How sensitive is my laptop battery?...

[ferrari_chris]

OK, so I just bought a second-hand laptop. It's my first laptop. 👍

A Toshiba, and everything seems OK so far.

Anyway, I have a question about the battery. I don't intend to use it with mains power much, but will having it plugged in (and charging) all the time do any damage to the battery.

And similarly, will only using the battery a little then recharging it harm it either?

I only ask because I know that with cellphones if you don't let them completely decharge and recharge it ruins the battery life etc. I'm not sure how to treat my laptop battery.

Thanks in advance for any advice anyone can give me.

 

[TurboSmoke]

laptop batteries fade pretty quickly. if you use it daily then expect it to last 12 months then die.

i take my battery out when when i am not using it to prolong its life but on some Toshiba machines this is not possible.

second hand batteries are more likely to have a significantly shorter life.

modern battery technology allows you to use a little power and top up the charge over and over however, this is very damaging to older ones. I would get the model number and do a bit of research about it.

btw, Toshiba laptops are very reliable...i have had one for 10 years and it still works...(486DX2)...!

 

[dougiemeats]

It all depends on the type of battery you have.

Is it nickel-based or lithium-ion? If it is a lithium-ion battery, it is not necessary to fully drain the battery before charging it because it doesn't suffer from the memory effects unlike nickel-based batteries.

 

[ferrari_chris]

Thanks guys.

My manual tells me I have a lithium-ion battery. Woo-hoo!

But then it goes on to say:

To ensure the battery pack maintains maximum capacity, operate the computer on battery power once a week until the battery pack is fully discharged. Refer to the section Extending battery life in this chapter for procedures. If the computer is constantly operated on AC power for an extended period, more than a week, the battery may fail to retain charge. It might not function efficiently over the expected life of the battery pack and the Battery inidcator might not indicate a low-battery condition.

Once a battery pack is fully charged, it is recommended that you operate the computer only on battery power until the battery pack completely discharges. Doing so extends battery life and helps ensure accurate monitoring of battery capacity.

Hmmmm, I'll do a bit of searching around and take it from there I think.

What do you think of the idea of just running the laptop on mains power with the battery removed, then putting it in to charge when I'm going to need it - if I know I'm not going to need the battery, I'll just put it in the drawer. Do you think this is wise?

Thanks.

 

[dougiemeats]

Strange that the manual states that

I googled the topic and found this.

A lithium-ion battery provides 300-500 discharge/charge cycles. The battery prefers a partial rather than a full discharge. Frequent full discharges should be avoided when possible. Instead, charge the battery more often or use a larger battery. There is no concern of memory when applying unscheduled charges.

Perhaps a more knowledgeable person can clear this up? Are there different variations of Li-Ion batteries that require different charging techniques? I've never had a laptop but will be purchasing one in the near future so I too would like to be informed.

 

[ferrari_chris]

Hmmmm.

I'll definately be having a look around the net (ask a few people and fire off a few emails too I think) and in a couple of days, hopefully, we'll both know.

 

[Specialized]

i got a Sony VAIO Z1RSP which i have had for over a year now and it is my home pc and my work pc and i have used it pretty much everday with the mains plugged in constantly and not had a single problem with it. I do use it now and then and if im sensible i can get about 6 hours of use (word and excel documents) but i dont see over 2 if i use the internet, listen to music and do various other things. I have managed to sap a full battery in under 45 mins (didnt realise it was unplugged) once but i was listening to music while playing a game. which needed the dvd drive to be constantly running, required an internet access(playing online) and i was using a external mouse too and the screen was on full brightness.

knowing my luck though the battery will stop working in a few days

Spec....

 

[ferrari_chris]

Well, I've been using my new laptop a bit (I'm on it at the moment ) and it's doing well.

As far as the battery is concerned - I'm a little disappointed. Using the Internet etc. I'll get about an hour and a half out of it. This is probably normal, but I expected more.

Other than that, it's fine. I use it connected to the mains most of the time and it runs fun. I just have it plugged in 24/7 unless I need to go to the other end of the house, then I just whip the cord out and away I go. All in all, happy with it.

I've got all my software on here now, and everything runs OK.

 

[dougiemeats]

An hour and a half? I suppose that's to be expected with an older battery. If you have it connected most of the time I suppose it doesn't matter then. Glad everything runs alright.

 

[Jondot]

btw, Toshiba laptops are very reliable...i have had one for 10 years and it still works...(486DX2)...!

