What is the appropriate way to drain the X60T Battery?

[proaudioguy]

What is the appropriate way to drain the X60T Battery for longevity? It's the 8 cell.
Should it be drained to 5% then recharged?

[yggdrasil]

NO. This is not necessary for Lithium Ion batteries and could even damage the battery if you drain it too much (although the built-in circuitry in the Lenovo batteries will probably prevent this from happening).

The general guideline for getting the most out of Li-Ion batteries is: charge it often, don't wait for the battery to be low before charging it, and keep it away from excess heat.

Here's some information pasted from the Wikipedia article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_ion_battery :

Guidelines for prolonging Li-ion battery life

* Unlike Ni-Cd batteries, lithium-ion batteries should be charged early and often. However, if they are not used for a longer time, they should be brought to a charge level of around 40%. Lithium-ion batteries should never be "deep-cycled" like Ni-Cd batteries.[7]
* Lithium-ion batteries should never be depleted to below their minimum voltage, 2.4v to 3.0v.
* Li-ion batteries should be kept cool. Ideally they are stored in a refrigerator. Aging will take its toll much faster at high temperatures. The high temperatures found in cars cause lithium-ion batteries to degrade rapidly.
* According to one book,[12] lithium-ion batteries should not be frozen (should not be stored below -40 °C), because most lithium-ion battery electrolytes freeze at approximately −40 °C (this is much colder than the lowest temperature reached by household freezers, however).
* Li-ion batteries should be bought only when needed, because the aging process begins as soon as the battery is manufactured.[7]
* When using a notebook computer running from fixed line power over extended periods, the battery should be removed and stored in a cool place so that it is not affected by the heat produced by the computer.[7]

Storage temperature and charge

Storing a Li-ion battery at the correct temperature and charge makes all the difference in maintaining its storage capacity. The following table shows the amount of permanent capacity loss that will occur after storage at a given charge level and temperature.

[table]

It is significantly beneficial to avoid storing a lithium-ion battery at full charge. A Li-ion battery stored at 40% charge will last many times longer than one stored at 100% charge, particularly at higher temperatures.[7]

If a Li-ion battery is stored with too low a charge, there is a risk of allowing the charge to drop below the battery's low-voltage threshold, resulting in an unrecoverably dead battery. Once the charge has dropped to this level, recharging it can be dangerous. An internal safety circuit will therefore open to prevent charging, and the battery will be for all practical purposes dead.[citation needed]

In circumstances where a second Li-ion battery is available for a given device, it is recommended that the unused battery be discharged to 40% and placed in the refrigerator to prolong its shelf life. While the battery can be used or charged immediately, some Li-ion batteries will provide more energy when brought to room temperature.