Intel Corp. (Santa Clara, CA) has established a consortium of hardware makers to work on developing batteries, fuel cells and related technologies that offer longer battery life for mobile computers. The group, called the Mobile PC Extended Battery Life Working Group, held its first meeting to discuss organizational issues and initial development priorities.
Along with Intel, executives from Acer, Asustek Computer, Compal Electronics, Dell Computer, First International Computer, Fujitsu, Inventec, Legend Group, LG Electronics, Matsushita Electric Industrial, Microsoft, NEC, Samsung Electronics, Toshiba, Quanta Computer, and Wistron are working to find ways to extend the life of laptop batteries up to eight hours or more on a single charge. The first products resulting from the group's work are expected to hit the market in 2004.
"We have to expand the focus beyond the processor alone," said Anand Chandrasekher, vice president and co-general manager of Intel's Mobile Platforms Group. "One of the challenges collectively for us as an industry is to extend battery life well beyond eight hours. It requires us to come together as an industry."
