I’m trying to remember the last time I packed a spare battery along. I have to go back at least as far as the Wallstreet… possibly even as far back as my original PowerBook 170. Spare batteries are something that haven’t been relevant to me for a loooong time; they’re frickin’ expensive, they’re bulky and heavy, and there simply haven’t been enough times where the extra power would be useful to make it worth the weight, bulk and expense.

That is precisely why I bought a MacBook instead of a MacBook Air. Other than the batteries, the Air would have better satisfied my wants and needs.

Gene,

All real engineering involves tradeoffs. In the Mac Book Air, an opening that large would reduce the mechanical strength (stiffness) of the unit. This is a significant consideration for this product. I just wish Apple would license its power connection so that others could produce and market external auxiliary batteries. In typical use, replacing the battery is an inconvenience that only needs be done once every several years.

Correct as far as it goes. The annoyance, however, is that you can not easily replace the battery en route if it runs down and there’s no available power connection. How many dedicated road warriors pack a second battery in their laptop bags, or wish they could?

Peace,
Gene

Gene,

All real engineering involves tradeoffs. In the Mac Book Air, an opening that large would reduce the mechanical strength (stiffness) of the unit. This is a significant consideration for this product. I just wish Apple would license its power connection so that others could produce and market external auxiliary batteries. In typical use, replacing the battery is an inconvenience that only needs be done once every several years.