Longest battery life laptops of 2011
by ZDNet Author | December 12, 2011 11:00am PST | Image 1 of 6
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Presented here are the top five 2011 laptops for battery life, as measured by our in-house video playback battery drain test. It's easy to guess that Apple makes at least one appearance on this list, but there are some surprises as well. Note that these rankings only include integrated batteries, not secondary add-on slice batteries. If we included those, systems such as Sony's Vaio Z, with a combined 634 minutes between its internal battery and a $150 add-on slice battery together, would make the list.
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How come all the laptops get manufacturer name's mentioned, and even models, but the Toshiba Portege (hard to tell if its the R835 or R705), one of the better offerings, gets none of that!? Sheesh ZDNET... get with it.
@techwiz_100@...
...instead of minutes they/we will have arrived (for a while)!
...instead of minutes they/we will have arrived (for a while)!
Toshiba must have forgotten to pay their advertising fees.
There is a difference between battery CAPACITY and battery LIFE:
CAPACITY - How long a battery will keep the given device functioning. Typically measured in HOURS.
LIFE - How long that same battery will provide that capacity, after a full rcharge, over and over again. Typically measured in YEARS.
CAPACITY - How long a battery will keep the given device functioning. Typically measured in HOURS.
LIFE - How long that same battery will provide that capacity, after a full rcharge, over and over again. Typically measured in YEARS.
@jchrastina Capacity is the amount of electrical energy it can store. How long it can keep a device functioning is dependent on the device.
The slideshow here is about how long the battery lasts in particular devices, so battery life seems an appropriate phrase.
The slideshow here is about how long the battery lasts in particular devices, so battery life seems an appropriate phrase.
I agree I have the Toshiba Portege R835 and I'm getting 9+ hours of BATTERY CAPACITY! Probably didn't pay advertising fees...
what happened to those 19hr, 30hr laptops from dell and hp? Or are they last years products?
a PC?
It's either a PC or not. If not, then it shouldn't be counted in the PC sales studies.
It's either a PC or not. If not, then it shouldn't be counted in the PC sales studies.
@adornoe@... PC or not? It said "Longest battery life laptops". Ok, I do see your point - nitpicky or not. I wish they would have factored in weight here. I've had Windows laptops for years, but I have to hand it to Apple; My MacBook Pro still gives me a full days use running on battery only, and it's well over a year old now. The thing that's really nice is the fact that it's very light. Laptops running Windows are getting better I suppose, but I feel like I'm carrying around a section of sidewalk with a lot of them. In my eye's the MBP has the best life to weight ratio (not to mention size).
@race_1... I get great hours of usage from my 15" MacBook Pro, much better than that of my Lenovo T520 at work. My Lenovo doesn't last anywhere near as long as my MBP. An with relatively similar screen sizes and resolution, my MBP is lighter and thinner as well.
It looks like a Lenovo X220 but is it? You call it a T20. T20? What is it?
The HP Pavillion dv7 recorded the best battery charge duration value of all the laptops reviewed in this report.
However, if readers followed the included CNET link, the laptop weight figure was given as 7.2 pounds. 7.2 pounds. My goodness.
Although I only looked up the MacBook Pro system weight as a comparison, the smaller Apple computer (15" screen vs 17" screen) weighed in at 5.6 pounds.
I'm sure the other laptops in this review weighed well under the HP Pavillion's system weight.
The one question (out of several) prospective buyers of a laptop should ask themselves is the extra battery charge life worth the extra system weight? Personally, my days of using a "mobile" 7 pound computer are long past.
However, if readers followed the included CNET link, the laptop weight figure was given as 7.2 pounds. 7.2 pounds. My goodness.
Although I only looked up the MacBook Pro system weight as a comparison, the smaller Apple computer (15" screen vs 17" screen) weighed in at 5.6 pounds.
I'm sure the other laptops in this review weighed well under the HP Pavillion's system weight.
The one question (out of several) prospective buyers of a laptop should ask themselves is the extra battery charge life worth the extra system weight? Personally, my days of using a "mobile" 7 pound computer are long past.
I'm curious why you would take exception with the fact that the laptop that had the best battery life appeared at the top of a list that was testing battery life? If there was a list of most affordable cars and a car you hated was at the top of the list, would you complain that this wasn't fair because it only made 90HP instead of your favorite car that made 95HP?
I know you constantly claim that you aren't an Apple fanboi and I believe that you sincerely believe it but you take exception with every single article that doesn't immediately pronounce Apple as the undisputed winner. In this case, the HP doesn't have the best battery life because it weighs too much. Really?
