Kwan Lowe wrote:
Hello all: Does anyone know of a tool/project that will allow me to read the battery condition (not the charge status) on a Dell laptop battery? Under XP there is a utility that warns that the battery is still holding a charge but that the battery is degraded and should be replaced.
Also, not sure if this is possible, but I would like to control how the laptop charges the battery. I tend to have the laptop plugged in most of the time and this constant charging state is apparently very bad for battery lifetime. So a charge/drain cycle is supposedly better.
Thanks, Kwan
Li-ion batteries should be charged "early and often". Deep discharging will shorten its lifetime as part of their normal usage cycle. I don't see how charging them to 100% is negative for the battery's lifetime as they do not have the memory effect. Li-ion batteries degrade as soon as they are produced, when they are not being used you should charge them to about 60% and store them somewhere cool, dry and without light.
Glenn