Why Are Laptop Batteries So Bad?
If you are like most people with laptops you know that they are only as portable as the nearest outlet. The companies advertise like their laptop batteries make these machines so that they can go anywhere with you and there will be no problem but there is a problem. You only have a couple hours max of normal word processing type use and then you are toast unless you either have a backup battery or you can plug in somewhere and recharge. The other problem is that lots of places that you go and that you would love to use a laptop at arent able to supply outlets to everyone and so you are up a creek as they say.
So my main question for this piece is why are laptop batteries so bad? To answer this question I am going to do a quick search on the internet and try to quickly glean as much information as I can in the next few minutes and then I will proceed to pack it in to the next 2 paragraphs or so. Here I go.
Well we will start with what most batteries are made of and that is Lithium Ion cells (older laptop batteries were made of nickel cadmium). These batteries have several advantages including no memory and no scheduled cycling (That does not mean however that it is a good idea to repeatedly run your battery dead). These batteries are therefore low maintenance. However because their cell oxidation can not be reversed through cycling there is a definite and short lifespan for these batteries. This turns out to be around two to three years and is not necessarily lengthened by not using as oxidation goes on in the form of self discharge even when stored.
Now it is recommended that one stores the battery at about 40% capacity and in a cool place. The 40% capacity gives it the ability to self discharge slowly without going all the way dead (which is bad for these laptop batteries, if you recall). These batteries will oxidize more slowly in cooler temperatures which prolongs the life. These power cells are not meant for long term storage as already mentioned because the self discharge will drain it sometimes to the point of no return.
The reason why these new laptop batteries are so much more expensive than they used to be is because they require an internal circuit that prevents it from overcharging. Overcharging can cause the battery to heat up and actually burst into flames.
Which Laptop battery is right for you?
The short answer is: Whichever type fits your laptop.
Laptop batteries vary according to the model and type of laptop computer for which theyve been designed. All laptop batteries do, however, share some common characteristics that differentiate them from regular household batteries:
Laptop batteries are rechargeable
They are composed of multiple internal cells
Within each laptop battery is a small printed circuit board
Shape and location of terminals differ from model to model.
As is the case with all batteries, laptop batteries create an electrochemical reaction, forcing a stream of electrons from one position to another. Also like other batteries, laptop batteries have positive and negative terminals that receive and send electrons.
Rechargeable batteries are more complex, however, than standard batteries. This is because the electrochemical reaction that provides power must be reversible. Care has to be taken when recharging them to ensure they perform at their best.
Frank McLarnon, Lawrence Berkley labs staff scientist explains it this way to Scientific American.com:
"When a battery is discharged, an electrochemical oxidation reaction proceeds at the negative electrode, and an electrochemical reduction reaction occurs at the positive electrode. When one attempts to recharge a battery by reversing the direction of electric current flow, the opposite takes place: a reduction reaction proceeds at the negative electrode, and an oxidation reaction takes place at the positive electrode.
In the case of the rechargeable battery, the electrochemical oxidation-reduction reactions are reversible at both electrodes. In the case of the non-rechargeable battery, when one attempts to recharge the battery by reversing the direction of electron current flow, at least one of the electrochemical oxidation-reduction reactions is not reversible. When the battery is charged, the overall reduction reaction that proceeds at the negative electrode may not be the true reverse of the oxidation reaction that proceeded when the battery was discharged.
If the laptop battery process isn't exact, then unwanted build up can take place on either terminal over time, which can cause a dangerous short-circuit.
It is so important to ensure that your laptop battery or notebook battery is the one designed for your particular model and type. Only buy Dell laptop batteries for a Dell laptop computer, Gateway arent compatible with Compaq laptop batteries and Toshiba laptop batteries wont sit well in a Sony.
It is also wise to remember that old adage: You get what you pay for.
Some companies offer used cheap laptop batteries for sale, saying that they have refurbished each battery and restored most of its useful life. The fallacy of this is that, although possible to refurbish a second-hand laptop battery, the cost to do so would be more than the price of a new battery. So, Buyer beware, and if you must buy discount laptop batteries, buy new discounted batteries.
Laptop computers are a boon to business, large and small. As a wise person is just about to say: Look after your laptop and it will look after you.