[Ess2s2 @ Oct 3rd 2007 1:23PM]

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding here...But from what I can glean, we have here a PMP that runs on a methanol charged fuel cell, which provides 10 hours of playback before needing to be "refueled." Please correct me if I am wrong in my assumptions.

Form the description given, it sounds like you have to go out and buy more methanol every 10 hours. How is this efficient of convenient? Honestly, I would rather this thing run on AAs, because they are much cheaper and easier to find than a canister of methanol. In addition, like someone else said, you don't have to worry about the bomb sniffing dogs in airports barking treed on your PMP if you're toting batteries, but last I checked, methanol was a flammable liquid, not too cool since airports are so paranoid they are trying to limit mothers carrying bottles of *baby formula* onboard.

This seems like technology for technology's sake, which isn't so bad on it's own, but is simply not as practical as say, a rechargeable or replaceable battery.

Nice try Toshiba, but I'm just not feeling it.

[Andrew @ Oct 3rd 2007 1:44PM]

The comment about the airports is actually valid and something that fuel cell developers are working to figure out with the FAA. While it hasn't been allowed in passenger cabins yet, there has been progress in at least shipping the methanol in handheld electronics by air.

As for your other concern... the idea is certainly not that you would have to "fend for yourself" to find methanol. Any company developing the fuel cells and not developing the logistics for distributing the fuel isn't seeing the whole picture. It's just like the hydrogen fuel cell cars being developed. Noone's saying that the current fuel supply is the way things will remain. Someone will establish the methanol distribution. Now, as for 10 hours per methanol canister, that's not really the vision either. The unit itself may only hold enough methanol for 10 hours of playback, but there's nothing saying that your canister will only hold 10 hours of fuel. Fuel cells have that advantage over batteries- the size of the fuel compartment doesn't limit you as long as you continually supply fresh fuel.

Also, as for the number 10 hours itself, remember that fuel cells are still a developing technology that haven't made it very far beyond the prototype stage. There is still a lot of development and improvement to be made. By the time these are largely commercial, that number should jump up a bit.

[Morgan Percy @ Oct 3rd 2007 3:17PM]

Actually methanol is pretty easy to get. I know where I get anywhere from 1 liter jugs to 50 gallon drums of it. Its commonly used as a anti-freeze.