Extend Your Laptop Battery Life
You can make your laptop run longer on its battery by turning off or reduce all the things that expend power in your computer. If you are going on a long trip, or just taking your laptop to a local coffee shop, use these tips to help your laptop’s battery power last longer.
- Switch off the wireless card if you do not plan to access your network or Internet connection.
- Turn the volume level down, or mute it, if you do not plan to use it.
- Reduce the LCD’s brightness level.
- Disable Bluetooth.
- Learn to single-task. PC memory that is in-use takes more power to hold data. Also, using more memory might mean using more swap or virtual memory space on your laptop’s hard drive. All of this puts an additional drain on your laptop’s battery.
- Run simple applications that don’t use much RAM, disk drive or processing power.
- Avoid extreme temperatures
- Use the power management settings on your computer that come built in.
- Unplug external devices such as a USB mouse or an external drive.
- Shut down or hibernate the laptop rather than using standby, if you plan on not using it for a while. (However if you plan on using it soon, it’s better to be in stand-by than shutting down. Powering a laptop on consumes more energy.)
- Defrag your hard drive.
- Avoid using a CD or DVD.
- Turn off unused ports.
- Create Power-Saving Hardware Profiles.
- Use a cooling pad when using a notebook computer on your lap.
- Avoid propping your laptop on a pillow, blanket, or other soft. (By blocking the ventilation fans heat builds up which is not good for the battery or the laptop.)
Amazing History Of Laptop Batteries
Whenever you power up your laptop you may not think about the history that has gone on to help us get to where we are today. Our laptops have come a long way to become as powerful as they are, but what we do not think about is how far the laptop batteries have come. The history of laptop batteries is an amazing one. They have come along way, and in the end they still have a long way to go before they are perfect. However, we can be happy that we have learned from our mistakes and come up with a battery that is lighter and longer lasting than older ones.
The laptop is a great thing. It allows you to use your computer without having to be plugged up to a wall. However, back in the day you could not run your laptop off the batteries alone for too long. Thanks to people always looking to improve what we already have, we have made great jumps in the history of the batteries. When we think of laptop batteries many of us think about the rechargeable ones that we use today. However, did you know that they used to make laptops that ran off AA batteries? Not only did it take a lot of AA batteries to run a laptop, but they could not run it for long. Many people today remember the laptops running off the very heavy lead acid based batteries. Not only did these batteries not last long, but it made your laptop very heavy. You might as well been carrying around a desktop. Since then the history of laptop batteries have kept improving. In fact, after we turned in the old lead acid batteries we moved on to the nickel cadmium batteries.
If you do not remember ever hearing of nickel cadmium batteries, that is because some people called them NiCD. However, these batteries were not around too long because we soon left those for nickel metal hydribe batteries (also called NiMH). As you can guess both of these batteries lasted a lot longer than the old acid ones, however, we were not done making great batteries just yet. After that we moved on to the lithium ion batteries as well as the lithium polymer. These are the batteries that most laptops use today. However, we are not done making great batteries, and you can bet that the history of laptop batteries is going to move on from here. As more and more people get laptops every year the demand for a longer lasting batter is ever growing. Until we can make a battery that never dies, we are always going to see more improvements in the life of batteries.
People use there laptops for many different things. Some use it for school, and others use it for work. However, no matter what you use your laptop for, you know that you need a long last battery. You have to know that you are going to be able to count on the battery when you need your laptop the most. Because of that, we should be happy that batteries keep improving. The history of laptop batteries is a long one, and it’s going to just keep getting longer. All that means is that we are going to end up with some great batteries over the course of a few years. As companies jump at the chance to improve their laptops you are going to see some of the worlds best batteries come to be. What that means for us is the fact that we can have great running computers that do not die after a few hours.
Most Common Laptop Battery Problems
What would we do without laptops? From those who prefer to do work on the go at a coffee shop to those who simply want a smaller computer to work on from home, laptop computers are the way to go. They are portable, easy to work on and the answer to many who wish for a fast method of jumping onto the Internet or performing work no matter where they are
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Most Common Laptop Battery Problems
Replacement Laptop AC Adapters
Replacing the AC adapter for your laptop is a much more important process than you may think it is. There are many things to take into account when looking for laptop AC adapters, and a failure to be as thorough as possible in your search could result in purchasing a unit that could damage your laptop. To avoid any problems with your replacement laptop power adapters and to help make sure that you are finding the correct replacement battery charger for your laptop, it is a good idea to follow some advice on what to consider when looking for a replacement laptop AC adapters.
The AC adapter is the unit that can power your laptop when you have access to a power outlet, and it is also the unit that recharges your laptop battery so that you can enjoy the power of portable computing. Having a functioning AC adapter is critical to any laptop owner, and if your AC adapter suddenly dies then you are going to need a notebook battery charger as soon as possible. There are several things to take into account when purchasing replacement laptop power adapters, and as long as you make all considerations then you will be fine with your purchase.
The easiest way to purchase replacement laptop AC adapters is to purchase them directly from the laptop manufacturer. The laptop manufacturer will have each laptop model lined up with each compatible AC adapter, and you should be able to make your selection without experiencing any difficulties at all. But an AC adapter from the manufacturer can be extremely expensive, and in some cases the laptop may be so old that replacement laptop AC adapters are no longer available from the manufacturer. To save money, or for convenience, it is better to look for a third party replacement AC adapter.
Third party manufacturers are usually the companies that make the replacement laptop power adapters for the laptop manufacturers in the first place, so getting complete compatibility with your laptop should not be a problem. Most third party manufacturers have a compatibility matrix you can refer to in order to find the model of their replacement laptop AC adapter that works perfectly with your laptop. Most third party manufacturers warranty their products very well, and they are also available to answer questions should you have any.
Something that many people forget to take into account when purchasing replacement laptop AC adapters is where they are in the world. The power requirements for electrical equipment in Europe, and the connections needed to plug into the outlets in Europe, are much different that those requirements found in the United States and the rest of North America. There are international adapter kits available for your laptop AC adapter to allow it to plug into the European outlets, or you can be certain to purchase a replacement laptop power adapter that is compatible with the European power configuration.
Either way, it is important to keep in mind every detail possible when purchasing something as important as a replacement laptop AC adapter. Purchasing a unit that is not compatible with your laptop or not sufficient for your power needs, can cause major problems and potentially damage your laptop. To protect your laptop, be certain to ask questions and cover all the bases when purchasing a laptop battery charger.
New and Affordable…but Long-Lasting? Asus Eee PC 1201N Battery Life Results
With the new Asus Eee PC 1201N just weeks away from its release, reviews and test results are already being posted by those who have gotten their hands on the new Asus notebook. Carrying an estimated release price in the $650 range, the the dual-core ION-powered Eee PC 1201N is being targeted as a great ‘bridge’ device between
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New and Affordable…but Long-Lasting? Asus Eee PC 1201N Battery Life Results