Laptop Battery Life

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Laptop Battery Life

How long does it last?

vibgyor79

5:24 pm on Oct 20, 2003 (gmt 0)

I don't mean 'number of hours' here - I'm talking 'number of years' here. I hear that notebook batteries have a finite number of re-charges after which they need to be replaced.

I run my notebook on battery almost everyday. When do you think I will have to buy a replacement?

storevalley

9:31 am on Oct 21, 2003 (gmt 0)

The manufacturer of your laptop could probably give you a pretty good answer (failing this, how about your local PC World or similar?)

einaryun

11:27 am on Oct 21, 2003 (gmt 0)

You can make reference to Battery FAQs [abatterypack.com] here,hope this can help you!

coopster

11:50 am on Oct 21, 2003 (gmt 0)

As the other posts stated, it's going to depend on the pc and the battery.

I currently use a DELL Inspiron 8200 with a 14.8V, 8C, SANYO battery. It's eighteen months old and lasts about 60 - 90 minutes now.

vibgyor79

1:25 pm on Oct 21, 2003 (gmt 0)

The battery FAQ says 1.5 to 3 years - on average use. Thanks for the link.

>>> lasts about 60 - 90 minutes now

How many hours were you getting when it was new? How long does your notebook run on battery every day?

From the past 6 months, I have been getting 3 hours on my Toshiba Satellite before the screen goes blank.

Brett_Tabke

2:08 pm on Oct 21, 2003 (gmt 0)

My old Dell 7500 inspiron used to last a full 3 hrs. Now it only lasts about 2. (3yrs old).

coopster

8:10 pm on Oct 21, 2003 (gmt 0)

>>>How many hours were you getting when it was new?

I want to say around 6+, and that's pushing it.

>>>How long does your notebook run on battery every day?

When I'm on the road working a contract? Until it needs a charge.
When I'm in the office, rarely, as I have a port replicator.

before the screen goes blank

If you are using Windows, you can change your Power Settings to let you know when you are getting low on juice and it'll send you a low-battery notification. I'm sure you are aware of this, but thought I'd mention just in case.

Mardi_Gras

8:14 pm on Oct 21, 2003 (gmt 0)

My old IBM hit the battery constantly to check power levels even when running on AC. The battery went from 2:15 on a charge to unusable in just about a year.

I think that was a quirk of the IBM, but I pull the battery from my Compaq now when I'm on AC.

einaryun

3:01 am on Oct 22, 2003 (gmt 0)

Below Battery Usage Tips [any-batteries.co.uk] can keep your battery long life :)
1. New battery pack must be fully charged before use.
2. New battery pack needs to be fully charged and discharged (cycled) a few times before it can condition to full capacity.
3. Rechargeable batteries undergo self-discharging when left unused. Always store a battery pack in a fully charged staged for storage.
4. Fully drain and fully recharged your battery pack every few months.
5. Turn down the LCD brightness of your portable device.
6. Use built-in power management on your portable device.
7. Turn off LCD or other unnecessary accessories when not in used.
8. Set screen saver blank to 1 to 2 minutes of your notebook
9. Add more RAM if you have extra RAM expansion slot, it will reduce the usage of hard drive and it is power exhaustive.
10. Close unused software in your notebook.
11. Remove unused PC Cards or USB devices from your notebook.
12. Don't watch DVD or play graphics intensive video games.
13. Don't short circuit terminal or store your battery pack with metal parts.
14. Don't drop or mutilate the battery pack.
15. Don't expose to moisture or water.
16. It is normal to get warm when charging or normal use. If it is getting too hot, there may be a problem with the device and qualified personnel should check it.

vibgyor79

5:35 am on Oct 22, 2003 (gmt 0)

>>> Don't watch DVD or play graphics intensive video games

Shee! That's like saying "Don't breathe air unless it is absolutely required!" ;)

creative craig

8:01 am on Oct 22, 2003 (gmt 0)

I have a Toshiba Tecra 8000 and the battery is dead, when it does charge it lasts for a little over an hour. Getting a knew one for christmas though :)

eaden

11:29 am on Oct 22, 2003 (gmt 0)

Mardi_Gras: same.

I reccomend everyone to remove the battery when using AC power. The reason for this is that some laptops will tricke charge the battery even when it's full. I have only used battery power a handful of times, but in a year and a bit it's gone from lasting 2 hours to 5 minutes!

So by removing the battery when using AC power, you will make your battery last a lot longer imho.

dragonlady7

1:21 pm on Oct 22, 2003 (gmt 0)

Generally, I only plug mine in when the battery's discharged. After a year and some, it hasn't degraded at all... If the battery's charged, I use it without the cord. If the battery needs charging, I plug it in. Works fine for me... it gets drained and recharged every two days or so. If it's going to be left sitting, it usually is left unplugged somewhere.