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    Aftermarket Extended LifeDrive Battery Now AvailablePosted By: Kris Keilhack on Monday, July 17, 2006 3:02:35 PM
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28 total comments The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. PIC is not responsible for them in any way. login or register for free in order to post comments.  RE: So...
Please feel free to submit some interesting news items or any software/hardware reviews you may have written to PIC. Given the general summer doldrums in most industries, July/August is definitely the slowest time of the year for tech news.
What a bitter little biotch you are, just_little_meThe_Voice_of_Reason @ 7/17/2006 11:36:26 PM #
Have you EVER contributed ANYTHING interesting to Palminfocenter? Exactly. RE: So...just_little_me @ 7/18/2006 7:30:55 PM #
Thanks TVoR - that's the best laugh I've had all day - and it was directed right AT YOU.
just_little_meThe_Voice_of_Reason @ 7/18/2006 11:41:01 PM #
We're not laughing WITH you, just_little_me. We're laughing AT you. Take care, Girlfriend. TVoR 
 Mmmm, increased explosive power
With all the talk of exploding batteries recently, does anyone else get very nervous putting dodgy batteries in their devices? You'd think people would learn. RE: Mmmm, increased explosive power
..Maybe some people welcome the extra feature of "flamethrower." RE: Mmmm, increased explosive powerKultiVator @ 7/18/2006 6:56:49 AM #
Talking of flame-throwers, my main PC at home started spewing smoke and flames from the (AMD/Intel Approved) PSU yesterday. I know we're having a heat-wave over here in the UK, but didn't expect my PC to go thermo-nuclear! Just glad I was working from home and able to deal with the problem before it burnt the house down. All this despite protecting my PSU with a reputable UPS with surge protection. Hope my new "Hiper Black-Label" 580W PSU fairs better.
RE: Mmmm, increased explosive power
I know we're having a heat-wave over here in the UK...
Ah, so the glaciers have receded then? ;) No computer has really been tested until it survives an Australian summer. They've been getting hotter lately... last summer I had to take the sides of the case off and stick a fan next to it. You could have cooked a steak on my hard drives. I bought an air conditioner a few months ago (always on sale after summer...). Hopefully it's going to help my poor little box survive this year's onslaught. When oh when are they going to come up with a better PC cooling system? (an affordable one, that is)
In defence of dubious claims.
Claiming up to 40% improvement over the standard battery life, this battery retails for $24.95. Seeing as how the LifeDrive's original stock battery is 1660mAh, this claim seems highly dubious at best. Agreed replacing a 1660mAh battery with a 1800mAh is only an 8.4% increase in capacity. However, replacing an old battery with a new battery, even of the same size, can easily given an increased battery life. Forty percent? I am not to sure. However, there is always that market-speak phrase "up to". If they can find just one example where they replaced an old battery with a new and got a 40% increase, they can easily claim the "up to 40%". Now the fact that they took a Lifedrive and set it up to constantly run, with a timed power socket to charge and discharge the device over and over again for 4 months straight before testing the before and after has no bearing on this claim [sarcasm]. Caveat Emptor. RE: In defence of dubious claims.Timothy Rapson @ 7/18/2006 8:11:45 PM #
That's a good point, especially to me. My Zire 72 is down to about 30 minutes of dependable use. 30 minutes.
Unfortunately it is acting flacky in other "I'm wearing out now." ways so I will not be getting a new battery. I will just let it go. I sure wish I had a Zire 73 option, but it doesn't look likely.
...and for the IIIxe, too!
Replace your Palm IIIxe Battery or Keep an Extra Battery on hand as a backup. This is a Super High Capacity 1600 mAh, Lithium-Ion Battery that offers up to 40% more up time than your original. Works in your Palm IIIxe unit. Simple, Easy and Inexpensive! You get a New Battery, a FREE Torx Tool, AND You also get a full ONE YEAR Money Back Guarantee exclusively when you purchase from us. http://www.ipods99.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=PMIIIxe So, do they send you two 800 mAh "Lithium-Ion" AAA batteries and a charger? Seems more than a little strange to me. RE: ...and for the IIIxe, too!KultiVator @ 7/18/2006 10:26:17 AM #
Although their wording isn't too clear in your link TWRock, I think they refer to you keeping your existing Palm IIIxe battery and using this as a higher capacity replacement PLUS hang onto the old one + keep it charged up as a contingency.
;-)
RE: ...and for the IIIxe, too!cyberqueen @ 7/18/2006 10:47:33 AM #
That offer for the Palm IIIxe seems VERY strange, to say the least. I looked at the picture of the battery they claim to be offering: I can't even imagine how it would fit in a Palm IIIxe. Moreover, since I can buy 2 AAA batteries for very little and they'll last in my Palm IIIxe for an average of 13-14 weeks, why would I want to spend more than $20 for what they're offering. Frankly, I'm glad that PalmInfocenter included the bit about the replacement battery for the LifeDrive: their take on it, plus the comments here, have made me damn sure to avoid iPods99. I think PalmInfocenter has done us all a service. RE: ...and for the IIIxe, too!
I think he was being sarcastic, KultiVator, not ironic. The IIIxe uses 2 AAA batteries, not a rechargable battery pack. Additionally, as I recall, the III series used regular screws, not Torx. So the "FREE Torx Tool" isn't really useful. RE: ...and for the IIIxe, too!