Yep, just make sure you keep it ventilated

Yeah, i can't see any problem with keeping it plugged in most of the time

I usually let mine run down until it tells me off, since i've heard it's better for it. I'm not really sure though, to be honest. I rarely move this from my desk where the plug is

 

[ferrari_chris]

... Yeah, i can't see any problem with keeping it plugged in most of the time

I usually let mine run down until it tells me off, since i've heard it's better for it. I'm not really sure though, to be honest. I rarely move this from my desk where the plug is

I've abandonded any plans to run the battery down, then recharge, then run the battery down...

Was too much hassle I figured. A friend of mine has a Dell laptop that he's had plugged in for about a year. He doesn't move it anywhere. The battery in that still works fine.

It won't be major if the battery does fall over - I'll still get just as much functionality out of it so whatever happens, happens. I'll just use it how I want and take it from there.

It doesn't run as well on battery anyway - screen isn't as bright and processor is a bit slower. All in the effort to save power. It can be changed in the power settings, but meh...

 

[dougiemeats]

Is this your primary computer?

 

[ferrari_chris]

No, I got the laptop so I can sit my lounge and surf the net without having to be confined to the study. More family orientated that way.

My desktop is my main computer - it's got all my files on it - but I've been using my laptop a lot lately because it's kinda like a new toy...

I'm taking steps to get it setup in the lounge though, then I can watch TV and be family while surfing, chatting, posting on GTP etc.

I'd say after this weekend it'll be all set and I'll be back on the Desktop during the day and the laptop at nights and during the weekends. I'm also trying to move the desktop towards work only, and the laptop for all the social stuff. That should help me to discipline my work a bit better if there are no chat programs/games on the work PC.

Mind you, the amount of work I do from home has dropped and I spend more time at the office now, but...

 

[G.T]

Was too much hassle I figured. A friend of mine has a Dell laptop that he's had plugged in for about a year. He doesn't move it anywhere. The battery in that still works fine.

The exact same case here. This has been plugged into the mains for about over a year now, and in the case of a power cut or something similar, the battery still lasts about 2 hours.

My Dad's new-ish Sony Vaio on the other hand, has a craving for power. The battery only lasts about an hour just usng the 'net!

 

[ferrari_chris]

... My Dad's new-ish Sony Vaio on the other hand, has a craving for power. The battery only lasts about an hour just usng the 'net!

I think the net sucks a bit of juice eh. Might be all that flash, animated gifs and the like.

When I'm running Word or similar the battery seems to go down slower than when I'm online. Go figure! Plus a bigger screen etc. will use more power, but as screen size increases you'd think they'd figure a way to use less power or stick more in a battery...

 

[dougiemeats]

My Dad's new-ish Sony Vaio on the other hand, has a craving for power. The battery only lasts about an hour just usng the 'net!

What kind of Vaio is it? When I get a laptop it will either be a Sony Vaio or an Apple Macbook(or whatever the iBook replacement is called). This may affect my decision because the laptop I get will be taken everywhere and rely mainly on battery.

 

[G.T]

What kind of Vaio is it? When I get a laptop it will either be a Sony Vaio or an Apple Macbook(or whatever the iBook replacement is called). This may affect my decision because the laptop I get will be taken everywhere and rely mainly on battery.

This one (the exact model my Dad has isn't on sale anymore it seems. It's less powerful). VERY nice PC to use, nothing ever gone wrong with it, but I haven't used it for long periods of time myself. The only niggle that has come to a head is that the silver and black paint that covers up the plastic is wearing away already, and I use this Dell every day and it's still immaculate...

 

[Burnout]

If you use the battery, it's going to die eventually. If it's li-on, it doesn't really matter if it's partial or full discharges, but again, it will die eventually.

Unless you never use it and store it somewhere cold. Then it'll last forever.
But what's the point in that?

 

[dougiemeats]

This one (the exact model my Dad has isn't on sale anymore it seems. It's less powerful). VERY nice PC to use, nothing ever gone wrong with it, but I haven't used it for long periods of time myself. The only niggle that has come to a head is that the silver and black paint that covers up the plastic is wearing away already, and I use this Dell every day and it's still immaculate...

Maybe its the 17-inch screen thats sucking away at the battery. In any case, by the time I buy a laptop, most of the Vaios should be using Intel's Core Duo/Solo processors and Apple is already using them at the moment. That should resolve any battery concerns I have. I'm hoping for around 5 hours in normal use. I think with a small enough screen and Intel's Core processor, it should be able to achieve that.