Is it 'bad' to leave laptop plugged in all the time?

Most of the time, I leave my laptop plugged in, even when I'm not using it. Could this possibly be slightly bad for the battery (in terms of long life for the battery)?

 

Yes, you should run your batery threw charge and discharge cycles regularly. I have two batteries. 1 is a 9cell the other is a 6cell. I run on the 9cell atleast 3 times a week. But I make sure to switch the 6 cell in every Sunday night and run it threw a discharge/charge cycle while I watch Adult Swim Comedy. =)

 

no problem. just make sure your laptop stays within normal operating temps and there's no problem for the battery.

 

You battery will stop charging after it hits 100%.

 

Your battery will not charge if it is pluged in and at 100%. You should not have any problems leaving your laptop on for an extended period of time. I always turn mine off at night because Windows never works good when it sits overnight. However if this doesn't happen to you go ahead and leave it on.
Tim

 

1. remember to cycle it at least once every 3 months.
discharge-recharge 3x
2. it WILL slowly reduce the capacity of the battery over time because li-ions are still chemical batteries.
heat is the #1 enemy of li-ions, if you're really paranoid and want to make use of the battery for more than 2 years, i suggest you keep your battery in a cool place with a 40% charge (if possible).

removing the battery will also promote airflow, and of course aid in the cooling of your pc.

 

I would "exercise" the battery out once in a while, just to keep its capacity up. Maybe discharge to about 40%, then recharge every week or so.

 

I always remove my battery whenever my laptop is plugged because
I'm afraid to charge the battery if it is not in a critical low stage ,
I think it'll shorten the lifetime ,am I correct?

 

Any battery is compromised by cycling it. The Dell L-ion batteries are cheap enough, online, that I just leave it in. They make for a great UPS in a pinch.

For reference, my old ZE5000's battery is at about 70% capacity after 3 years of hell. So what?

On a tangent, I threw away all my old UPCs after the crappy gel cells died. Have you priced the replacements for those suckers?

Then again, after the "Japan Syndrome", Dell might have us all remove our batteries

 

I had a battery died just a year after purchase on my Compaq Presario 2800. Later I was advised by their Tech Support that leaving the laptop plugged in all the time greatly reduced your battery lifespan.

Since then I plugged in all my laptops on a UPS with the battery removed.

 

Yep, for DTR, it's best to remove the battery and use a good UPS. I've read keeping the battery at 60% charge prolongs life but YMMV. The battery specs change quickly so old 'turisms" don't wash across the board.

My problems with cheap UPS's is their method of O.V./ lightning protection and the cost of battery replacement. After four years of waste I use a good old UPS , no battery but good self testing lightning protection, and my laptop battery. I have to travel for work.