A little bit of an echo chamber post here, but Jeff Attwood nails it in his post on Windows battery life in the new Surface line and laptops. The new Surface gets just over 8 hours, and the new Pro just under 7. Way to rise to ‘mediocre’, Microsoft. Haswell apparently hasn’t fixed it, though I’m still inclined to think it’s a hardware issue and that software fixes will only get you so far. If so, then this means Microsoft owes manufacturers some reference designs, because apparently they all get it wrong. If it’s software, then help us all, because that means Windows OS and apps need to be reworked to be inherently more efficient (without sacrificing performance). Somebody get to the bottom of this, please!
I just don’t see the point in buying a sub-8 hour device nowadays. Apple has freaking 14 hours in the newer Macbook Airs, and this is one reason I’m seriously considering one for my next purchase. It’s not just about needing power on 14 hour flights, or long vacations. It’s about having devices that are still useful if you forget or can’t plug in one night. Devices that _don’t make me think_.
