Top 10 Laptop Battery Tips

Your laptop battery is the lifeblood of your portable computer work. The longer a laptop battery can stay juiced up, the more work we can get done between charges. And when the battery eventually dies, it can be costly to replace. More so if you have an older laptop whose parts are hard to find.

So in order to keep your laptop running strong, you'll need to take good care of your battery. It's easy to neglect the laptop battery; they don't stand out as much as most notebook accessories. As they say, out of sight, out of mind.

To arm you with the knowledge you need to maintain your beloved laptop, we've come up with this list of essential Top 10 tips for extending the life of your laptop's battery!


1. Avoid The "Memory Effect"

Older laptops that use nickel-metal hybrid batteries are tricky in how they are charged. If you frequently use battery power for a short period of time before recharging it, the battery life will gradually shorten.

For example, if you typically use only 15% of the battery's power before recharging it back to full capacity, the batter will "remember" this habit and over time will only make that 15% available. That means 85% of the battery's full capacity will become wasted. For older batteries, it's best to not recharge it until it reaches below 25%. This will improve the battery's chances of "remembering" its actual full capacity.

Laptop owners with newer Lithium-Ion batteries shouldn't worry about this phenomenon. In fact, a full depletion of battery charge is only recommended for every 30 recharges.


2. Power Options

You can easily adjust the power settings in your laptop to optimize your battery power usage. For Windows users, access Power Options in your Control Panel. From there, select the Max Battery power scheme to get the most power from the battery. Adjust the wait time before the laptop's screen or hard drive is shut off.


Mac users can click on System Preferences from the Apple Menu. When running on battery power, select the Power Saver power plan. When your laptop is plugged into an AC adapter, switch the power plan to High-Performance. You can adjust when the screen shuts off from here as well.


3. Keep The Laptop Cool

As is true for any type of hardware, heat is a killer. Never place your laptop on an insulated surface like a pillow or blanket. Avoid using your laptop in areas where the temperature exceeds 80°F. Make a habit of blowing compressed air through your laptop's fans and vents to clear out any dust or hair. And if at all possible, get a cooling pad to rest under your laptop to insure a cooling airflow.


4. Hibernate, Not Stand By

Two key areas to pay attention to while you're managing your laptop's power options are Hibernate and Stand By. Sending your system to Stand By will save some power while the laptop is idle, but many functions remain active.

When your laptop goes into hibernation, it saves the state that your system is in before shutting itself off. When the laptop switches back on, that state is send back into memory so you can pick up where you left off while saving significantly more power in the meantime.


5. Save To The Hard Drive

It may not look like it, but CD- and DVD-ROM drives use a lot of power to keep spinning. If you need to access multiple or large files that are stored on a disc, save the files to the hard drive first. You'll save a lot of power reading the files from the hard drive than keeping the optical drive's motor continuously spinning.


6. Defrag Often


Since we recommend reading your data from the hard drive, you'll need to make sure the hard drive is in optimal shape. The easiest thing to do is to defragment the hard drive every week or two. By defragmenting our hard drive, data that's used most often is kept close together. As a result, the hard drive won't have to work as hard to gather up that data, thus using less power.

As a bonus, you'll notice a vast improvement in load time!


7. Avoid Multitasking

The more tasks that your system has to juggle, the more battery power you'll eat up. If possible, try to only have one or two applications running at a time. Using the Task Manager in Windows, shut down all the background processes that you aren't currently using.

Multitasking applies to hardware as well! Minimize the amount of devices you have connected to the laptop at a time. Each USB device you have connected to the laptop uses battery power to operate. Obviously, it may not be wise to charge the battery in your cell phone or iPod through a USB cable while your laptop itself is running off battery power.


8. Dim Your Screen

Your laptop's monitor screen is like a big, flat light bulb. Turn the brightness setting of your laptop's display as low as you can comfortably see. If you're using your laptop in a dark room, you should be able to turn the brightness levels to their lowest setting while still seeing the display clearly.

As mentioned before, set the display to turn off shortly after you stop working on the laptop. Avoid relying on a screensaver while on battery power, since they tend to keep the screen's backlight on unnecessarily as your laptop sits idle.


9. Disable WiFi

If you're not accessing the internet while you're running on battery power, disable your laptop's wireless internet adapter. Even if you're not actively working online, the wireless adapter will continue to seek and connect with nearby WiFi hotspots.


10. Disconnect The Battery

If you're at home or anywhere that you can connect your laptop to a laptop AC adapter, you may want to remove the battery once it's been fully recharged. This will decrease the risk of overloading the battery. Store the battery in a cool place, since heat can damage the battery even when not in use. A fully-charged battery should be used again within three weeks in order to maintain longevity.

While your battery is disconnected, it's important to keep the connectors clean. Use light amounts of rubbing alcohol on the connectors of the battery and the laptop (just make sure the laptop is turned off first!).


