Squeezing More Life Out of Your Notebook's Battery Part II
We were surprised by the many disparate sources of a notebook's battery drain. The complex interplay between software, components and peripherals during the tests we ran provided the basis for a checklist of what to do and what not to do to get the most out of any notebook's battery charge.
Bad-quality Optical Media Shortens Battery Lifetime
It's essential to understand an important characteristic regarding the use of different optical media: Next to the usage scenarios and the various applications used, the selection of optical media also has influence on battery lifetime that shouldn't be underestimated. The laser-diodes' power consumption, which is part of the pick-up of the optical drive, varies when reading or writing. The quality of the media also impacts the pickup's and thus the optical drive's power consumption.
In this context, it is important to note that the drive's power useage varies according to the media and its quality. If, for example, you were to play an original DVD video and then a DVD-R backup copy you'd burned yourself and measured the current intake (mA) for the optical drive in each case, you would notice that the second playback consumed noticeably more power than the first. The same effect can be observed when the optical media is heavily scratched or if data was destroyed when the disc was burned.
Current page: Bad-quality Optical Media Shortens Battery Lifetime
Prev Page Use Of The Optical Drive For Data Storage Next Page Mobile TV Cuts Battery Lifetime In HalfGet the BEST of Tom’s Guide daily right in your inbox: Sign up now!
Upgrade your life with the Tom’s Guide newsletter. Subscribe now for a daily dose of the biggest tech news, lifestyle hacks and hottest deals. Elevate your everyday with our curated analysis and be the first to know about cutting-edge gadgets.
Most Popular
By Tom Wardley
By Tom Wiggins
By Tom Wiggins