Laptops are for laps? and Battery life

[John Phoenix]

I just got my first new laptop a compaq model CQ61-411wm. They call this a laptop. I like to sit or lay in bed with my lappy on my lap. I notice the bottom fan vent gets covered up sometimes. ( the vents on the side and back are still clear) Is this enough for the fan to remove the heat.. the air coming out seem pretty warm anytime the fan runs.. not being used to laptops.. is this normal?

This machine cost $350.00 bucks from Wal-Mart. The Battery cost 90 bucks and I am told to expect to replace it in about a year or so cus they don't last long. I remember having a used laptop from a second hand store 10 years ago. It had a battery that lasted about two hours as does this one.

You mean to tell me in ten years no one has found a way to make a laptop battery last longer than 2 hours??? I'm shocked.

At 90 bucks a battery they could fore go the battery and just make 250 dollar non portable laptops - why don't they?

Anyway, I have rad about using ATI Fusion utility to save on Battery life but what are some other best tips and tricks to save battery life?

I have a tendency to want to take the battery out every time I plug in the machine to an AC outlet - or never plug it in unless I know I will be using it where I cannot plug it in. - Is this necessary or am I just being paranoid?

oh Darn.. just noticed I posted this in the wrong forum.. sorry.. not my day.

 

[Mussels]

I just got my first new laptop a compaq model CQ61-411wm. They call this a laptop. I like to sit or lay in bed with my lappy on my lap. I notice the bottom fan vent gets covered up sometimes. ( the vents on the side and back are still clear) Is this enough for the fan to remove the heat.. the air coming out seem pretty warm anytime the fan runs.. not being used to laptops.. is this normal?

They call them 'notebooks' and not laptops these days, for that reason.

This machine cost $350.00 bucks from Wal-Mart. The Battery cost 90 bucks and I am told to expect to replace it in about a year or so cus they don't last long. I remember having a used laptop from a second hand store 10 years ago. It had a battery that lasted about two hours as does this one.

you did just buy a budget laptop, low quality should be no surprise.

You mean to tell me in ten years no one has found a way to make a laptop battery last longer than 2 hours??? I'm shocked.

Sure they have. some laptops these days last 10 hours... its just that you got a cheaper, power hungry one.

At 90 bucks a battery they could fore go the battery and just make 250 dollar non portable laptops - why don't they?

They do. called nettops.

Anyway, I have rad about using ATI Fusion utility to save on Battery life but what are some other best tips and tricks to save battery life?

Dim the screen brightness, connect as few externals as possible. thats anything on the USB ports for example.

I have a tendency to want to take the battery out every time I plug in the machine to an AC outlet - or never plug it in unless I know I will be using it where I cannot plug it in. - Is this necessary or am I just being paranoid?

I think thats just paranoia. i always want the battery in, so that its charging.

oh Darn.. just noticed I posted this in the wrong forum.. sorry.. not my day.

fixed.

 

[Frick]

If you run it 24/7 from an AC outlet it might be a goob idea to remove the battery.

 

[John Phoenix]

Mussels:

Would it be possible to replace this battery with a longer lasting one.. or is that a function of the laptop that is controlled from within?

I use a usb optical mouse because it nearly impossible to play my fps games without one. It's wired but I was thinking of using a wireless instead cus the wire gets in the way from the retractable device the wire has.. annoying but.. I can live with it IF the wireless sucks more battery power.. Is there any way to measure this?

Its almost impossible to see this screen with the glare outside.. I thought of getting an anti glare protector but I understand you have to turn up the brightness even more if you use one. Bummer for the Battery life. Anything else I an try to help this?

Also.. should I let the Battery charge go all the way down before I recharge it like a lot of other devices? I cannot seem to find info on this in the manual I have.

 

[Mussels]

its possible to replace it with a larger battery, but theres nothing you can do if the laptop itself just consumes a lot of power.

wireless mice would use less power, since it has its own batteries. that said, mice use very little power.

If its a Li-Ion battery, no. never let it get flat. If its Ni-Mh, then yes - let it get low before charging it.

 

[_JP_]

If you run it 24/7 from an AC outlet it might be a goob idea to remove the battery.

+1

I also do this. It is recommended by the manufacturers, I think. It also helps avoiding the memory effect on batteries. Especially the Li-Ion type.

 

[Mussels]

+1

I also do this. It is recommended by the manufacturers, I think. It also helps avoiding the memory effect on batteries. Especially the Li-Ion type.

Li-Ion dont have memory effects

 

[_JP_]

Lol, my mistake!

You're right, Li-Ion doesn't have Memory effect.
But NiCd does and NiMH also, if they are charged while having lost only a bit of charge.