New 5920G do i need to...

I should be getting a delivery today of my new 5920G, just wondering if i need charge the battery for 8+ hours like you are meant to with mobile phones, or has technology moved on somewhat??

Cheers

PS such a bargain from amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk/Acer-Aspire-5920G-Notebook-Hard-drive/dp/B0010X74DM/ref=pd_sbs_ce_6 £500 for the top of the line 5920g

 

you can use the PC out of the BOX as long as it remains plugged into the wall... if you want to use it w/o being plugged into the wall, i think the documentation will tell you to plug it up and let it charge for a certain lenght of time before going to BATTERY ONLY power mode!!!

i can't recall the exact time recommended for initial charge... but there should be a little fold-out pamphlet titled JUST FOR STARTERS that will cover most of your innitial questions... if the batttery info is not covered in that pamphlet then you will find a cheap photocopy of battery info packaged with the battery it's self.

 

I recently bought an 8920 for me and a 5920 for the wife. Both batteries were almost fully charged so I ran the machines until they went flat and did an overnight charge.

 

i believe the instructions with my laptop had a warning about possibally damaging the battery if it was used before being fully charged... while this could just be ACER attempting to protect it'self,, you also need to read the paper work that comes w/ the PC

and make sure to BURN THE RECOVERY DISKS as soon as you boot it up that way no other software interfears with the DISK CREATION process... and you will have it out of the way. (meaning you should not be one of the poor souls who comes here w/ a dead PC and no disks later down the road)

 

Almost certainly you have to charge the batteries for some time BEFORE USE. Don't use your laptop with the batteries in.

If you are really desperate to use your laptop as soon as you get it (like I always am with new gadgets), use it without the battery, only plugged to the wall.

Then when you go to sleep then you switch the laptop off, put the batteries back in and plug it on the wall to charge for the time required.

 

that sounds like the best idea i have heard yet!!!

much better than the member who said his battery came 3/4 charged so he draind it fully then did a total full charge..

 

Yeah, it's always a good idea to do a full charge on ANY new battery and then a full drain. Doing that twice is ideal.

The reason being is that batteries have, for lack of a better term, a memory. If you do not do a full charge followed by a full drain the battery simply will not fully charge and drain ever.

You will extend the life of your battery by having it charged full and the draining it completely every time you use it.

You will also seriously extend the life of your battery by taking it out when you have it plugged in. Otherwise the battery is powering the laptop and you are charging the battery at the same time.

You can also "reset" some older batteries by doing a full charge, full drain three times over. This, depending on how old and or degradated the battery is will help restore the battery back to it's former longer lasting self if you've abused it over time.

 

10 years ago, this was an accepted problem with rechargeable technology but it's moved on. Whilst I'd agree that cycling batteries is better for them, current cells don't have the same memory affect as they used to.

 

I know that cycling can still be an issue, though you are right it is not nearly as much of a problem as it used to be. I can only speak from my experiences as I'm sure yours are different.

I have about 2 or 3 customers a month with newer laptop units (last 2-3 years) coming in with battery problems that I have been able to mostly solve by "resetting" them. Though in all likelyhood they have been really abusing their batteries. Heh heh heh

 

First, you should charge it up fully as mentioned before, but in my opinion an urgent discharge is not necessary. There is only one important thing: after appr. 30 charging cycles, always do a discharge between 15-20% of charging state. This will ensure that your battery will be able to show correct charge values.
And last but not least: do not discharge the battery fully if it's possible, (so when your lappy must shut down because the lack of power) because it can shorten it's life.

 

LITHIUM ION don't have the memory like those old
NICKEL METAL HYDRIDE batteries have.. that feature along with the longer opperating time per charge is why all laptops now use LI-ION batteries now.

ALL BATTERIES have a limited number of charge/discharge cycles they are rated for (see the battery specifications),, and as the number of charge/discharge cycles get used over time any type of rechargable battery will suffer degradation of it max power storage.. so they will weaken over time no matter what...

there are things you can do to minumize this loss of power over time

check out this link:: BATTERY GUIDE

 

Good thread, if a little time-consuming! Thanks Bigozone.

 

no problem... this is my hobby/passion.... fixing pcs and helping people who are willing to do a bit of work for themselves

later, bigO