Texas Instruments TravelMate 4000M, User Reference Manual

Page: 100 / 295

should be unnoticeable. This level is the optimum
compromise between program performance and
battery charge life.
Most applications work well at level 2, for example,
Lotus 1-2-3 and Microsoft PaintBrush®, Word, and
Works. Many programs that work well at level 1 also
work well at level 2 (for example, Microsoft Windows).
Level 3
Level 3 induces less idle time in the keyboard and
MS-DOS
access areas than level 2 but induces idle time
in hard disk and video input/output. This level saves
more power overall with applications that access the
hard disk often.
Programs with high disk read/write rates increase
battery-power consumption. Level 3 “smooths” disk
read/write power consumption over longer access
periods, thus reducing peak power needs. Using level
3 (and level 4) permits more frequent disk access
while using little more power than standby mode.
Note:
Generally, use level 3 only if level 4 is not
acceptable. Try level 4 first. Levels 3 and 4 function
identically, with increased power savings at level 4.
Level 4 Combining all techniques used by the lower levels at a
slightly higher value, level 4 produces the highest
power savings—from 10 to 30 minutes extra battery
life, depending on your application. This level also
affects performance more than the other levels, but
you do not notice this with most applications.
Note:
You can use the Dates or SETPOWER/S utility
to display the current power level of BatteryPro.
Configuration Power Savings
Use the Setup Program to configure the system to best meet
your power/performance requirements.
Optimizing Battery Operation
Power-Saving Utilities 5-7