Recently I got to take a look at the newest in the APC universal notebook battery line, the APC UPB 90. The design is very similar to its earlier model, the UPB 70. At first glance, it looks a little ungainly, with a footprint of 12 x 9. You might be thinking, "Why would I want to carry another device the size of my notebook around instead of just buying another battery?" I asked myself the same question. But after using the 90 on a flight to California, I realized the logic behind the form factor. Basically, the unit is meant to sit under your laptop on an airline tray table. This makes sense, because given the size of those tray tables--basically, you can't fit anything else on there besides your notebook, including an external battery.

The addition of an OLED screen in the 90 that tells you charge status is handy, but it's hard to read if your laptop is sitting on it. The 90 is also a bit thicker and heavier than the 70, but it gives you 90 watt hours, which equated to about 6 additional hours of battery life when I tested it on a Lenovo ThinkPad T41 doing typical productivity apps and Web surfing. The 70 is rated at 70 watt hours, which tested out to about 4 hours of extra juice. The price bump for the 90 is significant ($249 versus the 70's $149), but it is still probably competitive with or cheaper than a replacement notebook battery (which will probably have a lower watt-hour rating). And you can keep the 90 around if you switch laptops or want to loan it out (it comes with a variety of tips to fit almost any laptop).

Post by Erik Rhey