I am assuming that the company sacrificed the battery life for a different component of the laptop; whether it was the best decision or not, is debatable; though 9 cell batteries can be bought to replace any inferior batteries, as you have mentioned.
Indeed, and I will definitely take your advice and purchase a 9-cell battery, to maximise battery life.
Goodness, the Acer Aspire is fundamentally diabolical, you should keep it as spare or sell on eBay!
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