XP yields longer battery life than Windows 7

Thursday, November 12, 2009


You may not be surprised to discover that Windows XP results in longer battery life compared to Windows 7 if you're using a netbook. There are many variables when it comes to battery life comparison studies, but if you're going to browse the Internet via Wi-Fi, then you're likely to get longer battery life on a netbook running Windows XP compared to Windows 7. According to this blog post on Laptop Magazine, you will see substantial reductions in battery life if you're running Windows 7 on a netbook.

So, what if you're running a standard notebook? Tablet PC? Ultra-mobile PC? Do the results on a netbook translate to other mobile devices?

Netbooks generally use very low voltage processors (single core) and small screens. Plus, several come with SSD options (although more are now coming with standard 1.8" spinning hard drives). So you have to really examine where your power is being drained.

Other industry studies seem to suggest that Windows 7 may result in longer battery life on standard laptops and other mobile computers. I suppose the bottom line is that you should run the test yourself. Create a dual-boot partition on your hard drive and test different operating systems to see which one gives you the best battery life. I'm sticking with Windows 7 on my tablet since I'm willing to sacrifice battery life for the tablet features.

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About Dr. Joseph Kim

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Dr. Joseph Kim is the founder of MobileHealthComputing.com, an independent website owned and operated by Dr. Kim. He is also the President of Medical Communications Media, Inc. (MCM). MCM is an education and publishing company that develops continuing medical education activities in joint sponsorship with medical universities, hospitals, and medical associations. Dr. Kim is a digital entrepreneur and technologist who has a passion for health information technology, mobile health, and social media. He frequently speaks at conferences about non-clinical careers for physicians, continuing medical education, mobile health technology, and social media in medicine. Dr. Kim holds a bachelor of science in engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a doctorate of medicine from the University of Arkansas College of Medicine, and a master of public health from the University of Massachusetts Amherst School of Public Health.
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