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Laptop batteries vary from manufacture to manufacture, some better some worse. However what actions can the laptop owner take to “improve” the life of his laptop battery? I’ve heard that you should always charge the battery to the max and then discharge it fully before attempting to recharge it.
I see very few people using their laptops without having it plugged into a power outlet. I don’t know if they are afraid that the laptop will die in the middle of some important work they are doing or if it’s just that they have a poor battery and always need to use the a/c outlet.
Simply how often should laptops be charged and should they always have the a/c cord being used
Laptop batteries vary from manufacture to manufacture, some better some worse. However what actions can the laptop owner take to “improve” the life of his laptop battery? I’ve heard that you should always charge the battery to the max and then discharge it fully before attempting to recharge it.
I see very few people using their laptops without having it plugged into a power outlet. I don’t know if they are afraid that the laptop will die in the middle of some important work they are doing or if it’s just that they have a poor battery and always need to use the a/c outlet.
Simply how often should laptops be charged and should they always have the a/c cord being used
My laptop is over 4 years old, and I have always looked for an opportunity to plug into power.
It has the original battery, and has given shorter service when used without AC over the last year.
I got a notice last month for the first time that the battery was "near the end of its useful life." But, I think it gave pretty good service.
I will be replacing it with a larger battery when it finally croaks.
Lithium ion batteries last a certain number of charge/discharge cycles. That's complete cycles, from fully charged to discharged. Keeping them topped off actually helps them. Its the old NiCad batteries that developed a memory effect if not discharged fully.
The experience I've had with my laptop is that the battery only lasts for about 2.5 hours if I don't have it plugged into an outlet. I really don't care either way, to be honest, because I never take my laptop anywhere. I've kept it plugged in whenever using it since the day I got it. But if I were to try and take it somewhere away from an electrical outlet, I wouldn't be able to do much more than a couple of hours of surfing or writing. It's only 6 months old. Is that normal for a laptop battery life?
Quote:
Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia
Lithium ion batteries last a certain number of charge/discharge cycles. That's complete cycles, from fully charged to discharged. Keeping them topped off actually helps them. Its the old NiCad batteries that developed a memory effect if not discharged fully.
Hmmmm....can I disagree with that? The Lithium batteries for my camera are a massive pain-in-the-hoohah to recharge because they develop a memory effect. Whenever I try to sit my camera on the charger, they very often refuse to charge, even after I've allowed them to completely discharge.
The experience I've had with my laptop is that the battery only lasts for about 2.5 hours if I don't have it plugged into an outlet. I really don't care either way, to be honest, because I never take my laptop anywhere. I've kept it plugged in whenever using it since the day I got it. But if I were to try and take it somewhere away from an electrical outlet, I wouldn't be able to do much more than a couple of hours of surfing or writing. It's only 6 months old. Is that normal for a laptop battery life?
Hmmmm....can I disagree with that? The Lithium batteries for my camera are a massive pain-in-the-hoohah to recharge because they develop a memory effect. Whenever I try to sit my camera on the charger, they very often refuse to charge, even after I've allowed them to completely discharge.
2.5hr battery life from a 6 month old laptop is on the shorter end but is within reason. There's a lot of factors. Some computers draw more power than others and some have less battery capacity than others. Do you have the screen brightness cranked up? Wifi on? Bluetooth on? CD/DVD access?
I have all kinds of lithium batteries and stand by my statement. It sounds like your camera's having some issue unrelated it its battery chemistry. Google lithium ion battery if you don't believe me.
2.5hr battery life from a 6 month old laptop is on the shorter end but is within reason. There's a lot of factors. Some computers draw more power than others and some have less battery capacity than others. Do you have the screen brightness cranked up? Wifi on? Bluetooth on? CD/DVD access?
Wow. Somehow I always thought a laptop battery was supposed to last up to about 6 hours unplugged. So mine sounds like it's really on the low end. Eh, that's alright....as I said, I don't take it anywhere. As for my screen brightness, it's at 40% (the bright screen was killing my eyes). Yes, I use Wifi all the time. Don't use Bluetooth. And the only time I use my CD/DVD drive is to install a program, or on the rare occasion I'll watch a movie.
Quote:
Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia
I have all kinds of lithium batteries and stand by my statement. It sounds like your camera's having some issue unrelated it its battery chemistry. Google lithium ion battery if you don't believe me.
No, that's okay...I believe you. I'm sure you're right about the camera, because it has happened with two different batteries. It's annoying, but I need to get a new camera at some point anyway.
Ideally, Lithium-ion batteries should be discharged to about 70%-80% of their capacity before recharging.
Read the paragraph under Standard Maintenance in Apple Notebooks.
For accounting purposes, the Apple software in your computer counts ten 10% discharge-recharge cycles as equivalent to one complete 100% discharge-recharge cycle. If you have a Mac laptop and want to see your current cycle count, go to
[Apple Symbol, Upper Left Corner] -> About This Mac -> More Info ... -> Power -> Cycle Count
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