The Next Notebook Battery? Lithium Polymer 124
Lewis Clarke writes "Sony is changing its course to use an old technology for its new battery manufacturing. ZDNet is reporting on comments from Sony Electronics President Stan Glasgow, where he said that Notebook makers will 'likely' soon choose to incorporate lithium polymer batteries (a battery technology that emerged nine years ago) over the current commonly used type, lithium ion batteries." From the article: "Lithium polymer batteries use lithium as an active ingredient. Lithium is a volatile material, but the lithium in these batteries isn't packed into cells as it is in lithium ion batteries. Instead, it is contained in a polymer gel. These gel batteries can't provide the same sort of energy density as lithium ion batteries, but that's now a plus."
Why? (Score:2, Interesting)
lifetime? (Score:4, Interesting)
has anything changed with this or is what i've heard BS?
NOT TRUE (Score:5, Interesting)
Lipo battery warning for R/C aviation [wattflyer.com]
I use both battery types in various aircraft. The lithium polymer is much less stable. I've seen a pack swell and be ready to vent just by knocking one off of a table onto the ground. Lithium ion will not do this. Also, keep in mind that any battery will explode if you overcharge it.
Interesting priorities (Score:3, Interesting)
http://www.liposack.com/video.html [liposack.com]
That's with Li-Po cells, imagine the reaction from a more dangerous battery. Li-Po batteries have a relatively safe medium in which to pack the lithium vs the other technologies, and they're more tolerant to bad treatment. The batteries do indeed come with somewhat less energy density, but if you have too high of an energy density you have a bomb instead of a battery. That is indeed a tradeoff. Loss occurs when you lose an arm, or the plane you're on crashes due to a laptop fire. Whether or not it happens to you is irrelevant. It only needs to happen once to do damage, and in the case of a plane it needn't be your laptop.