| It might have already happened to you several times when in an extremely important moment when you were working or expecting an urgent e-message, your laptop went dead, as its battery had discharged. In this case the battery should be replaced or re-charged.There are three main kinds of laptop batteries - Nickel Cadmium (NiCd), Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) and Lithium Ion (LiON). They differ from each other in price, weight and specifications. Nevertheless, the charging procedures have much in common. The charging time for brand new batteries should average at 14-16 hours. If you want to re-charge old ones, first and foremost let them cool down, as overcharging will shorten their life. If you purchase NiMH laptop batteries, remember that they have the so-called "memory effect". Thus, when a NiMH battery is not discharged to the fullest, it will "think" that it has, for example 50% of its original power, and will use only this 50%, thus diminishing the number of hours during which your laptop function properly.Batteries are re-charged in different ways. The first method is by using AC power. The so-called "trickle charge" automatically re-charges batteries as soon as a laptop is unplugged. Another option is an external battery charger. Batteries are inserted into a charger which is connected to the supply of electricity through an outlet. You may also extend the life of laptop batteries if:- you charge and discharge batteries to the fullest;- you run programs on your laptop which you really need. Downloading music to your Mp3 player, surfing the Internet, chatting on-line along with using other programs can make batteries' life much shorter.- you use laptop batteries' power reasonably;- you defragment the hard disk sometimes, because it spares space and, hence, power;- you make adjustments to screen brightness;- you make use of coolers (widely available on the market) for the laptop temperature to comply with the established requirements;- you make use of AC adapters whenever it is possible. Surely, it is a must to use a laptop as well as its diverse devices in line with the manual to ensure your laptop will help you long. |