Relax. Just because the Apple didn't win this contest doesn't mean you made the wrong choice when you bought it. It simply means that it doesn't have the best battery life. Why does this have to be so complicated?
I know you constantly claim that you aren't an Apple fanboi and I believe that you sincerely believe it but you take exception with every single article that doesn't immediately pronounce Apple as the undisputed winner. In this case, the HP doesn't have the best battery life because it weighs too much. Really?
Relax. Just because the Apple didn't win this contest doesn't mean you made the wrong choice when you bought it. It simply means that it doesn't have the best battery life. Why does this have to be so complicated?
@toddybottom
Todd, did you even read my original post objectively? (In my first line I stated that the HP Pavillion recorded the best battery charge duration of the listed laptops - which sort of answered your post title question statement.)
Anyway, if you read and comprehended my original post, I tried to convey two points. That I personally prefer a mobile laptop with the least amount of system weight and that I consider 7 plus pounds of computer (no matter how capable) just too much weight to carry around. And, secondly, that any consumer in the market to purchase a laptop should examine the question of system weight vs battery charge duration before making that purchase.
As you know from my previous posts, I have invested heavily into the Apple system ecosystem. What that means is that I have a better familarity with Apple products than, say, Android based products. My posts will always reflect that familiarity - nothing more, nothing less.
If you noticed, I did not mention any negative statements about the HP Pavillion's system capabilities. Any i7 based computer will perform superbly.
Nor did I endorse the Apple product over the HP Pavilion. An Apple Fanboy might have been expected to make such an endorsement in his post. The fact that I didn't should indicate my objectivity in this manner.
Todd, please re-read my original post and than yours. Your statement, "In this case, the HP doesn't have the best battery life because it weighs too much. Really?" just doesn't apply to my original post. How did it?
BTW, I normally don't endorse one platform or product over another. All consumers have different criteria and tasks that must be addressed in the choices they make. If you would have asked me to choose a laptop from those listed, I would have chosen the MBP - because it's a good laptop and because I have an extensive home Apple ecosystem established. I would not have chosen the MBP because I felt the other laptops were inferior. I'm sure they are not.
In fact, I could understand why some consumers would choose an inferior (in terms of computational power) a netbook over the MBP because of better battery life and portability concerns. )
Todd, I didn't think my original post WAS that complicated and I am at somewhat of a loss to realize that my original points confused you over their intent.
Todd, did you even read my original post objectively? (In my first line I stated that the HP Pavillion recorded the best battery charge duration of the listed laptops - which sort of answered your post title question statement.)
Anyway, if you read and comprehended my original post, I tried to convey two points. That I personally prefer a mobile laptop with the least amount of system weight and that I consider 7 plus pounds of computer (no matter how capable) just too much weight to carry around. And, secondly, that any consumer in the market to purchase a laptop should examine the question of system weight vs battery charge duration before making that purchase.
As you know from my previous posts, I have invested heavily into the Apple system ecosystem. What that means is that I have a better familarity with Apple products than, say, Android based products. My posts will always reflect that familiarity - nothing more, nothing less.
If you noticed, I did not mention any negative statements about the HP Pavillion's system capabilities. Any i7 based computer will perform superbly.
Nor did I endorse the Apple product over the HP Pavilion. An Apple Fanboy might have been expected to make such an endorsement in his post. The fact that I didn't should indicate my objectivity in this manner.
Todd, please re-read my original post and than yours. Your statement, "In this case, the HP doesn't have the best battery life because it weighs too much. Really?" just doesn't apply to my original post. How did it?
BTW, I normally don't endorse one platform or product over another. All consumers have different criteria and tasks that must be addressed in the choices they make. If you would have asked me to choose a laptop from those listed, I would have chosen the MBP - because it's a good laptop and because I have an extensive home Apple ecosystem established. I would not have chosen the MBP because I felt the other laptops were inferior. I'm sure they are not.
In fact, I could understand why some consumers would choose an inferior (in terms of computational power) a netbook over the MBP because of better battery life and portability concerns. )
Todd, I didn't think my original post WAS that complicated and I am at somewhat of a loss to realize that my original points confused you over their intent.
"In my first line I stated that the HP Pavillion recorded the best battery charge duration of the listed laptops"
No, you followed it up with "However" and then proceeded to tell us why the HP's victory doesn't count. The HP unarguably, undeniably, unambiguously crushed the MacBook's battery life. End of story. There is no however, no big hairy butt.
