Apple's New Laptop Battery! OMG!

Here at Tonic's Silicon Valley World HQ, we're kind of geeking out at the announcements made up the road in San Francisco, at the annual (and possibly the final) Macworld Expo. Besides a lot of software updates, a performance by Tony Bennett, and concern over Steve Jobs' weight, the highlight of the day seems to be the release of the 17-inch MacBook Pro.

Apple is touting a couple of noteworthy features, besides the fact that it's just a beast of a machine (and an expensive one, at that). First, the computer is in line with all of Apple's new environmentally friendly features, including a unibody aluminum frame and enclosure that's easy for recyclers to handle (not that you really want to be thinking about recycling your new $2,800 laptop, but hey). It's also got Apple's now-standard arsenic-free glass, mercury-free LED display, and PVC-free internal cables. Sure, that's all good.

But only us eco-conscious Silicon Valley nerds could appreciate the new battery Apple squeezed into this computer. It's not removable, which seems a little suspect, should the thing crap out as batteries are known to sometimes do. But here's the kicker: Apple says the battery will last up to eight hours on a single charge. And, you'll be able to charge it about 1,000 times — that's nearly five years of use. If you really want to learn everything about this neat new battery, watch the video.

I have a 17-inch G4 PowerBook (circa 2004) at home that has a dying battery. The machine itself seems like it's on its last legs. I already replaced the hard drive last year. If Apple wants me to go out and drop $2,800 on a new computer, I would expect it to be better in many respects. Of course this new laptop most certainly is. But am I buying? In this economy? No thanks. I'll ride the one I've got into the ground and ship it off to a recycler, first. But let's just try not to think about that. Please send my dying laptop all the good vibes you can muster, for my sake and the environment's sake.