Question for laptop users

[iivtecracerii]

ordered a laptop a week ago and should be coming any day now

this will be my first laptop and also my main computer.


here are my questions...
1) if i use mainly AC power, is it better to have the battery in or out?

2) have any of you had laptops on for long periods of time (days, weeks....) and did you ever have any overheating problems?

3) should i spring for an extended warranty?


thanks!

i cant wait till it gets here!

[N_Jay]

Originally posted by iivtecracerii

1) if i use mainly AC power, is it better to have the battery in or out?

2) have any of you had laptops on for long periods of time (days, weeks....) and did you ever have any overheating problems?

3) should i spring for an extended warranty?

1) Better for the battery if you leave it out, but the battery acts like a UPS so better for you if it is in.
If you do decide to take it out, you should use it on battery for 30 min or so about once a month, then recharge.

2) Never because of time.
I have heard of it when th elaptop get covered. (many have fans that need air.

3) Like a car the extended warranty is usually a bad investment.
If you are a clutz and will be traveling a lot and buying a new laptop would be a financial crisis, then MAYBE.

P.S. Why a lap top, if you expect it to be on all the time?

[mbowe]

Originally posted by iivtecracerii
ordered a laptop a week ago and should be coming any day now

this will be my first laptop and also my main computer.


here are my questions...
1) if i use mainly AC power, is it better to have the battery in or out?

2) have any of you had laptops on for long periods of time (days, weeks....) and did you ever have any overheating problems?

3) should i spring for an extended warranty?


thanks!

i cant wait till it gets here!

1. Check the laptop manual, my last laptop Gateway would not work unless battery was in. It was part of the circuit. Current model HP works fine with battery out. I usually leave battery in. I run about 75% AC 25% battery and can still get about 90 min from battery after two years.

2. Check where vents are. If they are on bottom, watch leaving it on soft materials when running. Couches, car seats tend to block air flow.

3. Extended warranty is only good if it covers klutz factors like dropping it, coffee in keyboard etc. Otherwise stick with factory plan

[wwong]

I just had my laptop repaired. Although I had an extended warranty, the repair was not covered and I ended up paying close to $300 for the repair. Service technician claimed that keyboard was damaged from a spill; and that a spill is not covered under warranty. So, check before getting a warranty what it actually covers.

[N_Jay]

Originally posted by mbowe



1. Check the laptop manual, my last laptop Gateway would not work unless battery was in. It was part of the circuit. Current model HP works fine with battery out. I usually leave battery in. I run about 75% AC 25% battery and can still get about 90 min from battery after two years.

What model was that?

How would you change the battery when working?

Sounds like a product defect. I have had 9 laptops and they all have worked without a batter in them. Compaq, IBM, Dell, Toshiba, Gateway, Panasonic, HP.

[BCinTX]

Mine stays powered up nearly 24x7. No overheating problems. It's usually docked on a shelf under my work table so it gets good airflow. I always keep the battery in.

The most likely part to fail (except possibly the keyboard due to spills) is the hard drive, especially if you carry it around while it's running. Whether warrantee covers that, I don't know, but perhaps even more important is to back up your data somewhere--to CD, external hard drive, etc.

[bubbafett]

1. Like the previous comment that someone made, some laptops require the battery to be in. If you do plan on running without the battery most of the time you might consider getting a cover plate that covers where the battery went. You would not want to get any particles on the contacts for the battery. Not all manufacturers sell a battery cover. Another option is to buy a spare battery in a year or so and just leave the battery in. I normally use the battery at least once a week and then let it recharge. The newer LiIon batteries hold up much better than the old NiCd and NiMH ones.

2. The overheating problem depends on the manufacturer. If you bought one of the Name brands (Dell, Gateway, Sony, HP, etc...) it will probably not be a problem. Some of the cheaper No-Name brands use Desktop processors and poor design practices. Some of these units will overheat and give you problems regardless of what you do. Buying a name brand is not always a sure thing, Toshiba had some major problems with some of their P3 laptops. Do your research and get as many reviews as you can find.

3. Extended warranty is a crap shoot. Laptops are prohibitively expensive to repair. It is usually cheaper and better to throw away a laptop than to pay to have it repaired. My suggestion is not to buy the warranty, but make back-ups of all of your important stuff. Plan on buying a laptop every two to three years and you can keep one of the old ones as a back-up for emergencies or keep an old desktop for insurance.

I love my Dell 5150, it is heavy, but fast and I get about 5 hours on the battery even using wireless.

[Qbrozen]

just a comment on the warranty. like others said, depends on the warranty. I got mine from Circuit City and their warranty covers accidental damage (like dropping it, spilling on it, etc.). And its a 3-year plan, so I have a strong feeling that my laptop will have an unfortunate accident when it is 2 years and 11 months old. Also, it covers the battery. A new battery costs as much as the warranty, and they say they will give me a new battery if this one does not last when charged. In other words, if it gets tired and starts to only last for, say, 45 minutes, then I get a new battery for free. So I felt the warranty was worth it. Besides, they agreed to give me a discount on the purchase price if I sprung for the warranty.

[bubbafett]

I would read the fine print on the battery. Usually the battery has to be non-functional before they will replace. Having a reduced charge time is a subjective issue that they will fight.

[tim.s]

1) I've got duel batteries in my Dell so I can unplug and wander. I think the useful life my vary more by manufacturer than the amount of use.

2) I've had more problems with leaving Windows, in general, running for long periods (without reboot) than leaving the laptop on.
Again, the operating temperature and overheating problems are often brand/model related.

The bottom of my Dell is hot to the touch, but the Sony runs cool. I've heard about specific models having chronic heating problems.

3) Again, depends on the brand. If your model comes with a one year warranty, you are probably fine. If it comes with only a 90 day warranty, you might want to extend it. My Vaio laptop failed a month or two before the extended warranty expired and I got the main board replaced at zero cost ($0 deductible).

[iivtecracerii]

thanks for all the input guys.

im not planning to leave it on all the time, just if i ever wanted to do so i wanted to know if it was bad or not.

as for why a laptop, we needed a new computer and im going to college next year and i'd like to be able to take my computer here, there, where ever.

seems pretty soild right now. i have up to a year to decide whether or not to purchase the extended warranty.

(in case you're wondering, the Pilot is my parents'...but i drive it more than they do )