacement and with some basic skills you can replace it. Also the HD(s) and RAM is upgradeable (though only a single sodimm slot). Anyway, portable enough shall we say. Thanks for the vent time!

 

[jaguarskx]

Glad you found a solution that works for you.

In general, I agree that while ultrabooks are pretty light for the performance they provide, the inability to replace / remove the battery is a major drawback. I will likely buy a Haswell laptop, but I have no intentions of buying a Haswell ultrabook. I mostly use my laptop at home (along with my desktops) and only once in a while use it outside. Therefore, it is plugged in most of the time. I prefer not to continually charge the battery even if it is limited to a 60% - 80% charge. I'd rather remove the battery and use it plugged into the AC outlet.