Laptop batteries

[CJMickeyMouse]

We have two laptops in the family - a Toshiba Satellite and a MacBookPro. The PC has been through two batteries already - we got a new one under the extended warranty, but now it only holds about 10 min of power. We have not had trouble with the Mac.

Is this common? Is there a way to rejuvenate the PC battery? I just don't get how they can last 6 months and then be done. Of course we can just plug the computer in and use it that way, but that kind of defeats the purpose!

Anyone else have this problem or is it just us??!?!?

 

[Gina]

I was told that laptop life is almost solely dependent on how many times you run the battery down and then recharge it. I pretty much always use the laptop when it's plugged in somehow someway, and only run it off battery power in an emergency.

 

[adaygaby]

I had this same issue a couple of months ago and my laptop needed a new motherboard. After the new one was installed, I haven't had any issues.

 

[thinkerbell]

I just had my battery replaced with our extended warranty also. I looked up on the internet about laptop battery care because our other one seemed to go quickly and the article I read said to not have the battery in the computer when you were using the cord unless you were charging it. It also said that computer batteries do not have memory but they do have a certain number of charges so if your battery isn't low and you charge it, it takes one of your charges. You should use the battery only when needed and otherwise store it at approximately 40%. We had been told when we bought our laptop that we should leave it in all the time and it would be fine to plug it in even when the battery was almost full. I think that is what took our batteries life--always charging it when it still had plenty of charge. I always plug it in when I have access to a plug in.

Here is the article if you would like to read it.

http://www.zbattery.com/laptopbatterycare.html

 

[jsmith]

you might want to have a diagnostic run on the machine its self-it sounds like you have a power bleed somewhere in it. That is seperate from any battery issues. also some earlier toshibas were have nortioriously bad battery usuage.