Apple Pursuing Fuel Cell Tech for PowerBooks?

This isn't new. I've seen some other interesting technologies that may be used in notebooks. One is a nano-sized generator that runs off a cartridge of butaine. It would produce less emmisions than a person, so ti would be safe on an airplane (minus the compressed butane part!). Recharges would be instant. I doubt either company will lock out the other, regardless of who's first.

sounds cool. must be good stuff if Apple will change the PowerBooks to meet the fuel cell requirements. i'll have to read up on this...

did you see the diagram? this thing doesnt need recharging. it takes in the AIR and generates heat water and electricity. this by FAR wipes the floor with a butane cartridge. this is just as wonderful as solid state devices. fuel cells are incredible.

this is really cool stuff, but wat i dont get, is whats actually providing the power here; what is the base raw material here? obiously you cant plug this baby into the wall to power it... so are we going to have to "fill up" our fuel cell powered laptops every time the battery is depleted? seems kinda goofy to me!:p

EDIT:

Originally posted by beatle888
did you see the diagram? this thing doesnt need recharging. it takes in the AIR and generates heat water and electricity. this by FAR wipes the floor with a butane cartridge. this is just as wonderful as solid state devices. fuel cells are incredible.

actually you need hydrogen to power this, not just air. i knew this when i posted this reply, but im just wondering where/how/what form we'd get the hydrogen in.

i didn't read the article, nor do i know anything about fuel cells, but couldn't you get the hydrogen from bringing in the air and seperating the hydrogen from the oxygen (from H2O, which air has plenty of)?

why would this be limited to powerbooks? Seems like a larger unit could power a desktop - a smaller one an iPod.

Originally posted by bertagert
i didn't read the article, nor do i know anything about fuel cells, but couldn't you get the hydrogen from bringing in the air and seperating the hydrogen from the oxygen (from H2O, which air has plenty of)?

It takes energy to separate the Hydrogen from the Oxygen - defeating the purpose...

The info about fuel cells is from 2000 - I wonder how far the tech has come?

would be great if Apple could own some of the fundamental intellectual property on these fuel cells - would certainly help shut out competitors!!!

sorry for the triple post!

Here's some interesting reading on the tech in general...

http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,58436,00.html

and for laptops specifically...

http://www.smartfuelcell.de/en/presse/c030310.html

Originally posted by evolu
why would this be limited to powerbooks? Seems like a larger unit could power a desktop - a smaller one an iPod.

Most desktops can be plugged into a wall :)

It would be great when fuel cells are so competitive everything can go "off the grid", but it will still be a while.