If we logged our battery purchases per device, we might find they cost us more than the original item. That’s annuity income for a third party, not the original manufacturer. Perhaps that’s why many device makers don’t provide the consumption info we need for factoring battery cost into purchasing decisions. Perhaps they don’t want us to know, News Shooter seems to suggest.
How News Shooter Tipped Us Off About Factoring Battery Cost
However, News Shooter’s lens was wider than just factoring battery cost when we stumbled over it. They say a modern camera is often literally a ‘sensor attached to a computer that comes in a box-like enclosure’. You might have to spend up to 40% more for batteries, data storage media, lenses and card reader.
We don’t believe it’s sufficient to simply mention power consumption in small print among other specifications. That’s because it’s not fair to expect consumers to interpret battery life in milli-amp-hours. Device makers should provide definitive answers, instead of an input measure for battery cycle life. If they do, it’s mostly lost in the small print we find.
What We Would Like Device Makers to Tell Us
They should say – right on the top of the box – “A <type> battery of <number> volts should last between X and Y hours when used continuously in this <device>”. The consumer can then compare the total costs of similar devices over a set number of years. Then they can reach a sound purchasing decision after factoring battery cost into the mix.
We can’t understand why the government does not enforce this. In fact, we only discovered how they manage auto diesel consumption after they caught the industry fibbing. We are disappointed some small device comparison sites don’t seem to bother with battery performance any more, now that we have rechargeable batteries in stores.
This is a serious matter, not in jest. Charging batteries uses energy and you need a lot of that for recycling them. It’s time to look at what’s driving global warming through a broader lens. Consumers must regain control over their purchasing decisions.
Related
Energy Consumption is a Double-Edged Sword
How To Properly Charge Your Devices
Preview Image: Remember Me Canon PowerShot A95
