# When did changing laptop batteries become hard? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Tags:** computer-hardware\ **Created:** [August 3, 2026, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-changing-laptop-batteries-become-hard/1032115 "2026-08-03T15:20:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2026, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-changing-laptop-batteries-become-hard/1032115/61 "2026-08-04T03:30:29Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > Heheh, the OP appears to have sworn off Dell. The Lenovo I linked earlier is expensive, but has the features I like. I will try the power brick first and see how well it charges the dell I own. I am bothered that tech changes aren’t announced and discussed first. I learned Samsung discontinued the SD card option when I started looking at current models a few months ago. Nothing I can do except enjoy my older Samsung phone for as long as it lasts. My 50 Gig of music will be inaccessible after I upgrade. I’ll be forced to store it on my root drive. I learned Dell’s Latitudes no longer support a removable battery after I bought a used Win 11 laptop. I had taken that feature for granted since the mid 1990’s when I began buying Latitude laptops. I’ve owned and replaced several as my older one became obsolete. ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2026, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-changing-laptop-batteries-become-hard/1032115/62 "2026-08-04T03:41:18Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I will try the power brick first and see how well it charges the dell I own. @hajario’s power brick suggestion is ideal. It’s just like having a second battery slot, but instead of some propriety connector – it’s USB-C so you can use it for anything. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2026, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-changing-laptop-batteries-become-hard/1032115/63 "2026-08-04T03:55:31Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Samsung discontinued the SD card option when I started looking at current models a few months ago. Nothing I can do except enjoy my older Samsung phone for as long as it lasts. My 50 Gig of music will be inaccessible after I upgrade. I’ll be forced to store it on my root drive. Why not just get a USB plug-in SD card reader? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2026, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-changing-laptop-batteries-become-hard/1032115/64 "2026-08-04T04:04:56Z")
I tried accessing a external drive with micro usb about 8 years ago. The slightest vibration (like bumping the table) interrupted the transfer. I corrupted a video that I was transfering from my phone to a external HD. I discovered the movie wouldn’t play before deleting it from my phone. I ended up copying it to my Google drive. Then copying from Google drive to my pc HD. Android has changed a lot since then and now we have usb-c. Maybe the connection is more stable? It’s worth trying. Not much has changed. This was the same 8 years ago. Link [Transfer files between your computer & Android device - Android Help](https://support.google.com/android/answer/9064445?hl=en) > [@](#): > > 1. Unlock your device. > 2. With a USB cable, connect your device to your computer. > 3. On your device, tap the “Charging this device via USB” notification. > 4. Under “Use USB for,” select **File Transfer**. > 5. A file transfer window will open on your computer. Use it to drag files. > 6. When you’re done, eject your device from Windows. > 7. Unplug the USB cable. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2026, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-changing-laptop-batteries-become-hard/1032115/65 "2026-08-04T16:26:59Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I tried accessing a external drive with micro usb about 8 years ago. The slightest vibration (like bumping the table) interrupted the transfer. I corrupted a video that I was transfering from my phone to a external HD. I think you just had a crap card reader. Between my photography hobby and my pile of Raspberr Pis doing various things, I’m constantly reading and writing to and from my MicroSD card collection. I’ve had the cards fail, but I’ve never had any kind of vibrational connection issue, USB-A or C. And while I have use of this particular soap box, lemme just say that SD cards are terrible for archiving files. They have (relative to other media) a limited number of rewrites before failure and will not hold the data in the cells forever without rewrites to refresh the charge per cell. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2026, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-changing-laptop-batteries-become-hard/1032115/66 "2026-08-04T17:06:37Z")
You’ve definitely got a point here, I’ve noticed this too. 2008 Macintosh PowerBook: battery slides out when you pinch two tabs, don’t even have to open the case 2011 MacBook Pro: open the case, detach cable, remove several weird trilobe screws that you probably only own a screwdriver for for the purpose of changing the battery in your 2011 MacBook Pro 2018 MacBook Pro: yeesh. [remove everything that isn’t the battery](https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Pro+15-Inch+Touch+Bar+2018+Battery+Replacement/122269). I gave up after a couple hours and scheduled an appointment with local techs. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2026, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-changing-laptop-batteries-become-hard/1032115/67 "2026-08-04T17:33:01Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I am bothered that tech changes aren’t announced and discussed first. Wait, they’re not? There used to be hundreds of websites, and magazines before that, devoted to that. Have they all gone out of business? ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2026, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-changing-laptop-batteries-become-hard/1032115/68 "2026-08-04T20:48:29Z")
Well and it’s not like laptop features are overseen by any kind of standards body. ISO doesn’t have a spec on how many features a particular device has. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-changing-laptop-batteries-become-hard/1032115.md?page=3)