Laptop User Manual

User’s Manual 6-7
Power and Power-Up Modes
Maximizing battery operating time
A battery's usefulness depends on how long it can supply power on a
single charge, while how long the charge lasts in a battery depends on:
■ Processor speed
■ Screen brightness
■ System Sleep Mode
■ System Hibernation Mode
■ Display power off period
■ Hard disk drive power off period
■ How often and for how long you use the hard disk drive and external
disk(c) drives, for example, optical disc and floppy diskette drive.
■ How much charge the battery contained to begin with.
■ How you use optional devices, such as a PC Cards, to which the
battery supplies power.
■ Whether you enable Sleep Mode, which can conserve battery power if
you are frequently turning the computer off and on.
■ Where you store your programs and data.
■ Whether you close the display panel when you are not using the
keyboard - closing the display saves power.
■ The environmental temperature - operating time decreases at low
temperatures.
■ The condition of the battery terminals - you should always ensure the
terminals stay clean by wiping them with a clean dry cloth before
installing the battery pack.
Extending battery life
To maximize the life of your battery packs:
■ At least once a month, disconnect the computer from a power source
and operate it on battery power until the battery pack fully discharges.
Before doing so, follow the steps as detailed below.
1. Turn off the computer's power.
2. Disconnect the AC adaptor and turn on the computer's power - if it
does not turn on then go to Step 4.
3. Operate the computer on battery power for five minutes. If you find
that the battery pack has at least five minutes of operating time,
continue operating until the battery pack is fully discharged,
however, if the Battery indicator flashes or there is some other
warning to indicate a low battery condition, go to Step 4.