Reviews: DealExtreme 10400mAh EeePC Battery

While reading eeepc.net the other day, I noticed a replacement 10400mAh battery for the 7/9" EeePC. At only $50 including shipping and the exchange rate going very much in my favour, I decided to take the risk.

I really wasn't expecting it to be so big, but to deliver the quoted 10400mAh then logic dictates it needs to be about double the size of the stock 5200mAh battery.

At first, I had some issues with the battery not locking in place properly - possibly due to cheap build quality. The lock just wouldn't click into place. A little jiggle and pushing the lock manually meant that the battery did eventually hold in place and it was strong enough to pick the laptop up by the battery itself.

There is no denying, it is pretty damn huge and has an impact on both the EeePC's weight and portability. It will still fit in the neoprene case, as long as you put it in battery end first. However, it is nowhere near as comfortable to carry.

This extra size also affects the angle that the device sits at when using it. It is a slightly steeper angle which affects typing (I got on with it no more or less than with the original battery) but does create a slightly better height for using the webcam in Skype conversations.

To test the battery, I used a copy of Ubuntu 8.04 that I keep on a Crucial Gizmo Jr flash drive. Ubuntu suggested a discharge time of 6 hours and 48 minutes, which isn't bad at all. I then turned the sound off (for my own sanity) and ran the OGG video of Nelson Mandela at full screen. In the background, I used the command "watch -n 60 touch myfile" to adjust the modification date of a file on the local SSD every 60 seconds. Using this, in conjunction with knowing what time I started the discharge - I got myself a pretty accurate time discharge for both the DealExtreme battery and the originally supplied battery.

Using the original battery, I achieved 2 hours 27 minutes. Using the extended battery I got 5 hours 47 minutes, which is over double the original battery. I imagine some of this might came down to this battery being new and my EeePC being one of the first released. Either way, that's a considerable amount of battery time and doing lesser tasks such as word processing, I imagine it would last even longer.

I'm not sure I consider this to be a replacement battery, as it is too impractical and I personally find the battery life I get out my 701 to be perfect for my jaunts in and out of London. However, this will come in handy as a secondary battery for long journeys such as long haul flights. To make full use of two batteries, I do feel one needs an external charger. Having a look around, this is an accessory the EeePC is currently lacking...