A Notebook computer was designed to be used with batteries.
Too many people treat their Notebooks as desktops, plug them
in, leave them plugged in, then wonder why a battery, which
claimed to be good for about two and a half hours, can't last
for one.
Others try to drain every last key stroke, so that they use
their batteries until the computer shuts off, then wonder
why, over time, they get less and less time.
To extend your battery life, follow these simple rules:
- Never leave your Notebook plugged in over night.
- Never leave it plugged in when it is not being used.
- Never go to the last drop, when you get the low battery
warning, finish up and shut down naturally.
- Near a power source, use your battery, and stop when you
have about thirty minutes left, then plug in the computer,
and continue.
- Use your battery at least every day, even for a short
time.
- When you buy a new computer, plug it in, use it until
the battery is fully charged, unplug it, use it until
it runs to the low battery warning, plug it in, charge
it, then let it run down again. Follow this method for
two or three days.
- After about six months, wrap your battery in a few
plastic bags and put it into the freezer for a few
hours. Move it to the fridge for about thirty minutes
then put it into your computer. This will act as a
kind of reactivation of your battery.
- When your Notebook is three years old, before putting
the battery into the freezer, softly knock it against
wood for about two minutes before insertion into the
plastic bag.
- If you are in a very hot environment, let your battery
sleep in the fridge at night. Always put it into plastic
to prevent moisture damage.
By using the battery, letting it discharge, and recharging it
you keep it healthy. But stopping all procedures by placing
it in the freezer, you extend it's life.
Many people who have "never" used their batteries find that
they run down, so that after a year, they might need
replacing.
This is also experienced by those who leave their Notebooks
always plugged in.
Using a product for what it is made for, that is, to be
portable and operated by batteries, is a way to extend
the life of the product.
Great article,
Onflame