Your new laptop battery comes in a discharged condition and must be charged before use. It is recommended to charge a battery overnight (approximately twelve hours) and allow it to fully discharge before recharging. Upon initial use the battery may require two to four charge/discharge cycles before achieving maximum capacity. It is normal for a battery to become warm during charging and discharging.

Actual battery run-time depends upon the power demands made by the equipment. The use of the monitor, the hard drive and other peripherals results in an additional drain of the battery. To get maximum performance from your battery, fully optimize the notebook's power management features prior to use. The power management system conserves battery power by setting the processor to run at a slower speed, dimming the screen, spinning down the hard drive when not in use, causing the machine to go into sleep mode when inactive etc.

If the battery will not be in use for a month or longer, it is recommended that it be removed from the device and stored in a cool, dry, clean place. The notebook may slowly discharge the battery. Total self-discharge may occur when the battery is left in storage, as the battery circuitry consumes power. Do not fully charge your battery when not in use or when being stored for extended periods of time. If total self-discharge occurs, the notebook may not recognize the battery.

There are two ratings on a battery, Voltage (V) and Milliamp-hours (mAh). Voltage is the rate at which energy is drawn from a battery. Milliamp-hours are a rating of the amount of energy that a battery can store. Another way of looking at it is to say that the higher a battery's amp-hour rating is, the longer the battery's run-time will be.

Lithium-ion batteries are the newest technology. They are preferred for their lighter weight and higher performance. This is crucial in applications such as camcorders or notebook computers. Lithium-ion batteries are also unique in that they are not susceptible to the "memory effect". They are also better for the environment because they don't contain toxic materials such as Cadmium or Mercury. A new Lithium-ion battery will benefit from an initial "conditioning" of the battery. For the first 3 charge cycles, fully charge the battery overnight and allow it to fully discharge before recharging.

NiCad, NiMH and Li-ion are all fundamentally different from one another and cannot be substituted unless the device has been pre-configured from the factory to accept more than one type of rechargeable battery. The difference between them stems from the fact that each type requires a different charging pattern to be properly recharged.

Quick tips to ensure optimal battery life:

• New battery pack needs to be fully charged and discharged a few times before it can condition to full capacity.
• Fully drain and fully recharged your battery pack every few months.
• Use built-in power management on your portable device and turn off LCD or other unused devices and accessories (e.g. modems, wireless LAN cards, USB devices).
• Use the AC adapter whenever possible, but not all the time.
• Remove your battery from the device if the battery will not be in use for a month or longer
• If you have a backup battery, use it in rotation with the current battery.
• Clean the battery contacts with a cotton swab and rubbing alcohol. This helps maintain a good connection between the battery and the device.

Battery Do Nots:

• Do not fully charge or discharge the battery before storage. Make sure it has at least 40 - 50% charge
• Do not carry batteries in a box with metal objects like paper clips, coins, etc. This may short circuit the battery, generating high heat.
• Do not mix different types of batteries. This can cause rupture or leakage, resulting in personal injury or property damage.
• Do not throw away or dispose of your battery with household waste. Please recycle all batteries, as they contain chemicals which are harmful to the environment.
• Do not short-circuit. A short-circuit may cause severe damage to the battery.
• Do not expose the battery to moisture or rain.

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