[Hudlug] Semi-OT - Laptop advice, please

[Chris Wood]

Roger Greenwood wrote:

>Hi Anne,
>
>Rubbish - you need the battery in to get it charged up, and to provide
>UPS facility. All laptops will float charge the battery when on mains.
>
>  
>
Agreed, however some words of caution, from practical experience.
I've had a Sony Vaio laptop for a little over three years now, and it's 
currently on it's *third* battery.
I can only put this down to the fact that 95% of the time the laptop is 
plugged into the mains and sitting on my desk. Thus it's getting a lot 
of time sitting on trickle charge. Or maybe it's Sony's InfoLithium 
batteries that are rubbish.
Whatever, the batteries consistently die after about 12-18months in the 
above scenario, at least in my experience.
For the third battery I've taken to removing it if the laptop is going 
to be on my desk for a while (i.e. weeks).

Hmmm... Cat amongst the pigeons...

Regards,

Chris