Thinkpads Forum

I did read somewhere - about 300 cycles. My question is: Is it a matter of time or just cycles? If I always use my G41 with adapter, how long the battery will last?

Battery will deteriorate with time even if it is never used and will self discharge at a rate of about 2% per month. It is just one of the draw-backs of Li-On batteries. Even if you never used it and just charged it about once a month, in about 18-24 months you would be lucky to get half of the original time in it. Never take a fully discharged battery out, put it somewhere and forget about it. If it gets below 2.5V it will never recover and will not accept a charge. That's why they tell you to store it with a 40% charge. and periodically use it, recharge it, and then use it down to 40% again before putting it away. By the way, don't laugh, but putting it in the fridge will actually slow down the self-discharge process and make your battery last longer. The down side is you must let it warm up to room temperature before using it or it can have a negative effect. The answer to your cycle question, it is both. The 300 figure you read somewhere is indeed an average. Some people will get many more, some won't. They seem to last longer if you only partially discharge, like down to 40-50% and then recharge. However, you are limiting your use of the notebook by doing that. Average person will run it down to 10% or so, where ever they have the alarm set and then recharge it. Do what is most comfortable for you. It is afterall a consumable and will have to be replaced eventually, no matter what.