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> Why not just get rid of built-in batteries entirely Built-in batteries allow for custom battery shapes that increase battery life or allow for thinner comput

> Why not just get rid of built-in batteries entirely Built-in batteries allow for custom battery shapes that increase battery life or allow for thinner computers at the same battery life. They increase laptop durability by not requiring a removable battery cover. They allow for putting other components on top of the battery as well to better take advantage of the space inside the enclosure. > it facilitates a privacy nightmare How does it do that?

jb775 7y ago
> How does it do that? If I remove my laptop battery, I know no one can tap into my hardware covertly. E.g. turn on the microphone, enable bluetooth hardware to see who I'm near, enable 3G/4G hardware to track which cell towers I'm near, etc. I'd gladly deal with a battery cover on my MacBook in exchange for definite privacy. Better yet, remove the battery from inside the laptop entirely and can plug one in via USB-C port as needed.
- lilyball 7y ago
  For such a niche use case, just stick the thing in a faraday cage bag. It doesn't matter that it has power if it can't exchange any signals with the outside world.
KCUOJJQJ 7y ago
>Built-in batteries allow for custom battery shapes that increase battery life or allow for thinner computers at the same battery life. Why not putting these bag shaped battery cells in a plastic case? Couldn't this case still have any shape?
- lilyball 7y ago
  Besides wasting space, it also means the battery has to be a single monolithic entity, can't be too flat (or the case would use up the entire space the battery occupies), and can't have any components over it. Take a look at this image: https://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/cBFfrfQPrPBFgV1s.huge https://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/cBFfrfQPrPBFgV1s.h.... It comes from the iFixit MacBook Pro 15" Touch Bar Teardown (https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/MacBook+Pro+15-Inch+Touch+Bar+Teardown/73395 https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/MacBook+Pro+15-Inch+Touch+Ba...) It's 6 different cells, that span the entire width of the laptop. They're glued in, and they use pretty much every bit of space they can. There's also a ribbon cable going over them, which I believe is the trackpad cable.

jb775 7y ago

> How does it do that? If I remove my laptop battery, I know no one can tap into my hardware covertly. E.g. turn on the microphone, enable bluetooth hardware to see who I'm near, enable 3G/4G hardware to track which cell towers I'm near, etc. I'd gladly deal with a battery cover on my MacBook in exchange for definite privacy. Better yet, remove the battery from inside the laptop entirely and can plug one in via USB-C port as needed.

lilyball 7y ago
For such a niche use case, just stick the thing in a faraday cage bag. It doesn't matter that it has power if it can't exchange any signals with the outside world.

KCUOJJQJ 7y ago

>Built-in batteries allow for custom battery shapes that increase battery life or allow for thinner computers at the same battery life. Why not putting these bag shaped battery cells in a plastic case? Couldn't this case still have any shape?

lilyball 7y ago
Besides wasting space, it also means the battery has to be a single monolithic entity, can't be too flat (or the case would use up the entire space the battery occupies), and can't have any components over it. Take a look at this image: https://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/cBFfrfQPrPBFgV1s.huge https://d3nevzfk7ii3be.cloudfront.net/igi/cBFfrfQPrPBFgV1s.h.... It comes from the iFixit MacBook Pro 15" Touch Bar Teardown (https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/MacBook+Pro+15-Inch+Touch+Bar+Teardown/73395 https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/MacBook+Pro+15-Inch+Touch+Ba...) It's 6 different cells, that span the entire width of the laptop. They're glued in, and they use pretty much every bit of space they can. There's also a ribbon cable going over them, which I believe is the trackpad cable.