| It might have already happened to you several times when in an extremely essential instant when you were working or expecting a vital e-mail, your laptop switched off, as its battery had gone low. In such cases the battery needs replacing or re-charging.
Laptop batteries can be of three types - Nickel Cadmium (NiCd), Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) and Lithium Ion (LiON). They vary in price, weight and specifications. Nevertheless, the charging processes are similar. All brand new batteries are to be charged within 14-16 hours. If you are going to re-charge old ones, primarily let them cool down, because overcharging can greatly decrease their life. When you purchase NiMH batteries, remember they have the so-called "memory defect". Thus, if a battery is not discharged to the fullest, it will "think" that it has, for example 50 percent of its original capacity, and will use only this 50 percent, threfore, decreasing the amount of time during which your laptop work properly.
Batteries are re-charged differently. The first method is when you use AC power. The so-called "trickle charge" automatically re-charges batteries after a laptop is disconnected. A second way is by using an external laptop battery charger. Batteries are inserted into a charger which is plugged into an outlet.
Batteries' life can also be extended if:
- you charge and discharge batteries to the full;
- you run programs on your laptop that you really need. Downloading music to your iPod, browsing on the Internet, chatting on-line along with using other programs can make laptop battery' life a lot shorter.
- you use batteries' power rationally;
- you defragment the hard drive sometimes, as it helps save space and, therefore, power;
- you adapt monitor brightness;
- you make use of coolers (available on the market) for the laptop temperature to comply with the established limits;
- you use AC adapters when it is possible.
Surely, it is a must to use a laptop and its diverse power devices in accordance with the manual to insure your laptop will work long. |
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