Have you ever wondered why some laptops batteries stay in their original state offering the performance they had when they rolled out of the factory? Some say that it’s unique to high quality top-notch notebooks, I’m not one of those people. I think a netbook battery is just a piece of hardware that can be kept in shape by avoiding a few stupid mistakes.

1. Excessive heat. Some would say that this is not up to them, it’s the weather, or the netbook is designed this way. Bad news for those people: excuses don’t fix a netbook battery, actions do. If you feel that it’s getting hot or there are situations when you have to store them in a hot place (back seat of a car for example) consider taking precautions.

Deterioration is a function of temperature and charge level. Don’t make the mistake of storing the battery fully charged, as that is the state where it breaks the fastest due to heat. Charge it to 40%, take it out and put it like that on the back seat of your car, avoid direct sunlight and preferably put the mini notebook on a firm flat surface while operating it.

2. Not using the battery. This is related to the first one, but is rooted somewhere else. Some people buy their notebooks, plug the charger and use it like that for years. They don’t need the battery, the whole show is running on AC power. It’s like storing the unit in a hot place, fully charged. Again, take the lithium-ion battery out when it’s 40% full, put it into a waterproof plastic bag and store it in your fridge. Between 0 and 5 Celsius is optimal, but don’t freeze it.

3. People like to buy cheap computers, it’s somehow coded into our DNA. The problem with this practice is that often netbooks are cleared from stock after a few months of unsuccessful attempts at selling it for a higher price. These notebooks come with battery stored in the right circumstances but for too long.

Even the best solution has internal resistance, which it discharges through over time, thus that optimal 40% capacity drips away. Another thing Lithium-Ion cells absolutely loathe apart from heat and being overcharged is being fully discharged.

To avoid this you can check date of manufacture and buy one that is more recently out the gates of the factory. As a workaround you can buy any netbook while it’s under warranty, test the battery and if it’s not up to your expectations you can send it back as dead on arrival and demand for a replace.

4. Using a remanufactured charger. You may think that the brand of the charger doesn’t matter the least as long as it has the right connector type, meets the voltage and amper figures of the original and works. Unfortunately that’s not true. The branded device is more expensive partly because of added AC power filtering safety components and overcharge protection.

You should never use remanufactured charger units while the netbook is under warranty, after that it’s up to your own decision. I would strongly suggest against saving money on any part that is so focused on safety.

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