R. L. Dane  Jul 14, 2024

Man, third-party #Thinkpad batteries are cheap, but...

they are CHEAP:

2024-07-13 22:17 Battery 0: Not charging, 78%; Battery 1: Discharging, 59%, 07:06:38 remaining; 4.023W discharging; uptime: 8 days, 12:59 2024-07-13 22:18 Battery 0: Not charging, 78%; Battery 1: Discharging, 59%, 07:33:45 remaining; 3.556W discharging; uptime: 8 days, 13:00 2024-07-13 22:19 Battery 0: Not charging, 78%; Battery 1: Discharging, 57%, 06:51:08 remaining; 3.715W discharging; uptime: 8 days, 13:01 2024-07-13 22:20 Battery 0: Not charging, 78%; Battery 1: Discharging, 51%, 06:33:08 remaining; 4.119W discharging; uptime: 8 days, 13:02 2024-07-13 22:21 Battery 0: Not charging, 78%; Battery 1: Discharging, 45%, 05:57:11 remaining; 3.938W discharging; uptime: 8 days, 13:03 2024-07-13 22:22 Battery 0: Not charging, 78%; Battery 1: Discharging, 39%, 05:13:20 remaining; 3.766W discharging; uptime: 8 days, 13:04 2024-07-13 22:23 Battery 0: Not charging, 78%; Battery 1: Discharging, 33%, 04:15:44 remaining; 4.099W discharging; uptime: 8 days, 13:05 2024-07-13 22:27 Battery 0: Not charging, 79%; Battery 1: Charging, 26%, 01:33:15 until charged; 22.41 W; uptime: 0 min

Also, what's the point of having two batteries if the system dies when the external battery dies? (The internal battery isn't disabled in BIOS)

Show threadKevin Karhan Jul 14, 2024
@rl_dane personally, the #DRM and subseauent #frustration with #ThinkPad batteries is one of the reasons why I want to build the #NUCbook...
Show threadR. L. Dane  Jul 14, 2024

@kkarhan

Do they have DRM in batteries now? This generic one does work, it just doesn't last as long as it reports to. None of my thinkpad batteries ever do. :(

Show threadKevin Karhan Jul 14, 2024
@rl_dane yes, #Lenovo uses #DRM in Devices since at least the #T60 and 3rd party makers had to crack the system to make their batteries be accepted and be recharged...
Show threadR. L. Dane  Jul 14, 2024

@kkarhan

Tell me about the NUCbook project!

Show threadKevin Karhan Jul 14, 2024

@rl_dane basically:

All existing #Laptops on the #market are IMHO a #Downgrade from my #X230Tablet ( @frameworkcomputer are the "least worst" by a long shot tho! ) and I do want some essential features that I see as non-negotiable, like tool-free hot-swappable batteries but since noone does that and I don't want to rely on proprietary form factor boards (#Framework's boards are proprietary!), I want to literally just take a #UCFF aka. #NUC form factor mainboard and put it in a case with the necessary parts to make it work mobile...

#NUCbook

GitHub - KBtechnologies/nucbook: A modular & open design 13" Notebook that can be customized and upgraded to fit user's needs

A modular & open design 13" Notebook that can be customized and upgraded to fit user's needs - KBtechnologies/nucbook

GitHub
Show threadR. L. Dane  

@kkarhan @frameworkcomputer

I was very surprised to find that Lenovo doesn't really do external batteries anymore, it seems.

That is freaking NUTS! What's the point of having two batteries, then?

Have you looked at the #MNTReform? It's both a glorious #CHONKBook (with optional trackBALL!!), and a completely open device.
But it's not intel-based.

Jul 14, 2024 at 4:01amWeb
Show threadKevin Karhan Jul 14, 2024

@rl_dane I am aware of tue #MNTreform, but it also has a lot of custom components.

  • Ideally I'd want the flexibility and modularity of a desktop: Because why would you throw away your keyboard, mouse, screen and case on a desktop wjen you merely swap the mainboard & CPU?

Also the design should be flexible and generic enough to allow basically anyone to rebuild it from scratch and make compatible parts forever...

  • Allowing even the batteries to be upgraded by putting the charging and balancing into the battery pack and all it does is sent status info via RS-485, taking 12V DC in and spitting 12V DC out.

That'll make the whole thing less efficient in terms of volumetric density but in return one only needs like a set of stabilized boost-buck - converters to hookup a car battery to it if need be and one can even flexibly choose the used battery technology (i.e. an ex-/ATEX-certified variant may even use custom #NiCd-Cells to allow for >100Wh as inflight battery since FAA & EASA don't distinguish between safe #LiFePO4 & unsafe #LiPo / #LiCo / #LiIon cells ...)

  • Cuz lets be honest such a project can only succeed by being more flexible than the alternatives...
Show threadSomeAnoTooterJul 14, 2024
@kkarhan @rl_dane definitely interesting ideas