Cann't wait for these to hit the market. Link IBM, Sanyo to develop fuel-cell system for ThinkPad notebooks 28 minutes ago Technology - AFP TOKYO (AFP) - IBM and Japan's Sanyo Electric said they would jointly develop a methanol fuel-cell system for the US technology giant's ThinkPad notebook personal computers. AFP Photo The two companies said in a statement Monday they would develop a micro direct methanol fuel cell system that could supply up to eight hours of power per cartridge for current and future ThinkPad models. The system could enable PCs to run continuously through constant power generation while a conventional battery could be used as an auxiliary power unit. A Sanyo spokesman said this hybrid battery system would be best suited for use in offices, because it would be able to run intensive business applications such as multimedia, graphics and other programs without draining the battery. The product would be "relatively bigger in size" than products made by Sanyo's rivals. "Although completing the prototype model of the hybrid system is technically easy, the timing of commercialization is unclear because of the uncertainty over the development of the necessary infrastructure for fuel cells to be widely used in society," the spokesman. Other Japanese electronics firms have also developed fuel cell battery prototypes for PCs and mobile devices. Toshiba, for example, has developed the world's smallest direct methanol fuel cell. Toshiba said it plans to commercialize in 2005 its version, which can supply power to small hand-held electronic devices for 10 hours. NEC has developed in two phases its fuel-cell prototype which can run PCs for 40 hours per cartridge. The company plans to commercialise the system later in the year.
