Aftermarket Extended LifeDrive Battery Now Available
iPods 99, a web site specializing in replacement batteries for portable media devices and handhelds, is now offering a 1800mAh replacement battery for Palm's LifeDrive Mobile Manager. 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. Further perusal of their site shows that this is a generic text used throughout numerous Palm models. For example, the site shows that the battery claming to be extended life (actually 900mAh) for the Palm TX actually has a 25% lesser capacity than the TX's stock 1150mAh battery. One would also need to open up the LifeDrive and void the warranty in order to add this battery.
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RE: So...
Given the general summer doldrums in most industries, July/August is definitely the slowest time of the year for tech news.
Pilot 1000-->Pilot 5000-->PalmPilot Pro-->IIIe-->Vx-->m505-->T|T-->T|T2-->T|C-->T|T3-->T|T5-->TX-->Treo 700P
What a bitter little biotch you are, just_little_me
RE: So...
JLM.
just_little_me
Take care, Girlfriend.
TVoR
Mmmm, increased explosive power
You'd think people would learn.
Tim
I apologise for any and all emoticons that appear in my posts. You may shoot them on sight.
Treo 270 ---> Treo 650
RE: Mmmm, increased explosive power
RE: Mmmm, increased explosive power
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.
KultiVator
RE: Mmmm, increased explosive power
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)
Tim
I apologise for any and all emoticons that appear in my posts. You may shoot them on sight.
Treo 270 ---> Treo 650
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.
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!
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.
It might not be the "mythical color HandEra", but I'm liking my TX anyway.
RE: ...and for the IIIxe, too!
Or were you being ironic?
;-)
KultiVator
RE: ...and for the IIIxe, too!
RE: ...and for the IIIxe, too!
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.
--
PalmPilot Pro (1997) -> III (1998) -> Vx (1999) -> m500 (2001) -> m515 (2002) -> ???
RE: ...and for the IIIxe, too!
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 !
So, I for one are extremly happy with their service and batteries.
Best regards,
//P
RE: ...and for the IIIxe, too!
RE: ...and for the IIIxe, too!
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.
It might not be the "mythical color HandEra", but I'm liking my TX anyway.
RE: ...and for the IIIxe, too!
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:
http://www.gethightech.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=GHT&Category_Code=_tungsten_takeapart
Regards,
/P
why bother?
I'm sure things were easier before they became more simple
Tungsten T, Lexar 256Mb, Mac G4Ti OSX
RE: why bother?
RE: why bother?
RE: why bother?
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.
Pilot 1000-->Pilot 5000-->PalmPilot Pro-->IIIe-->Vx-->m505-->T|T-->T|T2-->T|C-->T|T3-->T|T5-->TX-->Treo 700P
RE: why bother?
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.
Greg in
Jax, FL
RE: This place is dead.
I'm sure things were easier before they became more simple
Tungsten T, Lexar 256Mb, Mac G4Ti OSX
Video on Replacing Battery on Lifedrive.
Thanks, Bill
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So...
JLM.