D830 9-cell battery

I've been running mine since September/2007, and now it's lost a noticeable amount of run time, and when I hold down the button, it brings up 2 lights.

Is this typical of the Dell 15" 9-cell batteries?

I imagine my laptop is probably pretty hard on batteries, having the WUXGA screen, one of the more power-hungry processors, and the Quadro video.

 

I don't have direct experience with Dell 15" 9-cells, but I do know that batteries get less functional over time. This is true in all laptops I've owned.

 

Sounds normal.. Losing 40-50% capacity over a year of usage is generally held reasonable..

 

According to a paper I read (which seemed to be a scientific analysis of the technology) Lithium Ion batteries lose storage capacity over time, regardless of how they are cycled. IMO they are probably still better than the old style of battery that lost storage capacity if you ever charged it without completely discharging it.