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Hi Neil, Here goes with my twopennyworth. I used to work for Lucent Techologies, researching the optimum ways of charging and discharging batteries. Yes you could leave the laptop on permanent mains power, but the battery will eventually 'forget' that it is a battery, and becomes simply a (large?) capacitor across the power supply. Alternatively, you could fully charge-cycle the battery, only re-charging it when you get the four minute warning. When you do charge it, leave the charge on for overnight or thereabouts, then re-commence the discharge cycle. Modern lithium-ion batteries are much better in terms of charge memory effect. It's nothing like the problem that is was with Ni-Cad batteries. If you go down the charge- cycling route, be pleasantly surprised if you get more than 1000 charge cycles. Although it's unlikely to be a problem in an indoor environment, you should be aware that at -10C a lithium-ion battery has about half its capacity, and at -20C, forget it. However they do recover when warmed beck to room temperature. Hope that this helps. Regards etc, Ray Knowles. >----Original Message---- >From: barnaby@xxxxxxxxxxxx >Date: 24/07/2013 7:39 >To: <list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> >Subj: [LUG] Laptops - and the battery > >I have used computers for many years, almost always with desktops. A >while ago I was given an old laptop as a gift, so it was my first >practice with them. (I use my laptop as a standby machine, and it >normally stays in one place. It certainly never leaves the house.) > >As the machine was already several years old the battery was pretty >useless, so I always had the machine running from the mains. Recently it >(the laptop) died on me and I have now replaced it with a brand new one. > >Now there is also a brand new battery and I have been researching how to >look after it best, with conflicting results. So, can anyone on the list >advise me please? Would it cause any problems to run this new laptop >always from the mains? This would mean that the battery was always on >charge and always fully charged up, but never really being used. Is that >a bad idea? > >Perhaps it would be better to run from the battery and to recharge as >necessary. Anyone have any recommendations please? > >Thanks > >Neil > >-- >The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG >http://mailman.dclug.org.uk/listinfo/list>FAQ: http://www.dcglug.org.uk/listfaq > -- The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG http://mailman.dclug.org.uk/listinfo/list FAQ: http://www.dcglug.org.uk/listfaq