Hi I must say that i have had nothing but good experience from ipods99.com. I bought a 1100mAh battery for my T3 and that battery is far better that the original 900mAh. The first battery that I received from them was "broken" and didn't work so the guys from ipods99.com sent me a new one, no questions asked, they didn't even want the first battery back...and I live in Sweden !
RE: ...and for the IIIxe, too!
Did the T3 battery come with the wire and connector or did you have to transfer? Was it a tight fit or an exact replacement? RE: ...and for the IIIxe, too!
Sorry for not being clear enough. Yes, dagwud figured out my lame attempt at humor. Unless iPods99 has discovered an undocumented charging circuit in the IIIxe and has shaped the battery to fit into the space for the standard replaceable batteries, I don't know how this is going to work. Dagwud is also right about the screwdriver being a Philips, not Torx. The picture in that link above surely doesn't look like anything that would work in a IIIxe. Unless everything I thought I understood about both the IIIxe and Lithium-Ion batteries is wrong, I can't imagine that this works as advertised. But heah, I've been wrong before. Maybe someone from iPods99 can explain it to me. On the other hand, I'll keep this site in mind if my old T2 or (still new) TX needs a battery replacement in the future. L-Ion batteries do wear out after some time. A new 900mAh battery will provide a lot more power than a worn out 1150mAh battery will and the price doesn't seem unreasonable. RE: ...and for the IIIxe, too!
@ greghoro,
The battery came with a cable and a connector. The only thing you had to do was to replace the battery with the new one. There is plenty of room inside the T3 for the battery, So... you open the T3 up, remove the slider, lift up the back cover, remove the battery (it's kind off glued to the T3) put in the new battery...done See a detailed instruction how to take apart a T3:
why bother?
whether news is slow or not, why advertise for these guys if their product is so dubious?? I'm sure things were easier before they became more simple Tungsten T, Lexar 256Mb, Mac G4Ti OSX RE: why bother?cyberqueen @ 7/18/2006 10:28:58 PM #
I think of the piece as more a warning than an advertisement. It calls the company's claim "highly dubious" and points out several more things that raise doubts about the offer and the company. And then most of the comments that followed reinforce this negative impression. As I said earlier, I'm very glad that PalmInfocenter called attention to this offer because now I'll know to stay away from iPods 99. RE: why bother?
Yup, me too. At first I thought they were at least one better than "ipods98," but sadly it appears this is not the case. RE: why bother?
I really don't see the reason for such a clamor. As stated yesterday, news is *awfully* slow this time of the year. Seeing aftermarket hardware releases that are an improvement, even marginally, over Palm's underwhelming originals (batteries, in this case) are always news-worthy. Since many of the LifeDrives in use are now over a year old and well out of warranty, a battery replacement for the experienced hardware modder is a very realistic proposition. That said, I wanted to take steps to ensure that the company's questionable product blurbs & sketchy math/specs were pointed out in the text of the news item. If it's any reassurance, "reputable" firms like Seidio sell a wide variety of crosshardware for different platforms on their web site. These tech specs are not always 100% accurate or up-to-date about updating descriptions to show Treo 700P/W compatability or noting that some items will work with 650s & 700s (chargers, batteries) whereas others will not (battery doors, some styli, some cases). There's a reason (warranty, documentation, guaranteed compatability) Palm sells their self-branded accessories for high margins.
RE: why bother?
I am actually the owner of iPods99. I noticed a recent upsurge in sales of certain Palm batteries and traced it back to this forum and have read with interest the postings in this thread.
iPods99.com was established initially to service the battery needs of iPod users. However we received so many inquiries from Palm people wanting to purchase a battery rather than be forced to re-purchase a Palm. We have worked to accomodate this demand although admittedly without substantial technical expertise with regards to each palm model. We do ship each battery with a no questions asked 1 year money back guarantee, and when the customer receives the wrong battery or has any other problem that is our fault we correct the problem without troubling them to return the incorrect battery. We lose money when this happens, but we also build the expertise that we are able to offer our customers as a result. I went into a Palm store while on a visit to Washington, DC's Union Station earlier this month, and asked if it was possible to replace the battery in their units. They replied that it was not. On the other hand I have sold hundreds of batteries to satisified palm users, including executives at large corporations and volume orders from large organizations. Think of the money these folks save by replacing the batteries rather then purchasing a new Palm for each employee. Our web site is not perfect, mistakes are made, but thus far the only bad comments that I have seen are from people who have not done business with us. Yes, my customers are less risk averse than others, not only being willing to do business with a smaller company, but willing to take apart their Palm to install the battery. If you require risk free perfection in your doings, than by all means, purchase a new Palm when your battery deteriorates. If on the other hand you wish to save some money and keep your old palm, than try to keep an open mind about the possibilities. - Bill
This place is dead.greggebhardt @ 7/20/2006 1:11:44 PM #
We have spent alot of sleepy bandwidth talking about a replacement battery for the slow and sleepy LifeDrive. I sold mine after a few days. Blackberry forever! Greg in Jax, FL RE: This place is dead.
just remind me how good the movie playback is on a blackberry??
I'm sure things were easier before they became more simple Tungsten T, Lexar 256Mb, Mac G4Ti OSX
Video on Replacing Battery on Lifedrive.
I have posted a video on Google which shows the process of dissambling a LifeDrive to install a battery. The video can be found for the time being at: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4833459759318169537 .
Thanks, Bill
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iPods 99, a web site specializing in replacement batteries for portable media devices and handhelds, is now offering a 1800mAh 
JLM.