- How long should my new rechargeable battery last?
The life of a battery under normal use is around 500 to 900 charge-discharge cycles. This is about one and a half to three years of battery life for the average user. As the rechargeable battery begins to fail, the running time of the battery begins to decline. When a battery supplies thirty minutes of charge, it is time for a replacement.
- How long will my fully charged battery last?
- What should be the run time of a battery? How long will my laptop stay ‘powered’ with the battery?
Run time will vary on individual notebook computers, based on the applications being used (i.e. high graphics, games), the number of times something is saved or retrieved from the hard drive and/or CD Rom drive, the memory of notebook, and chemistry and capacity of the battery. A ‘realistic’ average run-time for a battery is 1.5 to 3 hours. Again run time will vary on applications being used and individual notebooks.
- Does using the wireless network drain a laptop battery?
Yes, using a wireless card in a laptop drains the battery. The amount varies according to model of laptop and battery and the usage of the laptop. The operating system and the software installed with the card may have utilities for conserving battery life. See Apple’s Battery Care page.
- Does disconnecting USB devices from my laptop, help conserve battery life?
Yes, disconnecting unused USB devices does help conserve battery life. It has also been widely reported that a flaw in Windows XP affects certain Intel based laptops to drain the battery at a faster rate than normal when a USB device is connected. More information can be found on the article, Windows USB flaw drains batteries.