Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: squeezing, more, life, out, of, your, notebook | Themes: Business Notebooks
- 1. The Eight-Hour Battery Life Notebook
- 2. Battery Life As A Turnover Multiplier For Vendors
- 3. Battery Life Is Only The Second Most Important Purchase Factor
- 4. Battery Life Is Only The Second Most Important Purchase Factor, Continued
- 5. Intel Claims That The Display And Chipset Consume More Energy Than The CPU
- 6. A Brief Summation Of Battery History And Battery Types
- 7. Higher Energy Density: The Rechargeable Nickel Metal Hydride Battery
- 8. The Li-Ion Battery Isn't Perfect, Either
- 9. Battery Care And Preservation
- 10. Battery In The 'fridge?
- 11. Buyer Beware 1: Old Battery In A New Notebook
- 12. Typical Notebook Batteries
- 13. Frequently-asked Question 1: How Do I Determine My Battery's Capacity?
- 14. Frequently-asked Question 2: How Charged Is My Battery?
- 15. Frequently-asked Question 2: How Charged Is My Battery? Continued
- 16. More on this topic
9. Battery Care And Preservation
The effective battery life of a notebook may be improved by more than just the way in which it's used. Experience shows that careful handling of the battery itself helps to insure longer battery life and preserve it for more extended use.
Prevention Is Better Than Cure
As we've already mentioned, both NiCd and NiMH batteries are subject to the so-called memory effect, which kicks in after a specific period of use. This may be recognized by a reduction in battery capacity as usage time increases. This results from a transformation in the crystalline structure (crystal growth) of the active substances inside the battery cell. As a result, the internal resistance of the cell increases, so that voltage levels in the cell are smaller than those in a new battery. This also reduces the cell's ability to story energy, which is likewise diminished.
The best way to work around this memory effect is to disconnect the notebook from an external power source as soon as the battery is fully charged, and then to run off the battery. It's also important to avoid recharging the battery before it's fully discharged, if at all possible. As long as you're sure you won't need to use the battery, it's best to discharge it as completely as possible and then to store it in a cool dry place. Avoid high or below freezing temperatures. It's especially advisable not to store a fully-charged NiMH battery because that only increases the memory effect.
- Previous page The Li-Ion Battery Isn't Perfect, Either
- Next page Battery In The 'fridge?
"Better still, Li-Ion batteries exhibit none of the memory effects associated with the other two types just named."
Neither do NiCad or NiMH batteries, of course, unless you're using them in a geosync satellite power system. With a charging system as smart as the one required for Li-ion or Li-polymer, NiMH batteries don't suffer from overcharge and the resulting voltage depression (what's generally mistaken for a "memory effect" in the association cited). I wouldn't be surprised to see some notebooks returning to NiMH, albeit the new low self-discharge types.