"The issue is we are not being entirely honest with users about what PC battery life they can expect to actually experience. Shouldn't we, as an industry, try and fix that?"
Nigel Dessau, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, AMD
To compare the battery life of notebook PCs, consumers are commonly presented with a single benchmarking score that is based upon light workloads and only tells part of the story. AMD feels that additional benchmark test results provide additional data points, giving consumers a more complete picture of what they can expect in terms of battery life from the notebook PCs they purchase. AMD has engaged the industry, press and consumers in an open discussion around battery life benchmarking for notebook PCs, and how we can work together to help improve it.
AMD Blogs on Battery Life
April 1, 2009: Why Your Notebook Battery Life Never Quite Seems Equal to the Claims
March 26, 2009: Where Can You Go To Engage In The Notebook Battery Life Discussion?
March 12, 2009: Objects in the Toolbar May Be Further Away Than They Seem
March 12, 2009: There has to be a Better Way
February 27, 2009: How Valuable are Smartphone Battery Life Figures?
Consumers Deserve Better Information on Battery Life
The findings of Synovate’s eNation Omnibus survey support AMD’s assertion that using MM07 alone does not provide full and adequate information to predict full battery life stated under normal use.
Learn More
AMD's Guide to Improving Benchmarking for Battery Life of Notebook PCs
Today, notebook PC customers are frequently presented with a single battery life benchmarking score that is calculated using light workloads and a relatively idle CPU. AMD has put forward the belief that there is currently no single benchmark test available for notebook battery life that accurately reflects real life usage patterns. Adding data gathered using a heavier workload and a more active active CPU to the currently used benchmark score can provide a more realistic gauge of battery life in notebook PCs-and this additional data can be easily provided by existing mainstream benchmarking tests.
DOWNLOAD AMD's guide to improving benchmarking for battery life of notebook PCs (link to download whitepaper)
What Others Are Saying
"Let's hope Mr. Dessau makes some progress getting other manufacturers to use more reliable battery tests for mobile computers and that the cell phone industry will take note and give us better tests for modern smartphones that more closely mimic their real-world usage patterns."
Ed Hansberry, InformationWeek
"For laptops we need a little more, and I thought we could take some cues from the smartphone industry, which seems to provide more granular metrics."
Rob Enderle, TGDaily.com
"We've got to give a serious high five to senior VP and CMO Nigel Dessau on this one."
Darren Murph, Engadget
"I completely agree with Nigel Dessau and Pat Moorhead of AMD that the industry should do a better job informing consumers about how long notebook batteries will last in the real world. The AMD guys recommend using a battery benchmark tool that is more processor-intensive than the tool most OEMs use, but I think the best way to provide accurate info is to simply provide metrics that reflect real-world usage."
Xavier Lanier, Notebooks.com
"[At 6.5 hours] we were just happy that the 1000HE came that close to meeting the ridiculous sounding claim of 9.5 hours, but Mr. Dessau doesn't think that's the best way to go about things. And truthfully, now that our eyes have been opened, neither do we."
Shawn Oliver, Hot Hardware
"Dessau calls for a change in industry standards, including ones found in programs like 3DMark06, to give better estimates on battery life. It's an interesting blog post, and I imagine he's only one of many in the industry who can recognize the battery meter folly for what it really is."
Justin Mann, TechSpot