Question T42 - using without battery installed

I am wondering if there are any covers/lid for the T42 battery slot since i heard it is a good practice to store the battery somewhere else if you use AC power all the time. Or do we just leave the "space" empty like that? (looks weird)So do i need to worry about the metal getting exposed to air or dust or something? I can clean it with alcohol or something but does people just leave it like that? thanks.

 

I would just leave the battery installed, it won't hurt it to keep it installed when plugged in all the time; and it won't make the battery live any longer by removing it as the life of the battery is on the order of 300-500 cycles or ~2 years whichever comes 1st.

Jack

"They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security" (Ben Franklin)
http://pbase.com/joneill

 

You can do as you like, but no matter what you do your litium-ion batteries will only last about two years even if you don't use them and store them in a refrigerator. The clock starts to tick when they are manufactured and will wear out before the approx. 2 years if you get to the 300-500 recharge cycles. One other thing, if you choose to store your battery outside of the notebook, make sure it's not in a hot place and they battery manufacturers say to not store the batteries for extended periods with a full charge on them. They recommend keeping them at about a 40% charge for storage. Of course if your going on a trip and your going to be using your batteries then you would fully charge them, but if you leave your notebook plugged in most the time and want to remove and store the battery for weeks at a time, then discharge them down to ~40% first.

Jack

"They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security" (Ben Franklin)
http://pbase.com/joneill

 

<blockquote id='quote'> quote:<hr height='1' noshade id='quote'>Originally posted by bootleg2go

 

Hi,

I had some questions re: "battery hygiene" that are related... I bought a T42 2379DXU last July - I absolutely love it, with one complaint: the battery it comes with doesn't last long at all - significantly less than reports I've heard/read... When using the brightest screen, with wifi turned on, I get MAYBE 2:15 in a charge. One of the IBM technical support agents told me that one possible problem is the fact that I use a docking station at work, and as such, my laptop is charging for a good 8 hours every day. He suggested I take the battery out when it's in the docking station, but another technician strong recommended against this, saying that having my battery case exposed to dust, etc. would be even worse... This second technician suggested that I buy a new high capacity battery, use it whenever I travel or need to work in battery mode, and then put in the old 6 cell whenever I'm working with AC power (that is, "sacrifice" the old battery by using it to simply keep the battery case protected when I'm using electric power).

Does this make any sense? I bought a new high capacity LI-ION battery from IBM, and I'm about to put it in the machine and charge it, but I don't know if it makes sense to keep switching them back and forth...

Given that I have an old 6-cell and a new 9-cell, any opinions re: what makes the most sense to preserve the life and endurance of the 9-cell?

Any help would be appreciated,

Thanks,


Jeremy

 

I agree with bootleg2go about battery life. Put them on the shelf and they will still wear out. This is why battery warranties run for only one year. I would just keep the battery in the machine while using AC power. In my experience with notebooks (I have had a total of six) no matter how you much you try to preserve the battery you will replace it after 2 years because it will only be holding a charge for 30 minutes or so.

jeremy31, your 2.15 hours is good considering using the brightest screen setting. Like you I have a 2379DXU and love it except for what i perceived to be a rather short battery life. I think it is the screen setting along with the wireless antenna that drains the battery. In a Mobile Computing magazine I read it said to do the following if you want to prolong battery life: 1. Reduce the brightness of the screen (this helps the most); 2. Turn the wireless antenna off if not in use; 3. Undock the docking station if not needed; 4. Unplug any external mouse and use the touchpad or eraser head; 5. Unplug any usb attachments.

Bottom line: Use the AC adapter when you can and the battery when no ac is available. Know that whatever you do the battery only has so much life in it. Use it all the time and you wear it out quicker, put it on the shelf and have a battery for nothing.