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    Suggestions for using a laptop *newbee

    Discussion in 'Dell' started by daisukem, Aug 28, 2008.

  1. daisukem

    daisukem Newbie

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    Hi there. I'm a new laptop user, and my gf has experienced her laptop's battery gone useless in the past.

    So my question is how do I use my laptop so that the battery won't break or its life stays longer.

    I may plug in the power adaptor when using my laptop. Will this cause damaging the battery? What's the efficient way of looking after the battery?

    cheers.
    :D
     
    daisukem, Aug 28, 2008
    #1
  2. ryank82

    ryank82 Notebook Guru

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    Make sure to charge it up all the ways and use it all the way down as often as possible. I have had over 5/6 laptops and all the batteries last me a few years no problem. The worst thing you could do is plug it in and hardly never use it on the battery.
     
    ryank82, Aug 28, 2008
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  3. I♥RAM

    I♥RAM Notebook Deity

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    Yeah ryan is right, the more you practice power cycling by charging it to 100% and using it until it gives up and repeat, the longer your battery life.
     
    I♥RAM, Aug 28, 2008
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  4. PvD

    PvD Notebook Consultant

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    » Factors That Affect Battery Life

    The following factors affect battery performance:

    Processor speed - Enabling features such as Intel SpeedStep® or AMD PowerNow!™ will extend battery life by automatically adjusting the processor speed to meet system demands. These features are typically enabled by default on computers that support them.

    CD, DVD, CD-RW and hard drive access frequency - Moving files and programs directly to the hard drive, when possible, reduces the number of devices requiring battery power. Adding more memory can also help by reducing the need to use a swap file on the hard drive.

    Programs - Running only the programs that are necessary reduces demands on the system processor and memory. Programs that cause intensive use of the processor and drives (such as playing a DVD movie or 3D games) can more than halve the amount of time that the computer can be used on battery power.

    LCD brightness - Lowering the brightness of the LCD screen reduces the amount of power required by the screen.

    Power management - Set the computer to enter suspend or hibernate when idle to conserve battery power when the computer is not being used.

    Battery age - A battery's average life expectancy is 1 year. After this time, it is normal to experience a decrease in battery life.
     
    PvD, Aug 28, 2008
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  5. Cin'

    Cin' Anathema

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    Cin', Aug 29, 2008
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  6. The General

    The General Notebook Evangelist

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    That is actually completely wrong. Deep cycling is the worst thing you can do to Lithium Ion batteries, as Lithium Ion batteries have no memory affect they do not need to be fully discharged before charging and it actually causes more wear to the battery. Batteries also have a limited number of cycles and each charge is one less cycle, so it's best not to constantly charge and recharge the battery.
     
    The General, Aug 29, 2008
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