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If you are like most people with laptops you know that they are only as portable as the nearest outlet. The companies advertise like their laptop batteries make these machines so that they can go anywhere with you and there will be no problem but there is a problem. You only have a couple hours max of normal word processing type use and then you are toast unless you either have a backup battery or you can plug in somewhere and recharge. The other problem is that lots of places that you go and that you would love to use a laptop at aren't able to supply outlets to everyone and so you are up a creek as they say.
So my main question for this piece is why are laptop batteries so bad? To answer this question I am going to do a quick search on the internet and try to quickly glean as much information as I can in the next few minutes and then I will proceed to pack it in to the next 2 paragraphs or so. Here I go….
Well we will start with what most batteries are made of and that is Lithium Ion cells (older laptop batteries were made of nickel cadmium). These batteries have several advantages including no memory and no scheduled cycling (That does not mean however that it is a good idea to repeatedly run your battery dead). These batteries are therefore low maintenance. However because their cell oxidation can not be reversed through cycling there is a definite and short lifespan for these batteries. This turns out to be around two to three years and is not necessarily lengthened by not using as oxidation goes on in the form of self discharge even when stored.
Now it is recommended that one stores the battery at about 40% capacity and in a cool place. The 40% capacity gives it the ability to self discharge slowly without going all the way dead (which is bad for these laptop batteries, if you recall). These batteries will oxidize more slowly in cooler temperatures which prolongs the life. These power cells are not meant for long term storage as already mentioned because the self discharge will drain it sometimes to the point of no return.
The reason why these new laptop batteries are so much more expensive than they used to be is because they require an internal circuit that prevents it from overcharging. Overcharging can cause the battery to heat up and actually burst into flames.
Laptops, also known as notebook computers, are trendy and functional computer devices that are now giving business people the best of both worlds in terms of business efficiency and mobility largely due to the fact that you can use batteries to power up the laptop for use anywhere, anytime. But what are laptops and what components go into making up a laptop device? For those who know little about laptops here is a quick overview of the various components that make up these versatile and mobile machines.
Screens are the displays that you use to see what the computer is doing whether it be typing words and numbers, surfing the Internet or manipulating images and photos. Laptops of years ago had very dim screens but these days the displays are big and bright and easy to read. The two main options in terms of displays are "dual-scan" and "active-matrix." Dual-scan is the less expensive option, and while it used to be somewhat inferior is a very acceptable option for people on a budget. Active-matrix is the brighter of the two.
Of course though the laptop is not just about displays you need to consider how the machine will actually run. Mobile CPUs are the component that makes the computer actually run. Buying a mobile CPU is an advantage because they use less power and keep the machine cooler.
Most laptops come with modular/swappable drive bays, to allow you to remove the floppy drive, DVD drive, and even the hard drive. This is very convenient if you often use different media for saving and storing data and need to make a change between media types but need to continue working at the same time rather than having to shut the machine down.
Some laptops come with a built-in AC power supply, so the laptop plugs into a wall outlet with a simple ordinary plug-in, however many have the power brick which is attached to the AC cord and this can be inconvenient if you are working in a confined space. Often with the more recent laptops you can by the more compact device to make it easier to use the laptop in small spaces such as hotel rooms.
Naturally laptops are purchased for their mobility to laptops will always come with one or two batteries to allow you to take the laptop away from mains power. This means you can leave the AC power cable behind and only plug it in to the mains power when you need to recharge the batteries.