>I've never let my PB battery run completely down. I've gotten down to >the 5% place where the computer tells me to plug it in. Is it >recommended to allow your PB battery to completely run down >occasionally? How often?
I guess maybe it depends on the model, and depends on which of the versions of stories you choose to believe. Any of the current models use Lithium Ion batteries. They don't have any memory effect, so charge, discharge, fully, partially, it makes no difference at all. Older models that used NiCd batteries, there is popular belief that they suffer from a "memory" effect and should be allowed to fully discharge and recharge from time to time to break that effect. (NiMH batteries don't suffer from this). However, it seems this "memory" effect may in fact be nothing more than urban legend based on a scientific fact that effects a very specific, very exact situation. It seems when some satellites were being developed for NASA they found with the very VERY exact charge and discharge system in them caused the NiCd batteries to develop a memory and shorten their working charge. They found they could prevent this by making the charge and discharge less precise. By allowing the charge and discharge to vary a bit on either end, the memory effect never occurred. That being the "fact" behind it (and I do put that in quotes, because although I have read about the story, I can not validate IT as being real), then it would seem that a normal user of NiCd batteries will not see any memory effect in their batteries. Because a normal user will not charge and discharge the battery exactly the same amounts every time. They will, by natural use, vary the charge and discharge sufficiently to avoid a memory effect at all. So depending on which "tale" you wish to listen to, NiCd batteries either do all the time suffer from a memory (popular belief), or almost never suffer from memory (possible science truth). Regardless, if you have even a remotely recent laptop, it will have either a NiMH battery or a Li-Ion battery, neither of which suffer from this memory effect anyway and so should not matter to what level you let the battery discharge before recharging it. -chris <http://www.mythtech.net> -- The iMac List is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | - Epson Stylus Color 580 Printers - new at $69 | & CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> iMac List info: <http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/imac-list%40mail.maclaunch.com/> --------------------------------------------------------------- iPod Accessories for Less at 1-800-iPOD.COM Fast Delivery, Low Price, Good Deal www.1800ipod.com ---------------------------------------------------------------