Let's flip this. If the list was instead "thinnest laptops with an Intel i7 CPU" and the MacBook Air won, we all know how you would respond to this:
"Sure the MacBook Air won. However, it doesn't have a dedicated graphics card in it like my Alienware laptop."
You would be freaking out.
The HP won. The MacBook didn't. It isn't a big deal.
No, you followed it up with "However" and then proceeded to tell us why the HP's victory doesn't count. The HP unarguably, undeniably, unambiguously crushed the MacBook's battery life. End of story. There is no however, no big hairy butt.
Let's flip this. If the list was instead "thinnest laptops with an Intel i7 CPU" and the MacBook Air won, we all know how you would respond to this:
"Sure the MacBook Air won. However, it doesn't have a dedicated graphics card in it like my Alienware laptop."
You would be freaking out.
The HP won. The MacBook didn't. It isn't a big deal.
@toddybottom
You've been busy posting today, my friend. (I just read your comments on AKH's iPad top 10 list blog article)
I have to ask, however, Do you really, truly believe this was all about "victories"?? Which product "won"? Which product lost? I assure you, Todd, on my honor, this train of thought never entered my mind.
I must commend you for you passion debating your point of views over this simple article, however. It reminds me of an old Buddy Hacket joke told on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show. (Probably way before your time.) Perhaps you saw it or heard this joke before. Anyway, Buddy's joke went something like this.
Once upon a time, there was this urban duck hunter wannabe who finally, after many years of waiting and preparation, was able to indulge his passion for duck hunting. He went out and bought the best (and most expensive) shotgun, the best duck hunting clothes, the best duck boat and, to make a long story shorter, the best of anything remotely pertaining to duck hunting.
On a perfect duck day (cold and damp), this fellow rowed out into a bay before dawn, made sure everything was "just right" and then waited for his first duck hunting experience of his life.
He waited. And waited. And waited some more. Oh, he saw many ducks that day but they were all flying or swimming out of range. Finally, after many long frustrating hours and after feeling the coldness of the day seep thru his expensive and supposedly warm clothes many hours before, our hero spotted his first flock of ducks within range of his mighty shotgun.
He fired and, quite unbelievably, his first duck fell from the sky and landed on land. Well, you might imagine just how fast our hunter rowed to shore to retrieve his prize.
When he approached his downed duck, he noticed that it had landed against the barn door on the property of a local farmer. Not seeing anyone around, he made his way to the duck but just before picking up the object of his lifelong quest, the farmer emerged from his barn, saw the duck and picked it up. At this point in the story, it should be noted that the farmer with the duck could easily have been mistaken for an NFL Linebacker in his prime.
Of course, our hunter introduced himself to the farmer and explained how "his" duck happened to come to rest besides the farmer's barn door. And, of course, the hunter made his point in the most polite of ways.
Fully expecting the farmer to hand over the duck, our intrepid hunter was shocked and dismayed to learn how wrong his opinions and beliefs were in this matter.
Both men exchanged arguments back and forth but the farmer refused to hand over the duck insisting that the duck was his because it was on his property.
Finally, the farmer offered a way to decide who would own the duck. A contest of strength, will power and courage was agreed upon whereby each person would kick the other in the area where all men fear to be struck. They would alternate kicks and then the last man standing would claim ownership of the contested water fowl.
Our hero thought long and hard over the rules of the game if, for no other reason, than the farmer outweighed our hunter by a good 100 pounds (all muscle, of course) and had at least a ten inch height advantage and, more importantly, our hunter had left his shotgun back in the boat. Elmer was about to agree to these terms (because he desperately wanted that duck and to prove his points to that farmer) when the farmer suggested, that since the duck was in his procession, the farmer should be awarded the first kick.
Well, Todd, what would you have done if you were our hunter hero? Buddy Hacket then told the audience what our hunter decided to do. Would he give up the duck or take the kick.
The hunter did the manly thing. He took the kick! (Now, for the next four minutes, Buddy Hacket left his audience in stitches while he enacted, in GREAT DETAIL, just how the farmer's kick affected the physical and mental well being of the hunter.
Finally, after spending many agonizing moments on the ground panting for breath, our valiant hero gradually stood up on very wobbly legs and determined to get the last word in, wheezed out his immortal and defiant challenge, "Now it's my turn big guy.)
Whereupon the farmer looked nonchalantly at our cold, nauseated urban hunter and said, "Ah Chucks, son. Here, take the duck.!" and then walked peacefully away.
Todd, I feel like the farmer in the story. If you feel so very strongly and passionately about this "winning" thing between the HP and an Apple product to put forth conjectures and opinions that any objective reader could see were never my intent to make, than, hey, take the duck.
