[quote name='adifrank' date='20 July 2010 - 09:29 PM' timestamp='1279654153' post='1173']
With laptops I've been told that it is a good idea to completely drain the battery and then charge it up to full
again every month or two. As I've understood, if you don't do this the battery's capacity slowly diminishes.
[/quote]
This advise comes (very likely) from times when NiCd batteries were used
much more. It completely applies to them and to my knowledge even metalhydrate
batteries do last longer with this practice (albeit they do not have the memory-effect
like NiCds) Lithium-Ion batteries can be recharged often, even if they are not drained
out (in fact they live longer if you recharge earlier) ... important thing is, not to overcharge
them (but this applies to all sorts of batteries). On the other side, 3rd party batteries
are quite affordable, and I wouldn't use original batteries in my camera, so I usually
use a battery until the camera says it's empty, then recharge it.
With laptops I've been told that it is a good idea to completely drain the battery and then charge it up to full
again every month or two. As I've understood, if you don't do this the battery's capacity slowly diminishes.
[/quote]
This advise comes (very likely) from times when NiCd batteries were used
much more. It completely applies to them and to my knowledge even metalhydrate
batteries do last longer with this practice (albeit they do not have the memory-effect
like NiCds) Lithium-Ion batteries can be recharged often, even if they are not drained
out (in fact they live longer if you recharge earlier) ... important thing is, not to overcharge
them (but this applies to all sorts of batteries). On the other side, 3rd party batteries
are quite affordable, and I wouldn't use original batteries in my camera, so I usually
use a battery until the camera says it's empty, then recharge it.