Laptop battery replacement
Here are some general tips concerning laptop battery replacement:
You generally cannot upgrade from an older battery chemistry to a newer
one. Each battery chemistry type requires a different charging pattern
so the replacement laptop battery must be of the same chemistry type.
It is safe to buy a replacement laptop battery that has a different
capacity (mAh) to the original battery. If the mAh rating is higher than
the original battery, then the replacement laptop battery will run for
a longer time, if the rating is lower then the replacement laptop battery
will run for a shorter time.
A replacement laptop battery is not always available when older models
of laptop and their batteries are discontinued. A standard laptop battery
also may not have enough capacity for some people. Universal external
laptop batteries solve both these problems. These laptop batteries connect
to the laptop through the charging socket and can enhance the laptops
time away from power by up to 9 hours. They are designed to work with
most laptops.
Replacement laptop batteries vary considerably in cost depending on
the volumes of production (is your battery specific to only one model
of laptop, or many?), and whether a third party manufacturer makes your
battery or you have to buy from the laptop manufacturer.
The physical attributes of a replacement laptop battery manufactured
by a third party company should be the same as one manufactured by the
laptop company. The only difference is usually the labelling on the battery.
A replacement laptop battery usually arrives in a discharged state and
must be charged before initial use. Follow the manufacturers guidelines
on how to do this. The replacement laptop battery may require two to three
charge/discharge cycles before achieving maximum capacity.
After you've purchased a replacement laptop battery don't throw your
old battery away. The best thing you can do to extend the life of your
laptop battery is not use it and since a laptop still uses its battery
even when pluged into the mains, a good idea is to use your old laptop
battery when you are on mains AC power and use your new replacement laptop
battery when you are leaving the house and require battery power alone.