by AF 0624 i3 NeoCon: — June 29, 2009—Bretford Manufacturing introduced the first laptop computer cart that the company says is smart enough to protect and preserve the valuable technology equipment inside of it. In the words of Bretford Manufacturing, this cart comes with a brain.
Developed primarily for educational environments, Bretford’s new Intelligent Laptop Computer carts incorporate a sophisticated Power Management System or brain that decreases heat and electrical stresses while proportionally distributing power to the laptops, thereby lengthening battery life. Production models of the Intelligent Laptop Computer carts were shown during the 2009 NeoCon World’s Trade Fair in Chicago.
Instructors can now focus on using the technology to enhance learning instead of worrying if their students’ laptops will have enough battery life to make it through the lesson, notes the company. As the fifth generation of laptop carts made by Bretford, the new Intelligent Laptop Computer cart line has two different models, with ample space to store laptops, 20 horizontally or 30 vertically.
The brain in each cart is responsible for charging the laptop batteries, with no manual switching or timer required. It redistributes power every three minutes not only to ensure consistent charging, but also to keep the laptops from overheating. The brain also senses when the laptop batteries are almost charged, then automatically decreases power, which extends battery life and saves energy.
The brain’s one-touch sequencing allows for easy navigation to one of three modes: Round Robin, which is ideal for charging, as it is engineered to send power to individual laptops and allow for cool-down time; Turbo, which enables users to quickly charge a block of laptops; and Auxiliary, which diverts power to outlets in the brain so that other technology products, like printers or scanners, can be plugged in as well.
For more information, see the Bretford Web site.