One habit we like to encourage: Always keep a spare! While traveling with your laptop, keep a spare laptop battery packed with you in case your first battery gets used up.

Additionally, we recommend carrying a spare laptop AC adapter wherever you take your laptop so you're never too far from a recharge.

If you're experiencing strange power glitches in your laptop that you can't explain, we can take a look at it for you! Our laptop repair service includes checking your laptop's battery or DC power jack. For any questions, send us an email or call 919-620-6886.

Back-To-School Checklist for Laptops

The new school year is upon us! With the fall semester just about to start, it's important to make sure that you or your student are well equipped for handling all their schoolwork.

To make sure you have everything you need to be prepared, we've put together a list of tips to maximize your gear:


NETBOOKS

Netbooks are the hottest new tool for portable computing. They're ideal for students because of their petite, travel-friendly size, economic prices, and easy mobile web access. While they're not as powerful as most desktop or laptop computers, they pack just enough power to dedicate to schoolwork and basic web-based communication.

Whichever model of netbook you plan to buy, you'll need to make sure that you have all the right netbook accessories. Using a slim, external DVD drive is essential for installing all the necessary software that you or your student may need for school projects. Netbooks lack any kind of optical disc drive, so it's good idea if you need to read or backup any data to a CD or DVD. You may also want to pick up a spare netbook AC adapter, to make sure that your netbook can be fully charged no matter where you go.


LAPTOP BATTERIES
& AC ADAPTERS

Notebook PCs need love just as much as netbooks. If you're frequently on the move, keep a spare laptop battery handy to double your mobile computer work time. And just in case of an emergency, pack a spare laptop AC adapter to make sure that you're laptop is powered up and your work time goes on, uninterrupted.


SECURITY CABLES

Keeping your laptop or netbook secure is crucial to keep from falling into the hands of thieves. Most laptops and netbooks come equipped with slots to connect a Kensington notebook security cable lock. These laptop cable locks will keep your notebook or netbook firmly tethered so that they don't sprout wings and fly away. Laptops are expensive enough to replace, but imagine losing any irreplaceable schoolwork that might be stored inside!


BACK-UP!

Hardware failure, viruses, theft... No matter how you lose your data, it could cost you hours, days, or even weeks worth of work! Back up your data routinely; preferably every day. You can use a USB thumb drive (2GB or more) or an external DVD burner for backing up smaller files or projects, or you can use a larger external hard drive for larger tasks. Remember, though, it's only a back-up if you have more than one copy!


WIRELESS CARDS

Public WiFi access is increasing, with free wireless web access becoming available in most restaurants and other local businesses. However, not every laptop comes with wireless hardware built in. If your laptop doesn't have a laptop wireless card, you should definitely get one. With wireless accessibility, your laptop can truly be mobile, connecting to local wireless networks and WiFi hotspots.

Staying connected is becoming more and more critical for school to keep in touch with teachers, fellow students, and other online resources.


DOCKING STATIONS

If you want to get the most out of your laptop, you can use a laptop port replicator or docking station to expand the functionality of the laptop while working at home.

A laptop itself is excellent for mobile computing, but when you return home to your desk, it's nice to be able to view your work on a larger monitor and hear music through full-sized speakers. A port replicator can get your laptop working like a desktop, allowing it to connect to just about any computer accessory.


TRAVEL BAGS

While carrying around your laptop, you want to make sure that it has as much protection as possible. Most people use laptop travel bags (which are great), but they stand out like a beacon through the eyes of thieves. Your best bet is to use a backpack to blend in with the crowd, but make sure it has extra padding to protect your laptop. Many new backpacks are designed with special compartments for storing laptops or netbooks, so picking up one of those is definitely recommended.


GAMING

Naturally you'll want to have some fun with your laptop or netbook. Any computer you own for the purpose of school or business should be considered a tool first and a toy well below that. But there's always that rule of all work and no play...

To provide some extra comfort in your game time, we offer the PlayStation-to-PC USB adapter. This little gadget will let you connect any PSone or PS2 controller or accessory to your PC. It's compatible with any desktop, laptop, or notebook computer with an available USB 2.0 port. It's great for any joystick-enabled PC games or ports of classic games found on download services like Steam.


With all this kit on hand, you should be ready to make the grade! Of course, if you're ever in need of repair or upgrade service for your netbook or notebook PC, Triangle Laptops offers it's fantastic laptop repair service in order to keep your computer up and running! For more information, please visit the Triangle Laptops homepage or call 1-919-620-6886.

Pick Your Power Inverter

On any kind of road trip, a DC-to-AC power inverter is key to supporting any kind of electric creature comfort. Shopping around can feel a little confusing, but it gets easier once you know the right one for your needs.

What most people assume is that more is better. The higher the wattage of the power converter, the better the deal, right? Not necessarily... It isn’t necessary to waste hundreds of dollars on a massive power inverter, when all you need is a simpler, less expensive one.

Let’s first get to know what types of power inverters are out there so we can determine what type of power inverter suits you best.

