Just for a minute, lets take the battery from a couple of popular mobile devices and compare them. To the left here is a Nokia BP-5L as used in the ARM-based N800. It will give you 4 hours of Wifi-on surfing time on its 5Wh capacity. A Nokia-branded one costs a minimum 35 Euro. On the right is a spare battery for one of the biggest selling X86-based UMPCs,  the Samsung Q1. It will give you up to 3 hours of Wifi-on surfing time on its 30Wh capacity. A Samsung branded one will cost a minimum 103 Euros.

1.25W/hr vs 10w/hr. ARM wins!

10 Euro/hr vs 30 Euro/hr. ARM wins!

Speaking of ARM, I’m just reading through a very interesting article at ARS Technica. Jon Stokes has taken a good look at ARM vs X86. "The only company that seems to be betting solely on x86 is Intel." he says. When you look at the difference above, you realize how far away Intel is. Menlow will help, but not that much!

• MSI Wind power drain figures at VR-Zone don’t look right to me.
• MSI Wind extended battery tests
• Kohjinsha SC3 – Battery life breakdown and tips.