Other World Computing

SRP / SP:	$140 / $140
Requirements:	12″ Aluminum PowerBook
What’s Hot:	Improved battery life
What’s Not:	Higher price than Apple-brand battery

When I heard that Newer Technology had created a replacement battery for the 12″ PowerBook, to be sold through Other World Computing, I was excited at the possibility of longer battery life. While iBook and PowerBook battery life is definitely above average, there’s always room for improvement, and being able to go longer between charges for only a few dollars more than Apple’s battery sounded tempting. OWC was generous enough to send over a battery for me to try out, and after using it for a couple weeks now, I’ve given it about as thorough a test as can be done without comparing how it ages over several years to the Apple-brand battery.

Pulling the battery out of the protective sleeve it came in, I was impressed with the looks of the battery. There’s nothing that stands out about the looks, and that’s exactly what I like about it. The color matches just as well as the Apple battery, with the only difference being the rubber foot is black, instead of the standard gray. For those bothered by this, I was told by OWC that they are working to change this

As for overall build quality, the fit and finish is quite good, but there was one point that I found lacking. While it’s nice that this battery features the LEDs and button to check the battery level, the button seemed to be poorly put together in the battery, as if it was sunk in a little too far. The demo unit I was given had been used somewhat roughly before, so I can’t say if this is just a result of that, or if this was an assembly issue. Overall, I wouldn’t rank it as a major issue, but only worth mentioning for the sake of thoroughness.

Now, for what everyone really cares about: battery life. Comparing battery life between the Apple and Newer Tech batteries is difficult, as everyone’s usage patterns change. Still, after following the procedure to probably calibrate the Newer Tech battery, I went through my regular usage habits and saw where the batteries stood. I was not doing anything overly demanding of the graphics card or hard drive, mainly just basic internet and productivity applications while connected to the internet wirelessly. Newer Tech advertises up to 13.3% increase in battery life over the Apple-brand battery, which I actually got pretty close to. Using the battery from a full charge to the warning dialogue that it’s time to plugin again, I realized about a 28 minute gain. 28 minutes isn’t huge, but for long meetings or on a plane, that’s not insubstantial at all.

Whether this battery is right for you is dependent upon a few things. If your battery life is already satisfactory, and you prefer to have Apple-branded products, then save your $10. On the other hand, if you’re already looking to replace your battery, or to have a second battery, $10 isn’t much money to gain nearly half an hour of battery life. Overall, I think the Newer Tech NuPower battery is a good option for those looking to get an extra bit of battery life, without sacrificing much in quality or price.

Filed under: Reviews