A Question for the engineers

Why is it that every new electronic device has the new feature of flashing an LED at me when the battery gets low?

It seems like from a common sense stand point it would cause the battery to die faster. :idontno:

The LEDS don't use up that much power compared to the rest of the device, probably only a fraction. It's got to tell you somehow. Probably better that it flashes instead of staying on all the time, because then it's only using power when it's lit, plus it gets your attention. At that point you shouldn't worry about the batteries dying. You should change them (or charge the device). It's prabably trying to force you to see the urgency.

The LEDS don't use up that much power compared to the rest of the device, probably only a fraction. It's got to tell you somehow. Probably better that it flashes instead of staying on all the time, because then it's only using power when it's lit, plus it gets your attention. At that point you shouldn't worry about the batteries dying. You should change them (or charge the device). It's prabably trying to force you to see the urgency.

I should have been more specific, this is after both devices did inform me that they were low on battery life.

I should have been more specific, this is after both devices did inform me that they were low on battery life.

I don't have any devices like that, but I think it's saying , "Battery is low, this is no joke, I tried to tell you but you wouldn't listen. Now you're paying the price. I can't let this go on any longer".:idontno:

The more I think about it, it sounds like a "last leg" LED warning. The XBOX 360 wireless controller is different. It has a series LEDs that are normally always on. When the battery starts to get low, the LEDs start dancing a little jig. It's really annoying, even though it seems like you have enough juice keep playing. It badgers you into changing the batteries.

The more I think about it, it sounds like a "last leg" LED warning. The XBOX 360 wireless controller is different. It has a series LEDs that are normally always on. When the battery starts to get low, the LEDs start dancing a little jig. It's really annoying, even though it seems like you have enough juice keep playing. It badgers you into changing the batteries.

Why not an "on" light that goes off when the battery gets low? Thus alerting and conserving at the same time.

Why not an "on" light that goes off when the battery gets low? Thus alerting and conserving at the same time.

If the light is on all the time, it's definitely not conserving. True it conserves when the batteries are low (after it goes out), which is good, but in the grand scheme of things, it's not conserving at all. The other thing is that if it simply goes out, a lot of people (like me), might not even notice.

If it's on all the time and it starts blinking when the batteries are low, that will get your attention. That's what the Xbox 360 controller does. Then it stops blinking for a while, then it starts blinking again. The controller is not efficient to begin with. It's got mechanical vibration in it. Your device sounds like a very efficient way of letting you know when you're screwed at the last possible moment when it's too late while maximizing battery life during normal use. But you said it had another low battery indicator that comes on earlier.

Can you swap out battery packs, or is the battery built in? I would just carry around a spare battery if I could. Other than that, I think it's a pretty good system.

Oh it's better than the windows message that pops up and says "Batter low back up importa..." and then turns off before you can read the warning message.

I have a spare battery for one all the time and the other one I keep a charger of some kind with me as well.

I just realized this is the most vague conversation about electronics. :blink:

Oh it's better than the windows message that pops up and says "Batter low back up importa..." and then turns off before you can read the warning message.

I have a spare battery for one all the time and the other one I keep a charger of some kind with me as well.

I just realized this is the most vague conversation about electronics. :blink:

It is vague. What are we talking about? Is this a laptop?

It is vague. What are we talking about? Is this a laptop?

Ghetto blaster and Sony Walkman.

It is vague. What are we talking about? Is this a laptop?

"Vague, yet riveting!" says one reviewer..." the 'As The World Turns" of battery afficianados!" says another...

"Vague, yet riveting!" says one reviewer..." the 'As The World Turns" of battery afficianados!" says another...

It's like that Car Talk show on NPR, only for consumer electronics.