104 | Mobile Computing | |
Monitoring battery power | ||
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TECHNICAL NOTE: The computer drains the battery faster at low temperatures. Check your remaining charge frequently if you are working in temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
The computer calculates the remaining battery charge based on your current rate of power use and other factors such as the age of the battery.
Conserving battery power
How long a fully charged battery pack lasts when you are using the computer depends on a number of factors, such as:
❖How the computer is configured
❖How much you use the display panel instead of an external monitor
❖How much you use the hard disk and other drives
❖Whether you use any optional devices to which the battery supplies power, such as a PC Card
❖Where you are working — since operating time decreases at low temperatures
What to do when the battery runs low
When the battery runs low you have these options:
❖Plug the computer into a live AC outlet and recharge the battery.
❖Replace the battery with a charged spare, if you have one (see “Changing the main battery” on page 105).
❖Save your work and turn off the computer.
If you don’t manage to do any of these things before the battery completely runs out of power, the computer automatically enters