[X4U] RE: Battery

[Lee Licata]

Dear list,

I run a 17' PB G4 system 10.3.9.

I have a program that runs in terminal that displays some pretty 
critical data about the battery (capacity, cycles, etc)

I also know from experience and from apple's advice that one should 
exercise the battery from full to as close to empty as possible at 
least 1x per month to help keep it healthy. I even have a calendar 
alarm to remind me to do that. Other than that, the pw stays are the 
charger alot.

Given all that, I get about 3+ hours running on the battery, with 
airport running to keep me connected to the net while I sit at the sofa 
watching TV. The screen is about 75% bright, sound is low, bluetooth is 
off, and usually, the DVD reader/ writer is not in use. I have only one 
data point, when flying, when I got just over 4 hours out of a battery 
when it was 6 months old. I really fiddles with the energy conservation 
panel to get that. (Then a flight attendant befriended me on this 13+ 
hour flight and let me take over an empty business class seat which had 
lots of power!)

I expect to get about 2 years out of the battery, and that is what I 
typically get from the LiOH and metal hydride rechargeable batteries 
around the house. While I do not have a spare yet (G4 is 1 year old), 
during my next trip to USA, will get a spare and hold on to it until 
the original goes. (Batteries are hard to get here in Turkey.)

I also know from experience that when the powerbook battery decides to 
quit, it gives little to no warning.

What I do not know is if there are other companies other than Apple 
that makes a replacement battery for my PB g4 17'.

When I had a G3 and PB 180, there was a company that made one with much 
higher capacity for about what apple's battery cost.

A search of the internet did not reveal much.

Lee