[macasr]

What would happen if you tried to use your mac at above 13000 ft and in about -20 degrees C.

[Heyoka_Happiness]

Not very well. I would think you would have problems in keeping the battery warm enough to keep working. Batteries don't do well in extreme temperatures. You might have to take the battery out and warm it up against your body in extreme circumstances.

Here is what apple says:

Electrical and operating requirements
Line voltage: 100V to 240V AC
Frequency: 50Hz to 60Hz
DC input: 18.5 Vdc, 4.6A maximum
Operating temperature: 50? to 95? F (10? to 35? C)
Storage temperature: -13? to 113? F (-24? to 45? C)
Relative humidity: 0% to 90% noncondensing
Maximum operating altitude: 10,000 feet
Maximum storage altitude: 15,000 feet
Maximum shipping altitude: 35,000 feet

[rickcarl]

Leave the Mac on a rock overnight at -20 degrees to cold soak and nothing would happen. It wouldn't work. Bring it into a tent in the sun for more human temperatures then the question is which Mac? Anything with a hard drive would crash at altitude so that leaves the solid state Air. Interface with the BGAN high speed modem requires XP - also not a problem on the Air. Charging by solar panel to get maybe an hour a day operation, probably okay although the Air screen size may draw more current than the smaller, preferred EEE PC. As for the rest of your high altitude office like printer and camcorder, if you get altitude designed gear working at home, it will probably work at altitude.


Are you getting together an expedition or just writing an article?



edit: I see you got advice ahead of me to take the battery out and warm it up next to your body. While -20 degrees is not relatively speaking that cold and easily managed in nothing more than a city suit if you are working hard, potentially injuring yourself with a cold-soaked battery next to your skin combined with isolation and harsh temperatures is not recommended. Gear gets warm enough in a tent with heat from cooking especially if in the sun.
Message was edited by: rickcarl

[macasr]

I am going on a trek so wanted to know if it would be ok to use it at that height. I have a Mac Book.