A rechargeable battery will last an average of two years. You can take steps to get better total battery life and longer battery life per charge.
- Charge the battery for 12 hours before use.
- Let the battery drain completely before recharging if you have a nickel-cadmium (NiCad) battery. Upgrade to a nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) battery’or better, a lithium-ion battery’if one is made for your machine.
- Let the battery drain as much as possible before recharging if you have an NiMH battery.
- Recharge an NiMH battery between long periods of inactivity.
- Travel with an extra battery. Use the two batteries equally.
- Avoid running the floppy and CD drives off the battery, if possible.
- Reduce the display’s brightness when possible.