[ltp] 600E battery life question

[Tino Keitel]

On Wed, Apr 17, 2002 at 17:18:03 -0400, G Brigley wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> 
> I just got myself a used Thinkpad 600E.  I read somewhere that it is best
> to remove the battery when operating on mains power, because otherwise
> the machine is constantly trying to "top up" the battery, which shortens
> its life.  I also read that there was a firmware upgrade to fix this.  

AFAIK older BIOS versions recharge the battery immediately if it's not 100%
full. Newer versions will wait until a few percent will be lost to ensure the
battery is not recharged too often.

> Once I get around to upgrading my firmware, will it be safe to leave the
> battery in all the time?  (This would mean that I could get rid of my
> UPS).

The battery of my 765L (LiH) loses power even if it's running on mains power or
if it's just lying somewhere on the desk.

It will lose a few percent in two weeks and if it's inside the TP it will be
recharged every two weeks. I think this will kill the battery faster than
working on mains power and the battery removed. However, if you really need a
UPS I would suggest you to leave the battery in the TP, or go to eBay and buy
an old but cheap battery that will not last very long if running on battery
power but is sufficient to act as a UPS.

Regards,
Tino

-- 
tino.keitel@innominate.com
dipl.-inf.                        Innominate Security Technologies AG
software engineer                                   networking people
tel: +49.30.6392-3308                      http://www.innominate.com/

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