Originally published April 21 2005
IBM to power its ThinkPad notebook computers with fuel cells
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
IBM is working with Sanyo to produce a fuel cell that will provide eight hours of power to their ThinkPad notebook computers. Rather than providing this only for new ThinkPads, IBM wants to offer the fuel cell battery for its older ThinkPads as well, allowing them to get a boost from this new technology. Sanyo is not expecting that its fuel cells with entirely supplant the standard battery, however. In fact, they want to create a hybrid power system for IBM that will use both small fuel cells and standard battery power. This way, they are hoping to take the best from both worlds and provide plenty of efficient power.
IBM has unveiled initial plans for using methanol fuel cells in its ThinkPad notebook range.
The direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) will be developed by Sanyo and are expected to provide up to eight hours of power per cartridge.
They have been designed to work not only with future ThinkPad ranges, but also with existing models.
The system includes a bay for a standard rechargeable battery for supplementary or emergency power.
DMFCs can store a lot of energy in a small space, making them ideal for consumer electronics devices and laptops.
IBM's Peter Hortensius, vice president of the Personal Computing Division said that the company is not embracing fuel cells simply because of the 'wow factor'.
'We see it as a powerful enabler that could support a wide variety of business applications...to help carry ThinkPad notebooks to the next generation of power supplies, while supporting the highest levels of business productivity.'
Back in February, the Guinness World Records recognised Toshiba's compact direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) as the world's smallest such fuel cell technology.
Measuring 22 x 56 x 4.5mm, the system is targeted at smaller portable devices such as an MP3 player.
Toshiba claims its version - which is still a prototype - could power an iPod for as long as 20 hours.
From just �349 incl VAT & Delivery.
Notebook computers online Find low laptop and PC prices at tiny.com - the big revolution in low cost computing.
Buy Sony notebooks - sale now on Buy direct from Sony for quality products at fantastic prices.
Great Notebook deals at Kelkoo UK Kelkoo is the unbiased shopping search engine that compares prices from hundreds of UK shopping sites to help you find great deals on laptops available to buy online.
All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. NaturalNews.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. For the full terms of usage of this material, visit www.NaturalNews.com/terms.shtml