One of the first things I get for a new notebook computer is a long-duration battery. Usually, notebooks ship with a wimpy battery that doesn't have adequate staying power. But there always was a suspicion that notebook computer batteries are overpriced. How can a battery possibly cost $200?
With the giant Sony recall of its batteries, we found the truth. Working the numbers, we found that it was costing Sony about $25 to (1) take back a battery; (2) dispose of it; (3) produce a replacement battery; and (4) send it to the customer.
When I got HP's Tx1220 convertable notebook, I checked the HP.ca Web site. Cost for the RQ204AA battery is $190, including tax and shipping.
This was my 6th notebook computer, and I was getting tired of paying a couple of hundred dollars per battery. And HP was not being forthright with their specs: they mention 6-cell, but not the most important spec, Wh -- Watt-hours. (This rating is sometimes shown as Ah or Ahr -- amp-hours. To convert between the two, multiply or divide by the voltage. On the Tx1220, the operating voltage is 7.2, so this 55Wh/7.2v = 7.6Ah. Note that Watts = Amps x Volts) So I looked elsewhere.
I had some success getting batteries for cameras and so on from from battery specialists online. I looked around the Web, but the TX1xxx series is rare enough that I found just one supplier whose price was $130 (before shipping) but with two strikes: (1) they were out of stock;and (2) the power was just 37Whr -- one-third less computing time with that battery.
That surprised me. Notebook computer usually ship with a cheap battery, as mentioned above. But this Tx1220 from HP came with the most powerful battery available for its class -- 55Wh or 7.6Ah.
On a whim, I checked eBay for RQ204AA. Within a minute I found a supplier in China who offered the HP-branded, 55Wh battery for $50 plus $20 shipping to Canada. No tax. I placed my order. I wondered if it would arrive before I left on my trip to Europe -- a spare battery on the 11-hour flight would be nice.
Ten days later it arrived. It was HP-branded, and looked exactly like the one provided with the computer. The only difference: this one was sourced from Japan; the one that came with the computer was sourced from Korea.
I was happier about spending 2.7x less. But not for long...
$100+ for AC Adapters
HP still managed to squeeze blood from me. The AC adapter for my daughter's HP-Compaq notebook went weird, with the tip of the plug looking singed. I called HP support, but they had no recalls for the adapter. So I was forced to pay nearly $110 (incl. tax and shipping) for another one. The only good part is that it arrived in two days.
I guess you could say I got the adapter free, after saving $120 not buying the battery from HP.
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