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bodryn · 01-18-2008, 10:44 PM

I think this idea of sticking consumers with rechargeable batteries is a BIG mistake. I have had a few gadgets with rechargeables, including some Toshiba laptop computers. Invariably the rechargeable batteries die and can no longer take a charge. Then if you try to get another battery to replace it, you may be out of luck. What if you like your gadget and don't want to replace it? One battery I recently tried to replace was a battery for my Toshiba T4600C, a DOS computer for which I still occasionally had use. I spent several years writing a long involved program in QuickBasic 4.5 for which I had other users. I bought a battery from Batteries Plus thinking I had a new replacement. I started the computer up after several hours of charging and it seemed fine. Some days later I came back and found that "new" battery, for which I paid some $130, was dead. The computer won't run at all without a battery. Now what?

Also I have Canon cameras which run very nicely on AA batteries and can take hundreds of pictures on a set of AAs. Fine, but I decided to buy some rechargeable batteries since I heard they last longer and take more pictures. Unfortunately if you leave them in the camera and say two weeks later you go out to take pictures, the batteries might well be dead or nearly so. It happened to me. Then what? I had to fall back on my alkaline AAs. I am SO GLAD I had that choice. I have decided that forcing rechargeable batteries on consumers is part of this whole business of built-in obsolescence. Consumers ought to have more choice than that. If I spend several hundred dollars for an eBook, I ought to be able to plan to use it for 20 years if I want. I am very careful with my gadgets. They last a long time, but only if I can get batteries for them. Otherwise pray for good luck.

PDAs used to be for sale lots of places. Last time I went to Office Depot, I was told they sold all the PDAs as there "wasn't much of a markup for them". I thought I'd check up on a later version of one. I was told they couldn't sell enough of them and no longer offer them. I won't be going back there; they want volume sales and are losing the variety they used to have. I guess I'll stick to my TRGpro. It does quite well and it will probably work indefinitely if I take care of it. I have 2 of these so if one fails I can continue for now. TRGpro was a great innovative product but the bean counters at Palm made the OS so expensive that TRGpro (HandEra) stopped using it. All the sickening crap consumers put up with - it's enough to turn me into a Luddite.

01-18-2008, 10:44 PM	#4
bodryn Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2008 Device: TRGpro, Palm IIIx	I think this idea of sticking consumers with rechargeable batteries is a BIG mistake. I have had a few gadgets with rechargeables, including some Toshiba laptop computers. Invariably the rechargeable batteries die and can no longer take a charge. Then if you try to get another battery to replace it, you may be out of luck. What if you like your gadget and don't want to replace it? One battery I recently tried to replace was a battery for my Toshiba T4600C, a DOS computer for which I still occasionally had use. I spent several years writing a long involved program in QuickBasic 4.5 for which I had other users. I bought a battery from Batteries Plus thinking I had a new replacement. I started the computer up after several hours of charging and it seemed fine. Some days later I came back and found that "new" battery, for which I paid some $130, was dead. The computer won't run at all without a battery. Now what? Also I have Canon cameras which run very nicely on AA batteries and can take hundreds of pictures on a set of AAs. Fine, but I decided to buy some rechargeable batteries since I heard they last longer and take more pictures. Unfortunately if you leave them in the camera and say two weeks later you go out to take pictures, the batteries might well be dead or nearly so. It happened to me. Then what? I had to fall back on my alkaline AAs. I am SO GLAD I had that choice. I have decided that forcing rechargeable batteries on consumers is part of this whole business of built-in obsolescence. Consumers ought to have more choice than that. If I spend several hundred dollars for an eBook, I ought to be able to plan to use it for 20 years if I want. I am very careful with my gadgets. They last a long time, but only if I can get batteries for them. Otherwise pray for good luck. PDAs used to be for sale lots of places. Last time I went to Office Depot, I was told they sold all the PDAs as there "wasn't much of a markup for them". I thought I'd check up on a later version of one. I was told they couldn't sell enough of them and no longer offer them. I won't be going back there; they want volume sales and are losing the variety they used to have. I guess I'll stick to my TRGpro. It does quite well and it will probably work indefinitely if I take care of it. I have 2 of these so if one fails I can continue for now. TRGpro was a great innovative product but the bean counters at Palm made the OS so expensive that TRGpro (HandEra) stopped using it. All the sickening crap consumers put up with - it's enough to turn me into a Luddite.