Breathe Life into Your Laptop Battery

If we told you that a battery's performance decreases as time goes on, how many of you would be surprised? The same goes for anything. Nothing lasts forever, and batteries are no different. However, there are ways you can increase the lifespan of your laptop's battery. Portable technology is important for your business, and a good, strong laptop battery is necessary.

Lithium-What?
Most laptops run what is called a lithium-ion battery. These are commonly found in most devices these days, such as cell phones, iPods, and PDAs. These work off of ion movement between the positive and negative electrodes. Unfortunately, the capacity of these batteries decreases due to a variety of reasons. Most lithium-ion batteries last somewhere between 300-500 charge cycles, meaning they discharge and recharge a number of times somewhere in that range. However, it's impossible to really tell how long a cycle can last, as environmental conditions and age factor against a set cycle length.

The measure of a battery's life is, therefore, measured in capacity, or rather, how much of a charge it can hold per cycle. This capacity has been proven to decrease as the number of cycles increase. While the battery might deliver a 100% capacity charge after purchase, it might have only 70% or less after a year of use. Furthermore, the higher a battery's shelf life, the lower the performance overall, as batteries naturally discharge over time. The temperature of the surrounding environment also plays a part, and the higher the temperature, the less full the charge becomes.

Resuscitation
The easiest and most obvious way of lengthening your battery's lifespan is to keep it away from high temperature. Leaving the laptop plugged in constantly heats up the battery, and can impact the quality of the charge cycle. Running a laptop under the worst possible circumstances, such as leaving a full battery basking in hot sunlight in a car, you'll be lucky if the battery lasts longer than two years. Overall, it's best to just store your battery somewhere cool and away from heat when not in use, at no more than 40% charge. It can be difficult to get it at to this state of charge, but it's of little consequence. A cool, dry place should be more than appropriate to extend the lifespan of the battery.

Another way to prolong your computer's battery is to disconnect it from the computer while you have it plugged in. Not every device has a battery that can be easily removed. If you have to remove casing to get to your device battery then it's best to not remove it. Also, take special care not to operate the laptop close to blankets and pillows, as heat can build up and damage the battery.

Are you not sure if your laptop is being taken care of properly, or is your battery practically nonexistent? Contact Directive at 607.433.2200. We are IT professionals who can remotely help you with any of your technological needs. We know laptops are an essential part of your business, and if you experience any problems, we'll do our best to breathe life back into your company.