Gateway MX8711 - Pentium Dual Core 1.6 GHz, Reference Manual

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Getting the most from your
battery
Maximizing battery performance
To get maximum performance from your notebook battery,
we recommend that you initially condition (fully charge and
discharge) your new battery a few times during the first
several weeks of use, to let it reach its maximum rated
capacity.
Over the long term, use the battery at least once a month,
even it was kept in a cool, dry place for storage, but avoid
frequent full discharges because this puts additional strain on
the battery. 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 battery to power your
notebook:
•
Turn off wireless networking and Bluetooth.
•
Dim the display as low as is comfortable.
•
Disconnect all external devices, like Firewire 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 notebook. The display stays off until
you open the panel again.
•
Use Hibernate mode for maximum power savings while
your notebook is not in use.
Tip
For more information about using power plans, see “Changing
notebook power settings” on page 58 .