Gateway C-140S, Reference Manual, Page: 80 / 172

CHAPTER 5 : Managing Power
72
Getting the most from your
batteries
Maximizing battery performance
To get maximum performance from your convertible
notebook batteries, we recommend that you initially condition
(fully charge and discharge) your new batteries a few times
during the first several weeks of use, to let them reach their
maximum rated capacity.
Over the long term, use the batteries at least once a month,
even if they were kept in a cool, dry place for storage, but
avoid
frequent full discharges because this puts additional
strain on the batteries. Several partial discharges with
frequent recharges are better for a lithium-ion battery than
one complete discharge, and recharging a partially charged
lithium-ion battery does not cause harm because there is no
memory.
Conserving battery power
To conserve power while using the batteries to power your
convertible notebook:
•
Turn off wireless networking and Bluetooth.
•
Dim the display as low as is comfortable.
•
Disconnect all external devices, like IEEE 1394 and USB
devices, and optical drives.
•
Remove PC Cards when you do not need them. Many
PC Cards use a small amount of power while inserted,
even if they are not being used.
•
Select the Power saver power plan to get maximum
power savings.
•
Close the LCD panel to turn off the display while you
are not using your convertible notebook. The display
stays off until you open the panel again.
•
Use Hibernate mode for maximum power savings while
your convertible notebook is not in use.
Tip
For more information about using power plans, see “Changing
convertible notebook power settings” on page 75 .