Apparently, the primary advantage of laptops is mobility. Of course, however, laptops need power to run on. Even though electric receptacles are bountiful and can be encountered just about everywhere, there are times when we have to resort to using the laptop’s battery – airplane trips, meetings, etc. I have also come across unexpected power outages when I could have lost all my work had the laptop not had a charged battery. Notwithstanding the ongoing development of battery engineering, there are limits to their usage, and that leads to a discussion of ways to preserve and improve battery functionality.
Just as proper use and maintenance of your car will result in longer life and better performance, taking certain steps with your portable electronics’ batteries will ensue in longer consumption per charge, and a longer overall battery life. With prices from anywhere between $100.00 and $300.00 for replacement batteries, getting all the use you can out of your battery will definitely save you irritation and keep more money in your pocket longer.
As soon as your portable device leaves the manufacturer’s premises, its battery starts losing capacity to store a charge. In some cases, it may show more charge stored than there actually is. You may end up draining the available power without being aware of it, and the computer may end up shutting down causing you to lose your work. Now that is not a situation you wish for. It is unavoidable after a certain period of time, as the battery goes through slow degradation. There are, however, ways to extend your battery life. If your device always (or usually) runs on external power, you may be inadvertently decreasing your battery life. At least once a month, let the device consume all the battery power. In other words, let the battery run out until the computer rests (“hibernate mode”) and then let it re-charge. This can aid in warding off capacity degradation.
Some notebooks, using a combination of specialized hardware, intelligent batteries, and special “services” (small programs running in the background) offer a “recondition” feature. This feature prompts you if you want to automatically condition your battery and then, if you say yes, will attempt to do so in the background. If you are reminded by your system to condition your battery, you should probably allow it to do this.
Operating temperature is another crucial element when we speak about battery life. Extreme high temperatures can cause degradation rapidly, just as severe low temperatures can damage batteries, so don’t leave behind your notebook in your car for drawn-out periods on blistering days or overnight on chilly nights.
Some people just plug their laptops into an electrical outlet and use them without a spare battery in the bay. It is never a good idea to do this, since doing so may cause the electrical terminals in the battery bay to become dirty or get corroded. t should be avoided for these reasons, plus the fact that you may lose all your work if ever a power failure occurs, since there is no backup power supply.
Despite the fact that advanced monitors do not eat up a lot of electricity, monitors, hard drives, and the central processor are nonetheless the three greatest electrical energy users in your laptop. Big, brilliant LCD monitors with backlights call for relatively considerable quantities of electrical power, as do the gyrating motors and actuators within hard drives. It is a sound suggestion to turn your monitor off when you are not using it.
Benjamin Hawkins is a researcher and writer working for http://www.repairlaptopbattery.com, where you can get all the best laptop batteries at the best prices. Visit us for all your laptop batteries needs.
- Benjamin Hawkins
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