Powermat: Is it really just a con?

Filed in archive Wireless on August 1, 2007

Engadget reports that Powermat Ltd is freeing your laptop from its power source. The idea (pictured) is that there is a powermat in the middle of a conference table and laptops connected to a little device called a "puck" can recharge your batteries without needing to use the manufacturers power cord.

BUT as stated by a number of readers commenting about this article the Powermat seems that it is not solving any wireless issues. The "puck" is connected to your laptop via a wire, just like you would have a wire connected to a power board.

I am not sure that Powermat Ltd have anything to really show at this stage. What they need to do is to have their "puck" inbuilt into laptops and be able to recharge the laptop from a few feet away. Then it would be easy to have power mats throughout the office and not have to connect a laptop into a socket or anything. I think this idea has a long way to go before it is useful.