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ok, thanks. just wanted to double check because i had always kept my battery plugged in in my previous laptop and ended up killing the battery.EOMtp wrote:Aside from the concern that the notebook will turn off in the middle of whatever one was doing if one lost power/disconnected the power cord, there is no "safety", i.e., electrical or electronic, concern in using the notebook without a battery. The power adapter isolates the PC from external power; the battery does not play a role in protecting the notebook from external electrical events.
That laptop was not a Thinkpad! Some manufacturers' battery charging circuits "pump" juice into the battery continuously whenever the chargers are connected to the laptop. That continuous "topping off" -- even when the batteries are full -- is what destroys the batteries. The charging circuits of Thinkpads do not behave that way. You don't have to disconnect the battery on a Thinkpad to keep the battery healthy.eosme wrote:... i had always kept my battery plugged in in my previous laptop and ended up killing the battery.
You are right, however there remains another (smaller) issue, and that's keeping the battery always charged at 100% (or close to it). It is generally accepted that the battery degrades faster this way than if the charge is kept around 40-50%. Now, how many people, with Thinkpads or not, actually change their thresholds to keep the battery around that 40-50% mark when inside the laptop?EOMtp wrote:The charging circuits of Thinkpads do not behave that way. You don't have to disconnect the battery on a Thinkpad to keep the battery healthy.
so you mean when the battery meter drops down to 50% that's when you charge?dr_st wrote:You are right, however there remains another (smaller) issue, and that's keeping the battery always charged at 100% (or close to it). It is generally accepted that the battery degrades faster this way than if the charge is kept around 40-50%. Now, how many people, with Thinkpads or not, actually change their thresholds to keep the battery around that 40-50% mark when inside the laptop?
No, not quite. I meant that if the PC is used on AC power 99% of the time, and the battery is essentially idling (not charging, not discharging), then it's better for it to idle around 50%, and not around 100% (which is what happens in most laptops). The problem with this approach, is that when you do need the battery on short notice, it only holds 50% of the charge.eosme wrote:so you mean when the battery meter drops down to 50% that's when you charge?
Constant frequent charges/discharges of the battery are generally accepted as bad practice for Li-ion batteries. However, once in a while (every few weeks to few months), it is advised to do a couple of such full charge-discharge cycles, to recalibrate the battery meter.eosme wrote:also, is it not good to use ur battery till it's all deplited before charging?
With both the battery and AC plugged in, doesn't the battery sit idle though? Wouldn't it be using the same amount of power from the AC?dr_st wrote:The logic is to prevent pulling too much juice from the power supply, thus damaging it. Usually happens only with 65W power adapters. With 90W it should still allow the CPU to run at full speed.
With the battery connected, in times of need, the laptop can pull some juice from the battery if the power supply does not provide enough.wolssiloa wrote:With both the battery and AC plugged in, doesn't the battery sit idle though? Wouldn't it be using the same amount of power from the AC?
In my X60s the battery is very often used, and charged to full again. The battery has about 200 cycles, and holds 101 % capacity of the original. I believe its more harmfull to keep a battery fully charged and topped off, than to often unplug the laptop and let it run battery down to 10-20%.dr_st wrote:Constant frequent charges/discharges of the battery are generally accepted as bad practice for Li-ion batteries. However, once in a while (every few weeks to few months), it is advised to do a couple of such full charge-discharge cycles, to recalibrate the battery meter.
how do you do that? i thought maybe perhaps the power manager software is old, but i have the latest version 2.5, so the battery bar should be correct.dr_st wrote:How old is your battery (manufacturing/first use date)?
Have you ever charged it down to 0% to see how much it really holds (and not how much it thinks it holds)?
i found out the battery information.dr_st wrote:Normally I check for these things in the power manager, battery information tab. But the new power manager versions have the UI redone, so I don't know where exactly to look.
yeah i know.. sigh, guess i have to live with it...dr_st wrote:Strangely it doesn't show full charge capacity. What is it with people and redesigning things that aren't broken in stupid ways...
