Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) on Monday launched a notebook configuration that the company claimed would provide 24 hours of battery runtime, beating claims by rivalDell ( Dell) by about five hours.
To achieve the extended battery life, HP outfitted an EliteBook 6930p with an Intel (NSDQ: INTC) solid-state drive, a 14.1-inch LED display, which consumers less power than the usual LCD screens in notebooks; and a 12-cell "ultra-capacity battery." The battery weighs 1.77 pounds and costs an additional $189. The SSDs, which are also optional, are scheduled for availability in October.
Pricing for the SSDs has not been released, but the drives, which come with 80 GB or 160 GB of storage, are sure to be expensive. Intel on Monday said the smaller model would cost $595 in quantities of 1,000. Pricing for the 160 GB version, which would ship to computer makers in the fourth quarter, was not released.
The basic EliteBook 6930p with a standard battery and 160 GB hard disk drive is $1,775. Other standard features include 2 GB of memory, a 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, integrated Webcam and built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless support. Without the ultra-capacity battery, the notebook weighs 4.77 pounds.
HP announced its low-power EliteBook configuration nearly a month after Dell promised 19 hours of battery life on the 14.1-inch Latitude E6400. To achieve the extended runtime, Dell is offering buyers an optional nine-hour battery that can be added to the notebook and an optional solid-state drive. In general, SSDs use less power than hard-disk drives.
In addition, Dell has added to the system a low-power mode that automatically triggers a number of battery-saving mechanisms, such as a reduction in the display's refresh cycle. Base price for the E6400 is $1,139.
Vendors often make exaggerated claims on battery life, but if the Dell and HP machines come close to the runtime claims, then the systems could be attractive to buyers who regularly take their notebooks on the road and who can afford the added cost.
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