Some Facts About Thinkpad Batteries

IBM Thinkpad batteries, like any other computers, tend to lose their ability over time. It becomes necessary to get a replacement battery if it cannot hold a full charge. There are many local as well as online stores where you can find a replacement battery for your Thinkpad. But before actually purchasing a new power cell, you need to understand certain basic factors.

The standby time of the Thinkpad batteries get short over time. The life of these power devices is calculated in accordance to the number of its charge cycles. The power of battery gradually reduces with the number of charge cycles. Sometimes you will also find that the running time of the batteries is not as long as marked at the description. This is because the running time is actually based on the present running watts of your laptop. In order to reduce the running watts of your Thinkpad laptop you can use the power management solution. It is better not to use any external USB devices or other similar equipment as well as close the Bluetooth and wireless LAN when you are not using them. Apart from that, avoid using CPU intensive calculation procedures so as to extend the running time of your power device.

The battery power is usually higher than the designed capacity while these new batteries are fully charged. If you stop charging before it reaches the designed capacity, the battery will show that it is not 100% charged. However, fully charged power of Thinkpad batteries will gradually decrease with number of charge cycles accumulated.

In case you are not likely to use your Thinkpad batteries for a long time, it is better to get them charged to 60% and put them a plastic bag and store in a cool place. Always remember to discharge and charge it after every six months.

You can remove Thinkpad batteries safely by following these steps:

• First shut down your laptop and also remove the plug from the jack of your computer so as to disconnect the AC adapter. Also close the screen of your computer.
• Turn the laptop upside down and place it on a flat surface and search for the battery compartment. It is usually located at the back of the laptop near the front edge. There will be either one sliding latch or two sliding latches on the battery cover, depending on your particular model. Remove the sliding latches.
• Lift the battery pack gently and note down the model number printed on it so as to get an exact replacement.

Replacing A Toshiba Satellite Battery

The Toshiba Satellite is one of most popular series of laptops. They are available in a number of models with different features. The original models of this series required external parallel ports to be connected and also lacked internal floppy or CD drives. With the technological development, this series now offers high-end models. In fact, this line of personal laptops was the first to offer wireless access as standard options. You can also get both 15 and 17 inch models and some of them come with HD compatibility options. The high-end Toshiba Satellite laptops even include 1 gigabyte video cards, Blu-ray drives and hard drives of over 500 gigabytes. The life of the Satellite battery is however shorter than the usual industry standard. Thereby, you will need to replace these batteries in order to take full advantage of your laptop.

Like any other laptop battery, the batteries of your Toshiba Satellite will not last forever and will wear out with usage and over time. You may need to replace them between one and four years. This timeframe usually depend on how you use your laptop and what features you use. The replacement batteries for this series are easily available. You can either buy them from the local stores selling such electronic goods or from the online stores.

However, buying them online has certain advantages. The price is usually low and some of the online retailers also provide discounts and other similar offers. In order to be sure that you purchase the right battery, it is better to a reliable Toshiba’s laptop battery finder website and look for your particular model.

While replacing your Satellite battery you will need to turn-off your laptop and unplug it from the jack. Then turn it upside down on a flat surface and locate the battery compartment that comes with latches. Generally, the size and location of this power cell will depend on the model of your laptop. It is usually located in a large area square or rectangular in shape and has one or two latches to lock it in. Once you have located the battery compartment, unlock the switches and gently slide the battery out. You will have to place the replacement Satellite battery in the same way and after placing in within the compartment lock the latches properly. Though it has nothing to do with replacing a Satellite battery, it is very important to keep an eye where you keep your old battery. Never throw them away as it can be hazardous. You can conveniently find a good battery recycling program in your locality.