A question about laptop batteries

[haiha]

Hi alls
Just last week, my laptop Dell C400's battery was down. The battery led blinks all the time. I do not want to buy a new one right now, may be after several months, I will buy a new laptop because this one is rather old (3 years or so).
Of course I can use the pc with its adapter on all the time (or out only 10min). But I don't know if I use the computer like that, there may be something doing harm to the laptop itself? Can anyone who's got experience on this please explain to me.

Thanks

 

[chroot]

You're not harming the computer in any way. The battery's just not able to hold a charge anymore. They're only good for several hundred charge cycles.

- Warren

 

[haiha]

Thanks Chroot.
Anyway, I ve been using like this for more than 1 week, with the bat LED blinking all the time. May be I have to blindfold the LED.

 

[ranger]

Thanks Chroot.
Anyway, I ve been using like this for more than 1 week, with the bat LED blinking all the time. May be I have to blindfold the LED.

Does the blinking bother you that much?

 

[haiha]

Does the blinking bother you that much?

Just a litle bit. The LED then turns out to be orange, not green as it used to be. It seems like 'SOS' signal.

 

[mezarashi]

I have a Dell Latitude, and after less than a year of using it (plugged in most of the time), the batteries no longer work. So just an additional note that if you use your laptop with the adapter most of the time, just remove the batteries completely. It will extend their lifetime by a good while.

(Oh, but fortunately my story ends with Dell replacing them (on-site) for me under their warranty - not that they paid me to write this post or anything =P)

 

[chroot]

mezarashi,

You're correct. The heat generated by the laptop does indeed reduce the battery's lifespan.

- Warren