NewerTech's dual-bay MacBook battery charger / conditioner

NewerTech's dual-bay MacBook (and MacBook Pro, too) battery charger / conditioner is most certainly tailored for the authentic road warrior, as it allows users to "conveniently charge two batteries one after the other, or charge one battery while conditioning a second one." The device reportedly extends the maximum life and effectiveness of your batteries by doing the conditioning for you, but we're a bit bummed to see that it only charges the second Li-ion "when the first battery is done charging." Notably, NewerTech also seems to offer the device for owners of PowerBooks of days past, but the latest rendition will run you $149.95 for the convenience. Another shot after the break.

[hot101geek @ Jun 8th 2007 2:02PM]

Oh wonderful! Now I don't have to worry about finding the seat next to the wall outlet because 4 hours of battery life sure goes by quicker then 4 hours!

And why does it look like an Atari game console?

[james cordero @ Jun 8th 2007 2:06PM]

Nice to see they have finally come out with this for the macbook and the pro. I had one for my PowerBook and it really does extend the life of your bateries if they are treated right. Already ordred. Nice job NewerTech! And as for the wise guy and the 4 hour remarks, it is nice to have another battery charging or refreshing overnight when you need it!

[paloooz @ Jun 8th 2007 2:26PM]

What's the use of this? I just bought a couple spare MacBook Pros to charge my extra batteries in.

[Eric @ Jun 8th 2007 2:50PM]

Wow Apple sure is thorough, they even made the part of the black battery that goes inside black.

[sockatume @ Jun 8th 2007 3:01PM]

I was always under the impression that battery conditioners were guff, basically adding extra charging cycles (guaranteed to reduce the lifespan) for no measurable benefit.

[O.I. @ Jun 8th 2007 3:10PM]

What road warrior wants to take yet another device around with them just to charge the battery of another device? Seems like it's meant for home use to me, and even then, isn't it kind of ridiculous that anyone would even need something like this?

[Andy @ Jun 8th 2007 3:48PM]

Bettery conditioners are guff? Not at all! Battery conditioners will help give your li-ion batteries more body and a lovely summer coat. Available in a salon near you.

[Chuckles McGee @ Jun 8th 2007 6:26PM]

Lather, rinse, repeat!

[Jim @ Jun 8th 2007 3:50PM]

It looks to me as if we are looking at two different devices in the two pictures. The "slot" where the batteries reside is elongated in the first picture to allow the battery to seat into the fromt of the slot and extend along the plane of the top-rear of the device and out over the rear edge, while the second photo shows the back of the "same" slot as an enclosed space - wrapping around the edge of the batteries - that now seem to sit down into the BACK of the slot. Could be two devices or just a couple of ideas sprung from Photoshop.

[Abbi Vakil @ Jun 8th 2007 3:50PM]

But what's the point of buying this device @ $150 when you can just buy a spare battery from Fastmac.com for $50 less?

[Jose @ Jun 8th 2007 4:36PM]

LOLZORZ! It be tries to look like teh Wii.

[LukeA @ Jun 8th 2007 5:15PM]

Ummm...you don't have to condition lithium-based batteries.

[Jim @ Jun 13th 2007 6:03PM]

There are a number of scenarios in which individuals and batteries will benefit from the NewerTech Charging & Conditioning Station. The value lies in the simplification of the process and incorporating it into your "mobile lifestyle" can enhance battery life in multiple ways.

The ideal is to use your battery like you normally do, keeping it cool when not in use, and "conditioning" the pack control circuit. One of the multiple functions, the "Fuel Gauge" is a circuit that monitors the power levels in your battery and reports back to your computer.

It is easy to lose track of the usage of a your laptop battery, the number of cycles since last conditioned, etc., and following Apple's recommendations for optimal care. Our friends at NewerTech provide an easy and simple way to do just that.

The reason your battery needs to be occasionally discharged is so that the "Fuel Gauge" can re-calibrate itself. Partial discharge/charge cycles do not harm lithium-ion batteries, however, they do eventually have an effect on the accuracy of the "Fuel Gauge brain" and it’s ability to accurately report; hence the need to condition...

The manner in which you discharge a battery directly affects the life-span of the battery. When making use of AC power while your battery is installed, your battery is subject to heat from the processor and drive, which has a detrimental effect long term, on all batteries not just Li-Ion batteries.

Rapid discharging, by using all of the features of your laptop (such as... watching a DVD while other computers access your hard drive), will certainly discharge your battery quickly, but this generates a significant amount of heat as a result of the rapid power drain. Add to that, heat generated by the components of your MacBook Pro (drives, processor, etc.), and this has a negative affect on battery life and the chemical processes within the cells themselves.

The ideal battery discharge/charge "conditioning" is smooth, consistent, and as free of stress as possible. When the point is reached where the "Fuel Gauge" is re-educated as to where "near zero" is, the charging process begins.

The charging process should also be smooth. There are many system types out there, including rapid, high amperage infusions, pulse charges, etc., which degrade battery life by virtue of their very nature. The NewerTech Charging & Conditioning Station provides the optimal application of amps and volts, for an ideal recharge for your Apple OEM batteries as well as our own NewerTech NuPower battery solutions.

When the Intelligent Battery Charging & Conditioning Station is used with NewerTech NuPower batteries, you'll benefit from the longest life batteries available for Macintosh computers. In addition, every NewerTech battery possesses Thermal Protection Fusing, a safety feature that even Apple's batteries do not possess.

OWC Jim
Other World Computing
http://www.macsales.com

[Nick @ Jun 18th 2007 6:49PM]

It also seems logical to me, I regularly I get in late at night having had the mac(book) on the go all day, in situations where a charger is often impossible and always where a charger is difficult.
Using this I could leave a battery in the macbook charging overnight and put my other battery in the charger so I have two fully pumped batterys everyday without worrying about logistics of two two hour charges.
Very good product, not sure I can justify $150 for it though, the guy who said conditioning batteries is guff is wrong, and thank you Jim for such a detailed and thorough reponse.

[Battery @ Jul 4th 2007 12:17AM]

I guess you can join worldwide battery resources http://www.global-battery-directory.com to gain more help.