110 Mobile Computing

Running the computer on battery power

To ensure that the battery maintains its maximum capacity, operate
the computer on battery power at least once a month. The Lithium-
Ion battery has no memory effect so it is not necessary to let the
battery fully discharge each time. However, for better accuracy of
the battery meter, it is helpful to fully discharge the battery
periodically. Please see “Maintaining your battery” on page123 for
procedures. If the computer is continuously operated on AC power,
either through an AC adaptor or a port replicator (if applicable to
your system), for an extended period (more than a month), the
battery may fail to retain a charge. This may shorten the life of the
battery, and may cause the battery meter to be inaccurate.
For optimum DVD performance, it is recommended that you play
DVDs while running the computer on AC power. For more
information about Windows® power plans, see “Power Plans” on
page117.
The computer also has an internal real-time-clock (RTC) battery.
The RTC battery powers the RTC memory that stores your system
configuration settings and the current time and date information. It
maintains this information for up to a month while the computer is
turned off.
TECHNICAL NOTE: Depending on your system, the RTC battery may
only charge while the computer is turned on.
Power management
Your computer ships with the power management options preset to
a configuration that will provide the most stable operating
environment and optimum system performance for both AC power
and battery modes.
Changes to these settings may result in system performance or
stability issues. Users who are not completely familiar with the power
management component of the system should use the preset
configuration. For assistance with setup changes, contact Toshiba’s
Customer Support Center.
NOTE