Laptops are a necessary evil in this day and age. Having access to one means the difference of being tied down to your office or having the freedom of mobility thanks to wireless Internet and the laptop’s battery. While the access to wireless Internet is pretty much a black or white issue, your battery’s lifespan is more of a gray area. When you first buy a laptop PC, chances are that you’re familiar enough with the inner workings of laptop batteries to remember to condition the battery BEFORE using the computer for the first time. Well folks, this is all fine and good. But this oftentimes is not allowing your battery to reach its full potential.

Getting to know your battery

For the most part, there are three different battery types. The two most common are NickelMetalHydride (NiMH) and LithiumIon (LiIon) batteries. If you or your client has purchased a new laptop, then you will most likely have the new LiIon battery. The LiIon battery happens to have a pretty decent charge life, but it it still needs to be properly conditioned in order to work right.

Conditioning your battery

First and foremost, make sure you fully charge the battery before using it - sometimes up to 16 hours. (In a number of cases, your laptop may have a battery conditioner utility built into the laptop’s BIOS)

Maintaining your battery

There are a variety of things that you can do to keep your laptop battery running in tip-top shape.

• Condition it every two to three weeks. Completely discharge it and then recharge it completely. This will help the battery maintain maximum life.
• When running off the AC power unit, only leave the battery in the battery bay when it needs to be charged.
• Use the power sparingly. Set up your power settings to turn off the hard drive when the system is in an idle mode. Same with the screen.

Conclusion

For the most part, these ideas will greatly help you maintain your laptop battery and help it serve you for the full length of its lifespan. After all, these suckers are sort of pricey! ;o)