Quote:
Originally Posted by glatt
So do you have any tips for battery management to get the longest life possible?
Should the battery be allowed to discharge fully before recharging?
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NiCds once had memory problems. The solution was to completely discharge and then recharge that technology. And then the problem was eliminated with newer chemistries. But the myths live on.
Discharging a battery down simply reduces its life expectancy by one. It does nothing useful.
Leaving a battery discharged (any technology) decreases its life expectancy. This is especially true of sealed lead acid batteries in UPSes.
Better chargers can be left connected to batteries - and not shorten life expectancy. Some chargers left recharging a battery too long can be harmful. That would not be the case (a problem) for laptops. Still, it is better to power off a laptop if the battery does not need recharging due to extremely rare events - because that minor energy consumption has no advantages.
In jinx's case, the battery should be (and can easily be) replaced maybe for something between $40 and $120.
Operating a laptop on battery power for an hour means you will be replacing that battery soon. Laptops used that way means replacing batteries - probably a few times. Laptops are intended to be used from AC power (not batteries) most of the time.