Make your laptop last longer on the go

Take these simple steps to lengthen the battery life of your laptop

Battery life is perhaps the most important feature of a laptop that is consistently overlooked. Most spec sheets don’t include it unless the battery life is its selling point; otherwise it is kept under wraps like a dark and shameful secret for the user to discover himself when he finally buys the device (and sometimes it is).

Anything below two hours is a disgrace; remember, the main purpose of buying a laptop over a desktop is because you want to use it on the go.

Therefore, the first and foremost step in ensuring your laptop can last for long periods of time is to buy one that can! Ask the salesperson about it, or do your own web research on the model of your fancy.

Okay, so you didn’t get to this website in time (or I didn’t set it up in time, my bad) and you’re stuck with a laptop that runs out of juice faster than a prune in the Sahara. Fret not, here’s how to squeeze out a couple more minutes of battery life.

1. Use the Power Management tool

You’ve seen it in lifts and escalators. Power Management simply means turning off or switching a system to low-power after a period of inactivity. The same applies for your laptop - the biggest electricity junkies are the screen, the CPU and the hard drive, so try to shut them off whenever possible.

Access the Power Management tool (in the Control Panel for Windows XP, you can search for it in the Start Menu on Vista) and toggle the settings there, like reducing the idle time it takes before the screen automatically turns itself off.

2. Let your laptop take a Zzz when unneeded

You don’t use too much energy when you are asleep, do you? Neither does your laptop.

Put your laptop on Standby (Start Menu -> Shut Down -> Stand By) when you’re going to be away for a few hours or so.

If you’re going to leave your computer over the weekend, use Hibernate (Start Menu -> Shut Down -> Hibernate).

3. Use additional tools from the manufacturer

Some manufacturers include a power management utility in their laptops that offer extra power-saving features, such as allowing you to toggle the brightness of the screen or turn off the optical hard drive a.k.a. CD-ROM drive. Use them!