For any netbook user, battery life seems to be an issue that just won't go away. Indeed, while netbooks may be ultra portable, their batteries can only extend up to a certain number of hours: 3 hours with a 3-cell battery and proportionally higher with a 6-cell battery and 9-cell battery. Here are some ways to extend your battery life.
Here are some ways to extend your battery life.
1. Demand less from your hard drive.
One of the ways you can do this is to defrag regularly. By defragmenting, your hard drive performs better because it repairs the bad sectors in your hard drive. But of course, you do not defrag your netbook while it's on battery mode.
2. Dim your netbook screen
Cut your netbook's resolution and lighting to the lowest performance to increase battery life. Some netbook's allow you to modify your CPU and your cooling systems, so you might want to set them to the lowest level.
3. Close non-important programs
Some unimportant programs that you might want to close while your netbook is on battery mode are Windows Media Plyer, iTunes, and desktop search. All these programs (substantially) cut down your battery life. Also, if you have an external CD/DVD drive, do not use it while you're on battery mode.
4. Minimize external devices
Plugging USB devices like your USB mouse drain your laptop. So does using Wi-Fi and charging other devices like your iPod. (Charging USB devices while on battery mode is actually the surest way to drain your netbook's battery in the shortest time possible.)
5. Increase the RAM
Increasing the RAM allows you to process more with your netbook's memory rather than relying on its virtual memory, which demands more from your hard drive. Take note that adding more RAM actually consumes more energy, so you only have to do this when you use memory-intensive programs that would otherwise heavily use your virtual memory.
6. Keep your battery contacts clean
Make it a habit to clean your battery's metal contacts every two months with a cloth moistened with rubbing alcohol. This keeps power transfer from your battery more efficient.
7. Take care of your battery
Do not leave a charged battery dormant for long periods of time. When a battery is charged, you should use it every two to three weeks. Do not let your netbook's Li-On battery completely discharge because it will affect the memory.
8. Clean your netbook
There's a lot of sense in periodically cleaning your netbook; your netbook will operate more efficiently because it becomes cooler. Clean your netbook's air vents with a cloth or keyboard cleaner.
9. Do not multi-task
Do one thing at a time on your netbook while you are on battery mode. Do one thing at a time. Set your mind completely on one thing rather than opening your email client, listening to music and typing at the same time. If you do this, you will only drain your battery without getting anything done.
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