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  • #1

    Laptop battery Question???

    I've just had a brief discussion with Mr. G about Computer batteries.

    When using the laptop, I charge it to full then unplug it and use it on battery power until I get the low battery warning message, then plug it in again. Mr. G says I should just leave it plugged in, and it won't do the battery any harm.

    Any experts out there?
    All the best - Glutton 4 Punishment
    Freelance shrub butcher and weed removal operative.
    Tags: None
  • #2
    I'm no expert but that's what I do with mine, leave it plugged in that is. I'll look forward to seeing what other peeps say G4.

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    • #3
      Not me...but when I got my laptop my local 'guru' who actually fixes computers for his living said 'Dont keep it plugged in unless your battery is too flat, as it will damge the battery and shorten its life dramatically'
      So you can go at OH with confidence G4.
      Anyone who says nothing is impossible has never tried slamming a revolving door

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      • #4
        I was told the same thing by the puter people at work. You are supposed to use the battery otherwise it stops recharging properly.
        Whooops - now what are the dogs getting up to?

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        • #5
          Arrrrrrr...Unplugs lappy straight away, thanks for that.

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          • #6
            I was also told not to leave the battery in when plugged in as it shortens its life, by both OH who works in IT and the guy in the shop when I bought my new laptop.
            pjh75

            We sow the seed, nature grows the seed, we eat the seed. (Neil, The Young Ones)

            http://producebypaula.blogspot.com/

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            • #7
              The techy advice is let the battery go flat as the batteries have a memory
              if you don'ts the battery will not last so long

              The best advice is if you are using the laptop from the mains take the battery out you don't need it unless you are moving it or charging it

              In the real world I use a laptop, the battery is in it all the time I probably let it go flat once a month just to check the battery (as I have 3 kids I would loose data all the time as the lead keeps on being knocked)

              The only time the battery really becomes a issue is when it dies then quite often the laptop won't power up until you take the battery out


              (Im a techy but also a realist)
              Last edited by enrich100; 14-03-2010, 12:53 AM.
              Thought For The Day
              If a plum tomato breaks the law when it’s young
              Would it’s criminal past ketchup with it later?

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              • #8
                It's rare for me to use the laptop on battery, I only unplug ours at night
                Last edited by bubblewrap; 14-03-2010, 07:14 AM.
                The river Trent is lovely, I know because I have walked on it for 18 years.
                Brian Clough

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                • #9
                  My lappy battery died at Xmas, it's been going for about 5 years. I use it on mains all day, only unplugging it for an hour in the morning when I log on the Vine in bed with my coffee.
                  All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

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                  • #10
                    As soon as its charged unplug it, only plug it back in when the alarm comes on, this goes for laptops, mobile phones, etc, don't charge them till they need it.not much point having a lap top if you have to sit next to a socket with it plugged in all the time,
                    Last edited by bishop; 14-03-2010, 09:35 AM.

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by bishop View Post
                      .not much point having a lap top if you have to sit next to a socket with it plugged in all the time,
                      we have laptops because they take up much less room than a desktop

                      I've been Googling, and most techy/pootery forums say that the "you must unplug it" rule is a nonsense, an urban myth if you like
                      All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

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                      • #12
                        I had my laptop for over 5 years and only ran the batterry down about twice in that time. The battery was still fine when work gave me a new machine last month

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                        • #13
                          I keep my laptop plugged in to the mains most of the time, but can still sit here on the sofa with it on my lap. I think a lot of the battery stuff applied more years ago, in the same way as we had animated screen savers back then to prevent phosphor burn on CRT monitors.
                          There are 10 kinds of people in the world, those that understand binary and those that don't.

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                          • #14
                            It is always best to run down the battery and recharge as that is what they are designed to do.

                            A well-known drawback of NiCads is the memory effect. If a NiCad is not worked hard’by being called upon to deliver a reasonable proportion of its stored capacity each time it is recharged, its energy storage capacity gradually drops. This is due to a gradual change in the nickel oxide/hydroxide crystal structure on the surface of the positive plate electrolyte. Some of this can grow into large crystals and can also result in the formation of very long needles or dendrites, which can pierce the porous separator films and provide localised short-circuits inside the battery. At best this can seriously reduce the capacity of the battery, while at worst it can damage it beyond repair. In general, the best way to prevent memory effect and the possibility of dendrite growth is to work ’NiCads fairly hard, discharging them properly before recharging.

                            Of course if you always use the charger you will not notice the loss of performance until you actually use it "on the hoof" so to speak and find it dies quite quickly. New types of battery such as "li-on" are now becoming widely used and have less of the afore mentioned issues but will still last longer if used as designed.
                            Last edited by pigletwillie; 14-03-2010, 11:19 AM.

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                            • #15
                              I use mine plugged in all day, and then take it upstairs at night, where it gets used until it switches off. Then plugged in in the morning again. The thing I notice with mine is that the battery seems to get a better (longer-lasting) charge if it charges while it's switched off, than if it charges while it's being used. Same for my mobile phone.

                              The main reason that I use it plugged in during the day is down to the power settings - when it's running on the battery it automatically goes into 'Silent Mode' which uses less power, but also makes it very, very sloooooow...

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