Extend Laptops Battery Life

If you don't get the original instructions of your laptop or if you haven't read them, then here are few tips in order to extend your laptop's battery life:

• At least once a month, disconnect the computer from a power source and operate it on battery power until the battery pack fully discharges
• If you have extra battery packs, rotate their use
• If you will not be using the system for an extended period, more than one month, remove the battery pack
• Disconnect the AC adaptor when the battery is fully charged. Overcharging makes the battery hot and shortens life
• If you are not going to use the computer for more than eight hours, disconnect the AC adaptor
• Store spare battery packs in a cool dry place out of direct sunlight.

Basically don't keep it on AC power unless you need it. Here are the basic "I need it" scenarios:

• You charge the battery... of course you need the AC power...
• You want your battery fully charged in order to travel or go to a meeting
• You are running power-intensive applications such as 3D games or CPU intensive applications - those dry the battery power fast

If you are operating on batteries, then those tips will help you keep the laptop running on batteries for a longer period:

• Reduce screen brightness to a level that you can read the screen in good conditions; in low-light environments (such as evenings) you don't need too much back light (it is not good for your eyes either)
• If you have a docking station at hand or at least an external monitor, keyboard and mouse use them and close the LID (watch out not to go in sleep mode when you do, check power settings)
• If your manufacturer is providing you a power management software, use it