With todays convergence of powerful technology with tiny form factor, laptops are no longer the slow cousin to desktop computers. With fast gaming or multimedia laptops now common, the real distinction is what it should have always been: portability. This feature relies on one thing though – having the best possible laptop battery. Laptop batteries are usually vendor-specific and can vary widely, providing anywhere from 2 to 10 hours of usage. Without a good battery, a laptop will be restricten to situations where it can be charged often.
When purchasing a laptop, consider the end use and look at the battery life accordingly. If you plan to use your laptop mainly around the house, charging often might be less inconvenient. Conveniently, larger laptops with modern video cards etc that are better suited to less mobile use will also be the models that need more regular charging as their advanced features increase battery use. For someone always on the go, a small netbook style laptop will run for hours with a 3 cell or 6 cell laptop battery powering it.
If you want to buy a specific laptop brand that does not provide battery usage up to your requirements, you can always order an additional battery. Most laptops make it easy to change batteries, and a laptop bag will usually have plenty of pockets for spares. It is always a good idea to have an additional battery on hand if you use your laptop a lot while travelling anyway, or if you frequently use the computer away in areas without power outlets. Prices for additional laptop batteries vary, but spending around the $100 mark should assure you of a decent purchase.
Laptop battery life can diminish over time and eventually provide far less running time than when new. To make sure your battery remains almost as good as new even after the passage of time, here are a few tips:
- Fully charge your brand new battery pack before using.
- Do not over-charge a battery; it is never a good idea to leave the laptop on power supply even after the battery has been fully charged.
- Turning down the brightness of your laptop’s display will give you extended time until you have to recharge the battery again.
- Adding more RAM will reduce the usage of the hard-drive so that less power will be consumed
- Close any software in your laptop that is not being used.
- Do not expose the battery to water or any type of moisture.
- If you have additional batteries that are not in use for more than a month, make sure they are in fully charged state and stored in a cool and dry place.
- Keep the battery clean. Use cotton swabs or alcohol to clean the battery contact parts.
- Do not leave your battery dormant for a long time, exercise it.
- Use the fully optimized power plan for your battery that is provided by your computer’s operating system.
Using the tips described above, you can prolong the battery life of your laptop and therefore enjoy portability at its best. Making sure that you have a great battery can help you make your laptop work throughout the day and avoid the inconvenience of having to plug it in.