You've been busy posting today, my friend. (I just read your comments on AKH's iPad top 10 list blog article)
I have to ask, however, Do you really, truly believe this was all about "victories"?? Which product "won"? Which product lost? I assure you, Todd, on my honor, this train of thought never entered my mind.
I must commend you for you passion debating your point of views over this simple article, however. It reminds me of an old Buddy Hacket joke told on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show. (Probably way before your time.) Perhaps you saw it or heard this joke before. Anyway, Buddy's joke went something like this.
Once upon a time, there was this urban duck hunter wannabe who finally, after many years of waiting and preparation, was able to indulge his passion for duck hunting. He went out and bought the best (and most expensive) shotgun, the best duck hunting clothes, the best duck boat and, to make a long story shorter, the best of anything remotely pertaining to duck hunting.
On a perfect duck day (cold and damp), this fellow rowed out into a bay before dawn, made sure everything was "just right" and then waited for his first duck hunting experience of his life.
He waited. And waited. And waited some more. Oh, he saw many ducks that day but they were all flying or swimming out of range. Finally, after many long frustrating hours and after feeling the coldness of the day seep thru his expensive and supposedly warm clothes many hours before, our hero spotted his first flock of ducks within range of his mighty shotgun.
He fired and, quite unbelievably, his first duck fell from the sky and landed on land. Well, you might imagine just how fast our hunter rowed to shore to retrieve his prize.
When he approached his downed duck, he noticed that it had landed against the barn door on the property of a local farmer. Not seeing anyone around, he made his way to the duck but just before picking up the object of his lifelong quest, the farmer emerged from his barn, saw the duck and picked it up. At this point in the story, it should be noted that the farmer with the duck could easily have been mistaken for an NFL Linebacker in his prime.
Of course, our hunter introduced himself to the farmer and explained how "his" duck happened to come to rest besides the farmer's barn door. And, of course, the hunter made his point in the most polite of ways.
Fully expecting the farmer to hand over the duck, our intrepid hunter was shocked and dismayed to learn how wrong his opinions and beliefs were in this matter.
Both men exchanged arguments back and forth but the farmer refused to hand over the duck insisting that the duck was his because it was on his property.
Finally, the farmer offered a way to decide who would own the duck. A contest of strength, will power and courage was agreed upon whereby each person would kick the other in the area where all men fear to be struck. They would alternate kicks and then the last man standing would claim ownership of the contested water fowl.
Our hero thought long and hard over the rules of the game if, for no other reason, than the farmer outweighed our hunter by a good 100 pounds (all muscle, of course) and had at least a ten inch height advantage and, more importantly, our hunter had left his shotgun back in the boat. Elmer was about to agree to these terms (because he desperately wanted that duck and to prove his points to that farmer) when the farmer suggested, that since the duck was in his procession, the farmer should be awarded the first kick.
Well, Todd, what would you have done if you were our hunter hero? Buddy Hacket then told the audience what our hunter decided to do. Would he give up the duck or take the kick.
The hunter did the manly thing. He took the kick! (Now, for the next four minutes, Buddy Hacket left his audience in stitches while he enacted, in GREAT DETAIL, just how the farmer's kick affected the physical and mental well being of the hunter.
Finally, after spending many agonizing moments on the ground panting for breath, our valiant hero gradually stood up on very wobbly legs and determined to get the last word in, wheezed out his immortal and defiant challenge, "Now it's my turn big guy.)
Whereupon the farmer looked nonchalantly at our cold, nauseated urban hunter and said, "Ah Chucks, son. Here, take the duck.!" and then walked peacefully away.
Todd, I feel like the farmer in the story. If you feel so very strongly and passionately about this "winning" thing between the HP and an Apple product to put forth conjectures and opinions that any objective reader could see were never my intent to make, than, hey, take the duck.
Well, if your using you notebook to just browse the internet does take a scientist to figure out it will last longer. If you don't use your battery and your computer is hooked to a power source for year, don't expect the battery to last long. Use it or lose it! Merry Christmas
Now we fight over 7 pounds notebook, just because the notebook is the same size and looks the same you would have to use the same applications as you would at work. That meaning you would have to spend 8 hours at work then 8 hours at home on the computer using the same applications to figure out if you work computer was any better than your home computer. Likely most use the home computer differently than the work computer as we all like our off time! 5.6 pound computer to a 7 pound computer, oh you might have to work out a little harder to carry that extra 1.4 pound! Try carrying the Alien notebook around, power power!
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