Should we be Concerned: Windows 7 May Cause Battery Issues

Microsoft is investigating issues of notebook battery life that have been sporadic although reoccurring while operating Windows 7. At this point it is unclear if Windows 7 is doing permanent damage to battery life or the battery life has just been misreported. 

As reported by PCWorld.com, Brian Ehlert, a Microsoft MVP, disclosed in November of 2009:

"Now, Win7 does include the ability to use Vista drivers - that is built on purpose so hardware manufacturers would not have to turn around and immediately write new drivers. I am using all stock Win7 drivers. So that tells me that it is a core deficiency / bug - not a driver specific bug. Rather a software interacting with hardware bug.  My battery life went from 8 hours to 15 minutes, with only an fdisk, format, and install in between. Yes, totally unacceptable."

While some issues seem to be a matter of Windows 7 not reporting the remaining battery life correctly, warning that the battery is almost drained prematurely, there are users who have reported switching operating systems back to Windows Vista, or a non-Windows operating system, and still experiencing that same reduced battery life. This suggests that by permanent damage may be caused to your notebook even after removing the operating system.  Although Windows 7 was released in October of 2009, poor battery life was reported with users running Windows 7 RC as well.