I know these are currently out of fashion but I’m still thankful they exist.

Let’s remind ourselves of devices that use(d) these standardized batteries:

  • Toys
  • Digital cameras
  • Torches
  • Gadgets like fans
  • Wireless keyboards
  • TV remotes

Thanks to having a standardized system of batteries,

  • You can use the same battery across several devices. This is a no brainer but it’s very practical.
  • Batteries can charge quicker thanks to being put in a dedicated charger and not being limited by USB cables. (But yes I concede that USB has been updated for faster charging over the years)
  • Devices don’t have down time when their battery is charging. To charge, the battery is removed from the device and can immediately be replaced with a fresh one.
  • You’ll never have to trash a device due to an expired battery. Just buy a replacement. And building on this…
  • Any improvements in future battery technology can be retro-fitted into your existing devices. And there is a high incentive for future improvement, because…
  • An accessible (due to easy replacement) and large (due to many devices) battery market is very attractive to competition.

If you look at the pros I listed, they all happen to be things that would be very useful for electric cars. So I think it would aid the adoption of electric cars if their batteries were standardized too.

  • Account_93
    5•11 months ago

    My mouse uses batteries too, Just swap out once it dies on me.

    • u/lukmly013 💾 (lemmy.sdf.org)English
      4•11 months ago

      My wireless mouse is running on the same 2 AAAs for over a year already. I have no idea how. They still show 1.2V. I expected like a week or two.

      • @monotrox@discuss.tchncs.de
        4•11 months ago

        The logitech g305 runs on a single rechargable AA for half a year and is probably the only reason I even considered a wireless mouse

      • @dan@upvote.auEnglish
        3•11 months ago

        I use a Logitech Marathon M705 mouse that lasts 3 years on two AA batteries, according to Logitech. I’ve got Eneloops in it that I’ve been using for around 10 years now, and I’ve had to charge them maybe 4 times in total?

        I’ve got an older model. They cheaped out on newer revisions, making the plastic thinner and replacing the metal scroll wheel with a plastic one.