Tips to Maximise Notebook`s Battery Life

Author: Roberto Sedycias

Notebook batteries are designed specifically for different notebooks brand as well as models. Today notebooks are powered by lithium ion batteries. Lithium ion batteries are lighter, have a better power-to-weight ratio, can hold a charge longer, have a longer usable life, and do not have the memory effect to fail prematurely.

Lithium ion batteries are also inexpensive to manufacture as compared to the earlier generation of nickel metal hydride batteries. The only shortcoming about lithium ion batteries is as they contain lithium salt dissolved in a highly flammable solvent, there are chances of overhead which can result in short-circuits or even blow up in flames.

It is a common fact that all notebook batteries have provision for limited time of power supply. A good bargain is to check the battery power while buying a notebook. Here is one instant tip to optimize the battery settings in accordance with the energy saving mode of your notebook. These settings will put the hard disk into sleep mode whenever the workload is less and it will reduce the notebook microprocessor performance in order to maximize its battery life.

From the system preferences mode of your notebook, select view menu, then choose energy saver option from view menu. Right click on show details option and choose battery power from the pop-up menu. Finally choose longest battery life from the energy settings pop-up menu.
Tips to optimise your notebook batteries are described in the following:

It is better to keep your notebook on standby mode when not in use for certain amount of time. Standby mode ensures all current info is saved in RAM with minimum consumption of battery power.

It is a good investment to add more memory to your notebook as it saves battery power by reducing Windows' dependence on the virtual memory swap file on your hard disk.

Try to set the screen brightness of the LCD panel of your notebook to the lowest comfortable level as very bright screen tends to consume more power from your battery.

Charge your notebook battery frequently with a battery charger or AC adapter. It is very important to clean your battery's metal contacts every couple of months to make it dust free. You can use a cloth moistened with rubbing alcohol to clean your notebook battery.

Turn of the unused features and technologies of your notebook which are not frequently usable. For example, it is better to eject the CD or DVD when you are not using them as the optical drive has the tendency of reading CD or DVD it finds very often and this process consume extra battery power.

Similarly it is better to get rid of the outer peripherals such as printers or digital cameras as they can still draw power from your notebook battery even when they are not used.

Turning off or at least disabling the PC Cards, FireWire devices and USB when not in use also saves battery power. In fact, disabling modem, network cards and USB ports consumes less battery power even when they are on. These devices are easily disabled in device manager.

To save power, it is good idea to turn off the AirPort, Wi-Fi, IR radios and Bluetooth option when it is not required to use. Virus scan should be set only during the time you are usually plugged in as full-disk virus check by the hard drive and CPU consumes additional power from battery.

Opt for the power console applet to customize the power profiles on your notebook. Do not worry in case your notebook does not have power console applet option for most of the operating systems (starting from windows 98) have Power Options utility in Control Panel.

You can use power saver option of your operating system to adjust the CPU processing power. Optimum CPU processes consume additional battery power and hence should be avoided if not required. Stop the auto start applications on your notebook, so that your notebook`s CPU can be stopped from doing unnecessary work.

With the above mentioned handy tips, you can truly increase the battery performance of your notebook.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/computers-articles/tips-to-maximise-notebooks-battery-life-607954.html

PR: wait... I: wait... L: wait... LD: wait... I: wait... wait... CY: wait... I: wait... L: wait... YCat: wait... I: wait... Top: wait... I: wait... L: wait... C: wait... SD: wait...

What You Need To Know When Purchasing A Laptop

By: David Fishman

When people talk about laptops, everyone assumes that all laptops are wireless. Traveling with a laptop is easier today than it once was, the laptops have gotten smaller and lighter. The new mobile laptops make computing easy for many people. When purchasing a laptop, make sure a wireless connection is built in so you can reach the internet if you are in a wireless area.

The laptop is replacing the big desktop computer; but the mobile computer needs to provide the ability to accept components for expandability. Many people today keep all of the information on their computer, so if the computer goes down many people will not have that data. In today's modern world the laptop or sometimes called notebook is a must have.

If you do not have a laptop computer yet, you should know that one of the most important aspects of having a laptop computer is having a great power supply. Every laptop computer needs to be equipped with some type of warranty; the laptop should have at least a one year manufacturer warranty. You may even be able to play movies on them with crystal clarity. Purchasing a laptop computer is not an easy job to do because there are so many important things that should be considered before purchasing.

The type of work you do can affect the screen size and type that is most suitable for you. If you are not worried about graphics a screen size of 12-14" is acceptable. If the work you are doing is graphically intensive than a 15-17" is better. Screen sizes range from 12 to 19 inches. A laptop computer with smaller screen is great option if you do not plan to use laptop too much.

Going from 256MB of RAM to 512MB of RAM will speed up your laptop. If your needs are somewhat mundane - email, spreadsheets, word processing, etc. 512 MB of RAM should be plenty. RAM is to a computer what location is to real estate.

You also need to think about the hard drive in the laptop you are considering. The hard drive is also a very important specification to consider in buying a laptop. The speed of a hard drive is normally calculated in rotations per minute. A hard drive of about 50 gb or over is a good rule of thumb.

In addition to the processor, you will probably want to upgrade your system with memory, monitor, a graphics card or video card, and pointing device and keyboard. Finding cheap components is easy today due to the internet, many sites have popped up and made all of these components accessible. The important thing to remember when shopping for components is that you need to make sure they are compatible with your system.

Laptop cases are an important computer accessory you should make sure you acquire. They have many sections that accommodate important office documents. Another important type of carrying case is the wheeled roller case. But, their safety and protection is equally important. A laptop case is specially made for carrying a laptop but a backpack is just a bottomless pit. Getting a quality bag is very important since you are carrying around an expensive piece of equipment. Your notebook is going to be at least 6 pounds, probably more. The portability of laptop computers is both a boon to busy business people. Your notebook should be sturdy and rugged. Expensive notebooks should be protected properly.

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=147783&ca=Computers+and+Technology