CHAPTER 5: Managing Power
66
Over the long term, use the battery at least once a
month, even if it was kept in a cool, dry place for
storage, but avoid frequent full discharges because
this puts additional strain on the battery. Several
partial discharges with frequent recharges are better
for a lithium-ion battery than one complete discharge,
and recharging a partially charged lithium-ion battery
does not cause harm because there is no memory.
Conserving battery power
To conserve power while using the battery to power
your notebook:
• Turn off wireless networking and Bluetooth.
• Dim the display as low as is comfortable.
• Disconnect all external devices, like USB devices.
• Remove Express Cards when you do not need
them. Many Express Cards use a small amount of
power while inserted, even if they are not being
used.
• Select the
Power saver
power plan to get
maximum power savings.
Tip
For more information about using power plans, see
“Changing notebook power settings” on page 69.