HyperMac is an external battery pack for all Apple laptops. It's available in four capacities, ranging from 60Wh to the most powerful 222Wh, which we tested here.
For comparison, the MacBook Air's battery is 37Wh. The device comes supplied with MagSafe cables for connecting to a MacBook, MacBook Pro or MacBook Air, and offers a USB port so you can also use it to run your iPod, iPhone or other USB powered device.
HyperMac charges your internal battery as well as powering your notebook, and is expected to last around 1,000 charges before wearing out. We tested the 222Wh model with a regular 13-inch MacBook.
According to the Battery Life Chart, it should last four times as long as this MacBook's internal battery, or 25 hours of web-surfing and document-editing with the screen brightness set to 50% and the power setting on Better Battery Life.
In our slightly more demanding tests, with a much brighter screen, the power setting on Normal and performing activities that make the hard drive spin, we got nine hours 50 minutes, which is far from shabby. And, we could have squeezed out a more hours using 'Better Battery Life'.
Our only criticism is the version we tested is the size of a large paperback and almost as heavy as the MacBook we tested it on. Do invest in a HyperMac, but when choosing which model to buy, bear in mind the trade-off between capacity and bulk.
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Your comments (2) Click to add a new comment
hypermac
April 21st 2010
2. It is true that batterygeek has similar products to HyperMac. That is because the parent of HyperMac is the OEM (original equipment manufacturer) for batterygeek.
Appearance-wise, they look similar but that is where the similarities end. HyperMac products cost a little more because we use higher (military) grade components and battery cells, which are more reliable than the usual consumer grade products. The IC solution used in HyperMac is also developed only recently in 2009/2010 as opposed to batterygeek's solution which are over 3 years old. Case in point, our HyperMac External MacBook Batteries can detect which MacBook it is currently connected to and automatically adjust its charging voltage. It can automatically switch from 14.5V for MacBook Air to 16.5V for MacBook and 16.5~18.5V for MacBook Pro. This is a patented technology and HyperMac remains the only external battery in the world that can accurately work and provide the right amount of charging power to every single MacBook model, automatically. If you look at batterygeek solution, you have to manually select the charging voltage. Only 2 voltage values (16V and 18V) will work with MacBooks and they are not even the accurate voltages that the MacBooks use.
While there are great feature/specification differences between HyperMac and batterygeek, we agree that the similarities in appearances can be misleading for some users, as such we will, with immediate effect cease supplying HyperMac-like products to batterygeek.
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steveolsen
February 17th 2010
1. Batterygeek.net has had these batteries for eons, though only in black and silver, for a lot less and they also include a free canvas carry case and a laptop cooling pad. Their 115Wh battery, for example, is $239 and their 222Wh battery is $475. HyperMac also claims to have the world's only external battery which works with all MacBooks and iPhones which is obviously not the truth. HyperMac also appears to be overstating/hype'ing their runtime estimates.
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