Laptop Battery

Your laptop battery has a specified time for retaining charge, but this can change if you are running multiple programs or doing something that particularly taxes the system, like watching a DVD. If you don't want to have to carry an extra battery, you can do a few things to maximize your battery time, including keeping it out of the heat and cold, and making sure it never get wet.

It's usually a good idea to let your battery run down before you charge it. If you continue to charge a battery when it is half-full, then it will "think" it only has half the capacity that it really does. This is called the "memory effect," and to negate it, many users drain their batteries periodically.

There are a number of different types of batteries. Lithium ion batteries are light and rechargeable, but can get pricey. Laptops have traditionally used nickel cadmium batteries, and they work well, but don't have the capacity of other battery types. Nickel metal hydride batteries have a bit more capacity than nickel cadmium batteries, and are more environmentally sound.

The selling point of laptops tends to be their weight, which compromises the size of battery that can be installed. However, laptops have enormous power requirements, making the need for an optimal battery critical. Some batteries claim to offer hours of uninterrupted usage, but in reality, they actually offer much less, especially if you are using a feature-rich application. Careful users will choose their batteries wisely and then take care of them to maximize charge.