| It might have already happened to you a few times when in an extremely essential moment when you were working or expecting a vital e-message, your laptop turned off, because its battery had discharged. In such cases the battery needs re-charging or replacing.
There are three major types of laptop batteries - Nickel Cadmium (NiCd), Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) and Lithium Ion (LiON). They differ from each other in cost, weight and specifications. Nonetheless, the charging processes are similar. The charging time for brand new batteries should average at 14-16 hours. If you are going to re-charge old ones, at first let them cool down, as overcharging will decrease their life. If exploiting NiMH laptop batteries, keep in mind that they have the so-called "memory effect". Thus, if a NiMH laptop battery is not 100% discharged, it will "think" that it has, for instance 50 percent of its original power, and will use only this half, thus decreasing the time during which your laptop function properly.
Batteries are re-charged differently. The first method is when you use AC power. The so-called "trickle charge" automatically re-charges batteries as soon as a laptop is disconnected. Another alternative is an external battery charger. All you need to do is to put batteries into a charger that is connected to the supply of electricity via an outlet.
You can also prolong the life of laptop batteries if:
- you fully charge and discharge laptop batteries;
- you run programs on your laptop that you really need. Listening to music, browsing on the Net, chatting online along with using other programs can make laptop battery' life far shorter.
- you use laptop batteries' energy wisely;
- you defragment the hard drive now and then, as it helps spare space and, therefore, power;
- you adjust screen brightness;
- you use coolers (readily available on the market) for the laptop temperature to comply with the established requirements;
- you use AC adapters if possible.
Certainly, it is essential to use a laptop as well as its diverse energy devices observing the manual to assure your laptop will help you longer. |
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