I know that there are a lot of people complaining about short battery life — mainly because they don't understand how to properly care for their batteries. Below are some tips!

Note: Battery life depends on what applications you are currently running and power management settings.  

1. DO NOT EXPOSE THE BATTERY TO HEAT - Permanent damage will result if the battery is exposed to temperatures above 110F or 43C. A Battery left in a car in the hot summer sun is the obvious example.
2. DO NOT OVER CHARGE THE BATTERY - Disconnecting and reconnecting your computer to AC power frequently, without discharging the battery, causes over charging. Note: For NiMh batteries 
3. CYCLE YOUR BATTERY REGULARLY - You should cycle your battery from a fully charged to a fully discharged state regularly. With a fully charged battery, disconnect AC power and let the computer run until it turns itself off.
4. DO NOT OVER DISCHARGE THE BATTERY - Your computer consumes battery power even when it is turned off. If you do not use your computer for extended periods of time, a week or more, remove the battery from the unit.

DIFFICULTY HOLDING A CHARGE

If you experience difficulty in charging the battery, or if the battery capacity has decreased over time, the following procedure might re-condition the battery:

1. Unplug the computer from the AC adapter and turn it on. Let the computer run under battery power until the computer turns off, indicating that the battery is fully discharged.
2. Remove the battery pack.
3. Using a soft cloth, wipe off the battery packs connectors and the AC adapters connectors.
4. Re-insert the battery pack.
5. Plug the computer into the AC adapter and check the wall outlet, making sure the connection is firm.
6. With the PC turned off, let the battery charge until the battery status light or icon glows green.
7. Unplug the AC adapter.
8. Remove the battery.
9. Wait 30 seconds and re-insert the battery.
10. Plug the AC adapter back in.
11. Let the battery recharge until the battery status light turns green or the icon displays 100%.
12. Now your battery should be fully charged. Unplug the computer from the AC wall outlet and turn on the PC. You should notice longer battery life.

NOTE:  If the battery has been fully charged and the battery is removed, or not charged further, the battery shelf-life will be approximately 6 to 7 days. 

All batteries hold less charge as they age. Over time, if you attempt to charge a battery and the battery charge indicator does not show a full charge, you may need to purchase a new battery.  The main battery has a warranty of one year.

MORE BATTERY TIPS:

• Main battery packs are completely discharged at the time of purchase. It is recommended that you charge the battery for at least 12 hours when it is new.
• A battery pack can be recharged about 500 - 1000 times when used as directed.
• You can increase portability with additional battery packs. If you have extra battery packs, rotate their use.  The battery operating time decreases as the temperature decreases.
  

Main battery pack - this battery is the computer's main power source when the AC adapter is not attached. Leave the computer OFF with the AC adapter attached to fully charge this battery.

Backup battery (Sub-battery) - this battery backs up the main battery pack and provides power for the AutoResume. To charge this battery turn the computer on, and attach the AC adapter for about 8 to 12 hours (maximum 24 hours).

RTC battery/CMOS battery - this battery pack provides power for the internal real time clock, maintains the system configuration and the SETUP program values. It will maintain this data for one month when fully charged. "Error in CMOS" may occur at startup if the RTC battery has discharged. To resolve this, plug the notebook in to an external power source, turn the notebook on, and let the RTC battery charge for 24-48 hours.