[CentOS] Battery condition tools CentOS/Dell

[John R Pierce]

cornel panceac wrote:
>
>     The laptop is about 18 months old, so the battery was nearing its end
>     but I'd hoped for at least another 6 months of useful time (more than
>     10 minutes).  The battery is in worse condition than three identical
>     batteries in the other 3 laptops purchased at the same time. The main
>     difference is that this laptop is plugged in continuously while the
>     others are mobile.
>
>
> sorry if this was said already, but i didn't followed this thread. 
> anyway, rumours are, the main reason for batteries ending their life 
> is heat. that is why it is recommended, while the laptop is on AC, the 
> battery shoud be removed.

your battery has failed prematurely.   If there's a active warranty on 
it, I would try and get a replacement from the manufacturer.

I've got a Latitude D600 laptop thats almost 5 years old (new in jan 
2005), still has its original Dell 9 cell battery...   While I 
occasionally use it offline, most of the time its plugged in 24/7.   The 
battery still lasts about 90 minutes of average steady usage, maybe 2 
hours of light usage (remote terminal + wifi, for instance).   This is 
significantly down from the 5 hours it lasted when new but still plenty 
usable.

It *is* important with laptops to keep the bottom air vents clear when 
they are powered.    always use the laptop on a hard surface, or if its 
on your lap or whatever, be sure to position it so the vents are clear.  
I also find I have to partially diassemble the laptop once or twice a 
year to clear out the 'dust bunnies' that collect between the fans and 
the heatsink radiators.   left too long, the dust builds up into a 
rectangular piece of 'felt' that completely blocks the airflow.   some 
newer laptops have access panels specifically for the fans, my older 
ones I have to take apart from the top down.