is there anyway to extend the battery life other than getting a 9 cell batt which weights like a brick?

the most common thing to do is reduce screen brightness but is there any other solutions?

reduce brightness..

the simplest way..
it helps .. really..

Be sure to remove the battery when plugged in cuz the heat will deteriorate the battery lifetime slowly.

i heard Under clocking the processor also helps. but how to underclock the processor?

Is that so, thanks for the tips then,usually I didn't remove the battery while plugged in, didn't realize it will shorten the life span of the battery.

Try Notebook Hardware Control: (I won't liable if got prob)
http://www.pbus-167.com/

Yup. It will increase the battery wear level (level of 'kong')
Glad could help.

erm... 2day while i was on9, i saw in a website stating that u could switch from dedicated graphic card to integrated graphic card to save battery(it mentioned the laptop model but i 4get edi, oni remember it's frm dell).

dunno whether it's possible for all laptops.

I tot it's a feature called HYBRID GRAPHICS, only available for certain VAIO series.

DELL also got this feature ??

I just know Sony VAIO laptops have it ..

heat will reduce battery life span also rite?

dunno lea... maybe i got messed up between vaio and dell. =.=" so it's only possible wif certain vaio laptops ar?

i'm not sure bout heat reducing battery life span. i oni know not removing battery when ur not charging will reduce battery life span.

It is recommended to always keep the battery in a cool placee ...

From Microsoft Small Business Center

1. Power down all nonessential functions. Switch it off if you're not using it. Many business travelers already know that you don't want to take the DVD player for a spin on the plane, and that every time you hit "save" it can set thehard-drive whirring, which devours even more power. But users often also forget to turn off their wireless card when they are no longer using it but are still using their computer.

2. Stay out of extreme temperatures. The technology that powers you battery isn't terribly complicated. But it's important to understand a little bit about the chemistry behind batteries, and how that can affect your work. Specifically, temperatures can affect the performance of your battery. It's best to use (and especially charge) your batteries at room temperatures. Extreme conditions can drain your battery quickly. Also, avoid partial charges and use the battery until it is dead. Battery experts liken partial charges - and discharges - to eating a cup of lard every day. It significantly shortens your battery's life. Considering that a lithium-ion battery can explode if it's improperly used, it could also shorten your life.

3. Let your laptop do the saving. Not every computing device handles a power source in the same way. Some of the more sophisticated laptops, which are designed with business travelers in mind, are misers when it comes to using power. And that's a good thing - if you can remember to take advantage of it. Most users make the mistake of simply not choosing to use a product's built-in ability to conserve battery life. How do you harness your PC's built-in ability to save? Consult your user manual. Often, calibrating your laptop is as easy as double-clicking on the battery icon in the system tray.

4. Always, always carry a spare device that uses batteries. How obvious is that?

If its Lithium Ion bettery, its better to keep it charged always, whenever possible, just plug it into the computer USB or charge it. It has been proven that it can hold more charges.

I want to do that but affraid suddenly black out and all my work gone.

u can use Uninterruptible power supply (UPS) also known as an uninterruptible power source or a battery backup is a device which maintains a continuous supply of electric power to connected equipment by supplying power from a separate source when utility power is not available.

for Vista user can change to Power Saving

for vista user, this a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED battery saver software (freeware)

vista battery saver

My experience...
1. Reduce the monitor brightness
2. Disable those unwanted services when u are not using it. Less cpu processing meant less power consumption
3. Don't not do heavy tasks (such as installing game) as it will drain the battery faster.
My dell latitude d620 was suppose to able to stand for 4 hours but there was once when i install fifa 2007, it drained 50% of my battery just after 0.5 hour
4. Disable those unwanted hardware (such as card reader, internal network card)
5. As pointed earlier, stay our of hot temperature

This post has been edited by lelynx: Nov 20 2007, 01:16 PM