Any X300 users here?

Care to share your experience?

I like to find out how different is the 6-cell battery from the 3-cell for this model... is it thicker such that it 'lifts up' the base at an inclined angle, rather than protruding out of the 'frame' like those of the T series...

 

Below is a picture comparing the 3 and 6-cell batteries (located at the front of the notebook):

 

Thanks for the photo.
The 6-cell seems to be a little bit less stable, doesn't it?

 

What do you mean by stable? Do you mean it looks looser? From the photo, it looks it seems as though the 3 cell uses to mechanical locks, and I'm sure the 6 cell uses those latches as well.

The 6 cell looks a bit ugly IMO with the 4 rubber footpads.

 

yeah... actually i guess i was right - the 6-cell will lift up the laptop base and that is why it has additional 2 rubber pads there...

i wonder how 'thick' it'll add to the laptop since it is meant to be slim... :\

any users wants to comment on the battery life? on vista?

 

I think that only the two of these rubbers (those mounted on the 6-cell battery) support the laptop. I have similarly (say) attached battery in HP nx8220. The rubbers are closer to the center of the laptop and thus the whole assembly is less stable (especially when put on non-uniform (bumpy or rugged) surface).
PS
The nx8220 with an extra battery looks even uglier

 

They don't have that effect on mine when using it on a table or desk. I'm not sure how any pattern of hard rubber feet is going to make a rigid, flat base mold to a non-uniform surface.

 

Good to know my speculations have appeared to be wrong. I simply extrapolated my experiences from nx8220 and travel battery.

Well, those with vertical adjustments (like in a fridge)?

 

I have the x300 with the 6-cell battery, and mine, anyway, is perfectly stable on a flat surface. The extra height is pretty minimal so while I don't have a 3-cell battery to compare, I doubt you'd notice a difference in height (the battery doesn't make the notebook "incline up") or stability. It's a much more discrete way to increase battery size than having the battery stick out the back.

If there is a noticable difference, it might be on weight: my system with a 6-cell battery and dvd drive weighs 3.46 lbs. The notebook itself feels very light, so I guess it would be much closer to 3 lbs with a 3-cell battery.

As far as battery life goes, using the 6-cell and running vista, I get about 3 hours under general usage with maximum performance settings and maximum screen brightness, and about 5 hours on power-saver settings with medium/low screen brightness. Myself, I don't think I'd be satisfied with the battery life of the 3-cell for general use.

 

hmm thx thecla. just wondering more about the height lift from the slightly thicker 6-cell battery...

Since the battery is now at the front (where your wrist is usually resting while typing), the minimal thickness will still cause an incline, I suppose.

Good thing is that it'll probably cool the system better since there is a bigger gap at the bottom caused by the 'uplift'... lol

But it seems ergonomically awkward that the wrist part is lifted. It makes better sense that they keep the battery compartment at the back instead, and a thicker battery will lift the base up so the keyboard actually inclines facing you.

Hmm...