Power Up: Laptop Battery Life Hits Record Levels

Now, the laptop battery life is getting ridiculous, benchmark-breaking boosts from two new notebook PCs with an an unprecedented runtime of 30+ hours.

When paired with an additional 9-cell battery, Lenovo’s ThinkPad T420 promises all-day uptime. It arrives March 29 for $779. The machine will incorporate high-performance NVIDIA 3D graphics and Intel’s next-gen Sandy Bridge processor, capable of handling heavier computing and multimedia loads for 30 hours straight.

The new HP EliteBook 8460p, with a Windows 7 available mid-March starting at $999, goes a step further, offering up to 32.5 hours of battery life and Intel Core i7 processing options. Designed for business users, the 14-inch notebook PC should offer more than enough energy to hop a plane, catch a cab ride, hit the hotel and keep on clicking.