Buying New Battery for old IBM

I am trying to get my IBM 2645-5eu Pentium III 600X series running Win98 SE to last a little longer until Vista comes out and I will buy a new widescreen laptop.

I have replaced the battery on this thing 3 x since I have owned it (5+ years). One time I bought a battery by 3rd party Manufacturer, guaranteed 1year-lasted 1 year and 1 day

But this last time I bought one direct from IBM and it only lasted 1 1/2 years (also guaranteed for 1 year only.) And I only used it occasionally, using the original battery for when I used the AC --which was most of the time.

I don't know how long it will be before I replace the laptop..I want Vista and I would like it if Lenovo (who took over IBM's personal PC Divsion) would come out with a good 15.4" widescreen. I am only semi-savy with computers and do rely heavily on tech support when I get into trouble though I know enough to work well with a good tech person and can' stand a stupid one. IBM always had great tech support --don't know how Lenovo will be -- but early reports I hear is that Lenovo will keep up IBM quality.

So back to the battery. Does anybody have a recommendation? Any particular company?

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eBay would be a starting point, but browse around and ask around which you have, so wait for answers

 

ThinkPads are coming out with the new Z series widescreen laptops soon.

 

SO I ahve been browsing, e-bay and everything.

2 pieces of info I found.

1.Different companies give different warranties for the replacement batteries --from 30 days thru 1 year. Of course price goes up (including shipping) the longer the warranty. I think I am taking the cheapest 1 year warranty I can find.

2. They mention about a CMOS battery if your computer clock is slow --which mine is. I have to reset it about every week now. Am I able to replace that battery myself?

Question:

I have firmly deicded to buy a new laptop.
But I was wondring, could the almost dead regular battery or the (premably) dying watch battery explain some of the freezing I have started to experience?

My laptop suddenly freezes for no reason. Goes into hybernation abruptly, won't fully load windows every time and occasionally just hangs partially loaded. The computer sometimes goes in to safe nmode whene i restart. Sometimes I have to use a pen to push the button for a hard turn off to get the machine to turn off when even the regular button won't turn it off.

This just started happening in the last 3 weeks or so, with increasing frequency with time passing. It shortly after I discovered that my "new" direct form IBM battery had gone nearly dead..which I had hardly ever used and now I leave it rather than my older battery in my computer.

Hence my decision to get new laptop. But do you think repacing the battery and clock battery might help keep this one going as well...or does this sound more like a mechanical breakdown (Like the hard drive is caving or something.)

 

If you like Tech support of IBM , stick with IBM, they are more expensive than alot of others (toshiba being much more expensive) but if you want service.. you got it

As for the internal Cmos bat, no it would not cause system crashes, and im not exactly sure on how hard it is to change on a IBM, My girlfriend has a R32, but ive never had to change hers. And i own a I6000 from dell, great Wide screen machiene. I tell you, work on a ibm, and then work on a I6000, huge difference, IBMs i find to be slow, low batt life, and screens are horrible, ( very dull for how bad the batt life is.. )

As for your battery, If you keep your Laptop plugged in all the time, Reduce the Batteries power down to 40%, take it out of the laptop and keep it in a Gallon ziploc with all the air sucked out of it ( preferably put it in one of those Food saver bags, and stuff it in your Refridgerator. Lithium Ion batteries are vulnerable to heat, and degrade more rapidly when under constant heat. But, if you keep it in the refridgerator, you can extend that batteries life UP to 5x. But, make sure you take it out the day before you are going to use it, to make it room temp, and charge it up before you take it on the road. You DO NOT, want to put a cold battery in the laptop and boot it up.

I know alot of older IBMs only have Pent Ms , so when you are looking for a new lappy, Make sure you get one with Centrino, and sonoma :centrino: technology, This will make it so you can Undervolt your CPU, which will create less heat, and take less power from your battery. VERY good option imo.

Good luck with the Cmos bat.