Thinkpads Forum

I was wondering if it's ok to just remove the battery (computer shut off during removal, of course) and then run the computer only on A/C power? This is a question pertaining to both my ThinkPads (specs in sig). I am asking because the T61, the battery sticks out enough that it makes it just a tad too big for the lap desk I just bought. And since I use the computer plugged in most of the time anyway, would it hurt to just not have the battery plugged in?

As for the 600, that will be eventually a car project computer so it'll be running off of power generated by a special power system installed in my car just for the purpose of running the computer. So no battery will be needed there, either.

TikaC wrote:I was wondering if it's ok to just remove the battery (computer shut off during removal, of course) and then run the computer only on A/C power?

Of course. Just like how desktop computers are powered. But it's risky because if you accidentally unplug the AC adapter, or if there's a power outage, the computer will turn off and you'll lose all unsaved data. A better solution is to get a 4-cell battery for the T61.

pianowizard wrote:

TikaC wrote:I was wondering if it's ok to just remove the battery (computer shut off during removal, of course) and then run the computer only on A/C power?

Of course. Just like how desktop computers are powered. But it's risky because if you accidentally unplug the AC adapter, or if there's a power outage, the computer will turn off and you'll lose all unsaved data. A better solution is to get a 4-cell battery for the T61.

How about power from a decent quality surge protected UPS when not having the battery installed? I have two UPS units underutilized just sitting below my desk and that's what I've been doing (while storing the battery at 50% charge for about one month at a time in a wine cellar maintained at 55 F). Three years later and about 30 full monthly recharge cycles, my original IBM battery still charges and performs to 91% of original max capacity with my T42. When it's time to travel once a month for a few days, it's just undock it, trip and sip to the wine cellar, and install the battery just before my driver picks me up for the ride to the corporate jet hanger (where it can be fully charged onboard). I'm migrating to a new T61 that just arrived and I'll be practicing the same routine for it. It's not that I'm too cheap to by a new battery every year or two .... rather as an engineer and corporate manager, I enjoy properly maintaining and using equipment to see how much life I can get out of stuff .... especially big expensive stuff like major construction equipment (and not just for my own pocket book but also for our shareholders, investors and the non-profit institutions depending on our millions in annual grants for worthy causes). A few less cents here and a few less batteries to dispose of there, and me may just have a chance to leave a better planet for our kids (or the next species to rule this crazy spinning rock in space).

The battery is there to protect the thinkpad from losing all it's unsaved datas and also to allow the thinkpad to shut down properly instead of just poof! when suddenly the power just goes off (some places do not have steady power supply).. and improper shut down will cause you to lose all the important unsaved datas, and sudden power outage will spike your thinkpad HDD...

Am i right??

A lot of retailers demo laptops without batteries so people can't steal them. That's when I realized that current models didn't need them to run.