[ltp] Battery problem on TP600

[Bernard DEBREIL]

Hi there !

On my TP600, the battery seems to have given up. Not later than two days=
=20
ago, it still had about two and a half hours of autonomy... and then=20
since yesterday, autonomy is less than half an hour. Reload lasts less=20
than 15 minutes.

How shall I know for sure if the battery is dead, or if the problem lies=
=20
into the program that is supposed to monitor the battery charge and=20
discharge ?  What tests should I run ?   I am on RedHat 7.2. I also have=
=20
a small Windows 98 partition, but I am not familiar with MSWIN functions=
=20
on that Thinkpad.

If, by misluck, the battery proved dead, would anyone know of some trick=
s=20
so as to replace it at a lower cost ? With my older Thinkpad 300, I used=
=20
to purchased, every 18 months or so, individual Ni/MH cells that I=20
connected together and put into the original plastic box. That worked,=20
and the cost was a lot cheaper than that of IBM parts. With the TP 600, =
I=20
am not sure if Li-ion individual cells may be purchased and if it is eas=
y=20
to connect them... I wouldn't know where to buy them, nor would I have a=
n=20
idea of their prices. I called IBM, just to be told that I was to use no=
=20
other parts than IBM guenine parts, and the battery pack costs 300 Euros=
,=20
that is, 300 US$...

Thanks in advance for any advice,