Many people want a longer lasting laptop battery without having to purchase a newer or more expensive model. Fortunately, there are many ways to extend the charge of your laptop’s current battery. Each of the following suggestions are simple to implement and can greatly reduce the strain faced by the laptop battery that you currently own. By following these five easy steps, your laptop will stay powered longer between charges.

1. Optimize Your Laptop Power Options

By adjusting the power settings in the control panel, your laptop battery can last much longer. Of the settings listed in your laptop’s “Power Options” dialog, choose the option for maximum battery life. Once this has been set, it will work behind the scenes to prolong the charge each time you are running on battery power.

2. Adjust Your Laptop Monitor’s Brightness

The greatest strain on a laptop battery is often the monitor. Because most laptops will allow you to change the brightness of the monitor, it is recommended to use the dimmest setting you can comfortably work at whenever you plan to use the battery over an extended length of time. The dimmer your screen setting is, the longer your laptop’s battery will stay charged.

3. Avoid Using CDs or DVDs in your laptop

When running on battery power, it is best to avoid using CDs or DVDs because of the large amount of energy needed to spin the disk in the drive. In fact, CDs and DVDs take even more power to operate than your laptop’s hard drive. Even a disk not currently in use can require power, so it is best to remove any CDs or DVDs from the drive altogether.

4. Remove Unused External Devices from your laptop

It is recommended that you remove any unused external devices when you make the switch to battery power. Devices like a mouse, keyboard, webcam, iPod, and wireless card all require additional power and should be removed to extend your laptop’s runtime between battery charges.

5. Use the Hibernate Setting

Instead of setting your laptop to standby when it is not in use, use the hibernate mode. Hibernate uses less power than the standby setting, because it performs a complete shutdown. Like standby however, hibernate will return to your desktop’s current state when you restart your laptop.

By making a few simple changes whenever you switch to battery power, you can extend the time your laptop’s battery will remain charged. By changing your power options, adjusting your monitor’s brightness, avoiding CDs, DVDs, and external devices, and using the hibernate setting, there will be less strain on your laptop’s battery and it will last much longer between charges.

Find more laptop batteries here

Once you have found the perfect laptop for your needs you need to consider protecting the laptop from all the physical threats that it faces on day to day basis. Since laptops are designed to be portable it only makes sense that a good laptop case is needed to protect your latest computer.

Consider the following things when shopping for a laptop case to keep your laptop safe and secure.

Size of the laptop case:

This is an important consideration. First you need to make sure that your laptop can fit inside the laptop case. Whether you choose a sleeve or a full size case, your laptop case should fit your needs. Which brings us to the next thing to consider.

Sleeve or full size for your laptop case:

Laptop sleeves are usually made of stretchy material that fits around the laptop like a glove, covering it in soft foam like fabric. Some sleeves come with an outside pocket or compartment but if you plan on carrying around a spare battery, charger, cables, or other laptop accessories then a full size laptop case is better for you. Sleeves are good for those who want to slide their laptop into a backpack, suitcase, or simply shield the laptop from sun, wind, and dust when carrying it around.

Security of your laptop:

When choosing a laptop case, consider security as well. Some higher end laptop cases feature locking zippers, combination locks, and hidden compartments. Some will question to point of a fabric case with a lock, so for ultra security needs consider a solid laptop case to protect your laptop.

Also some laptop case makers make cases that look nothing like laptop cases, which can come in handy for traveling in areas where a distinct laptop case is like yelling out “mug me” to everyone around you. These discreet cases can look like everything from briefcases and backpacks to purses and shoulder bags.

Protecting against the elements:

If you need to travel with your laptop often and find yourself outdoors with your laptop, you’ll want to consider a laptop case that is weather resistant. Find one with a material that doesn’t allow water in. Be wary of laptop sleeves that might become wet and transfer that moisture to your laptop inside.

Style of your laptop case:

If you have a stunningly designed laptop, why not have a case that matches the high class style? Laptop case makers have caught onto this trend and make laptop cases in a variety of colors and designs, not to mention high end offerings of laptop cases made out of leather and other fashion oriented fabrics.

Consider these things when shopping for a new laptop case to protect your laptop and you’ll be able to combine the protection and functionality you need with the looks and durability you want.

Here are some sources for laptop cases

www.target.com

www.ebags.com

www.kolobags.com