You’ll see two types of power inverters out there on the market: True-sine wave and modified-sine wave (aka "square wave"). True-sine wave inverters best emulate the type of electricity that you’d receive from a normal electrical outlet. Modified-sine wave inverters are sufficient for most electrical devices and are easier to use. In fact, most modified-sine wave inverters that are under 300w can simply plug into the vehicle's cigarette lighter.

What's important is to decide which of these two types best match the types of devices that you need to power on your trip.

The true-sine wave inverter is usually the top choice; just by it's high compatibility. A true-sine wave inverter is recommended for equipment that may depend on a strong, steady power signal. High voltage cordless tool chargers, printers, and medical and scientific testing equipment almost require the use of true-sine power inverters.

Those that have entertainment equipment installed in their vehicle will also benefit most from a true-sine inverter. Since a modified-sine inverter’s signal can be choppy, this will create distortions in the audio/video quality of TVs and other entertainment devices. This may defeat the purpose of using high-end equipment like HDTVs or Blu-Ray players. Using a true-sine inverter will maintain the clear signal necessary to avoid distortions.

The biggest drawback, of course, is that true-sine wave inverters tend to also be the most expensive. If you have any electrical devices that almost require a true-sine signal, it’s best to only buy one with a power level just above your equipment’s needs. For most other applications, you should do just as well with a less expensive modified-sine wave inverter.

In fact, modified-sine inverters will cover just about any small device you might carry with you on your trip. This includes laptops, phone chargers, fans, coolers, or most other common household devices.

There are two types of modified-sine wave inverters:


Cigarette Lighter

These are best for household devices, like small TVs, computers, DVD players, or small office equipment. Most of these power inverters can connect to a standard 12-volt cigarette lighter socket.

There are some important things to note when using a cigarette lighter power inverter. Most high-wattage power inverters may only be able to work while the vehicle is turned on to avoid any massive drain on the car battery’s charge. The cigarette lighter has a limit of 115-watt output. If you need a power inverter that’s 115 watts or higher, it’s best to connect it directly to the battery.


Direct Battery Connection

Connecting your power inverter directly into the battery may not be as convenient as simply plugging it into the cigarette lighter, but it does allow you to connect a greater amount and more powerful equipment. This type of power inverter connection is recommended for using power tools, large-screen TVs, household appliances, and office equipment.

While the alternator is running, a vehicle's battery can put out 14 volts of DC power output. In order to protect the vehicle’s battery charge, most power inverters will shut down once they reach 10.5 volts. If you need to use your power inverter often without the vehicle’s engine running, you may need an AGM or marine deep cycle battery to keep it going.

Loads reaching 3000 watts or greater may also need special wiring or battery banks.


For most of our customers, a lower-watt power inverter may be all they need to power their gear. In fact, we’ve added to our product line a slim, lightweight XR100-12 100-watt power inverter. This power inverter is great for any kind of travel and comes with adapters to connect with cigarette lighters and airplane outlets.

Replacing Hard-To-Find Dell Laptop AC Adapters

You may find that a replacement for your Dell laptop AC adapter is hard to find. A few models of Dell AC adapters are slowly being phased out to make way for newer, slimmer model.

If you're Dell laptop uses the PA-12 AC adapter and you have difficulty finding a replacement, the newer compatible model is the PA-2E AC adapter. The 65 watt PA-2E's part number is RX929 and is compatible with all Dell notebooks requiring 19.5 volts and 3.34 amps, with a round connector.

The following models of Dell laptops will be able to use the new PA-2E family of AC adapters:

• Dell Inspiron 300m
• Dell Inspiron 500m
• Dell Inspiron 505m
• Dell Inspiron 600m
• Dell Inspiron 610m
• Dell Inspiron 630m
• Dell Inspiron 700m
• Dell Inspiron 710m
• Dell Inspiron 1150
• Dell Inspiron 6000
• Dell Inspiron 8500
• Dell Inspiron 600

The second model of laptop power adapter to be replaced is the PA-10 AC adapter, with the new PA-3E. This slimmer model should fit just about all Dell Latitude, Inspiron, Precision, etc, laptop models as the PA-10, as well as the Latitude D/Port Advanced Port Replicator. The 90 watt PA-3E is also known as part number WK890 or model number DA90PE1-00.

The PA-3E is guaranteed to fit the following models of Dell laptops:

• Dell Latitude E5400
• Dell Latitude E5500
• Dell Latitude 6400
• Dell Latitude E6500

Lastly, the older Dell PA-13 AC adapter can be replaced by the newer PA-4E AC adapter. It has a much slimmer design, so it's more portable than the PA-13 “power brick”.

The 130 watt PA-4E is also compatible with most Dell laptops that currently use the above 90 watt PA-10 and 65 watt PA-12 AC adapters, though it's suggested to continue using those older models or their newer equivalents.

For a complete list of compatible laptop models for the Dell PA-4E, check out the PA-4E product page from our online store.