Archive for February, 2009

Vista Could Sap Notebook PC Battery Life

Notebook PC users who upgrade to Microsoft’s Windows Vista may have to disable some of the new operating system’s flashy graphics features to avoid seeing a decrease in battery life compared to when running Windows XP . Dell Inspiron 6000 battery , Dell Inspiron 9300 battery, Dell 310-6322 battery .

The drop will come from the extra power needed to run the high-end processors, graphics cards, and memory capacity required to support Vista. Microsoft has designed the new OS to deliver novel visual effects such as Dell Inspiron 2500 battery , Dell Latitude CPX battery the translucent “Aero” windows on the desktop interface and to offer improved performance as a digital media hub. The business version of the OS was released last month, with the consumer version due out next month.

More Power at a Price
PC and hardware vendors see Windows Vista as a windfall because it requires faster, more powerful computers. But the extra power comes at a price.

“Vista demands more computer resources for a given application than XP does. So you need a heavier battery, or you will have shorter battery life because of the greater demand for watts,” said Phil Hester, Dell 1691P battery , Dell 75UYF battery chief technology officer of Advanced Micro Devices, in remarks made at the company’s annual analyst day in New York last week.

Dell also said that Vista’s appetite for computing resources will increase its draw on battery power.

“If Vista is run in full Aero mode, with none of the Vista-provided power management settings turned on, it is likely to demand more power, and have an impact on battery life,” said Dell spokesman Ira Williams, in an e-mail interview. “That said, if you run Vista in battery-optimized mode (using a non-3D interface), Dell Latitude D620 battery , Dell Latitude D820 battery we would not expect the battery life to be significantly different from XP in that scenario.”

More Power at a Price
A Microsoft spokesperson confirms that Vista will allow users to disable or tune down graphics as part of a power-management package meant to keep Vista battery life on a par with Windows XP’s. But she said the graphics have a smaller effect on battery life than other hardware in the PC.

“Although it is true that the Windows Vista Aero theme and components can use more resources than previous versions of Windows, the relative impact to battery life is minimal,” says Microsoft spokesperson Kristin Farmer.

“Microsoft is working with device manufacturers to ensure their device drivers are optimally tuned for performance and power savings. We recognize that IBM ThinkPad T40 battery , IBM ThinkPad T43 battery , IBM ThinkPad R50 battery life isn’t just a Microsoft issue and involves our partner’s decisions as well,” says Farmer.

Tweak Software Controls to Save Battery
Microsoft has designed Vista to allow notebook PC users to save battery power by turning down the screen brightness, volume, wireless networking, and other attributes, according to the company’s Web site. Vista also has a power-conservation mode called sleep, similar to the “standby” and “hibernate” modes in previous versions of Windows. (Read PC World’s story on testing Vista installations on three systems, including one laptop.)

A spokesperson for Gateway agreed that Microsoft’s power-conservation steps can make a difference in compensating for the extra hardware.

“We’ve done extensive testing, and we haven’t seen [shortened battery life],” says Gateway spokesperson Kelly Odle. “While it is true that Vista has higher system requirements than XP, it also has more sophisticated mechanisms to allow for power savings.”

Still, users who need to preserve IBM ThinkPad T60 battery , ibm thinkpad r40 battery life will face a trade-off in giving up some of the most impressive new features, says Richard Shim, an analyst with IDC.

“It’s a common criticism that any new Windows OS will have a toll on battery life,” Shim said. “If you look back at XP and Windows 98, it took a while for folks to learn how to optimize the hardware. And as the PC market continues to rely on notebooks to drive shipment growth, this will be a big thing.”

How to Manage Your Laptop
Notebook PC users can manage power by reducing the time it takes their processors and hard drives to switch into hibernation mode, by turning off their sound and Wi-Fi, by avoiding running ten applications at once, and by turning down the brightness of their screens–the one component that consumes more Dell Latitude D820 battery , Dell Inspiron 6400 battery power than any other computer part, Shim says.

Some hardware makers are also helping out, as they are striving to squeeze an extra 2 to 5 percent of efficiency out of the chip set, graphics component, and BIOS, Shim says. However, they face a limited power budget, since battery technology has not improved significantly in recent years, and PC vendors are unlikely to specify a larger cell, since that would add to the PC’s size, weight, and cost.

“That can add up to savings, but it’s not enough to overcome the fact that Vista is not IBM ThinkPad R60 battery , IBM 40Y6799 battery battery-friendly,” Shim says.

Laptop battery maintenance and optimization

“Mobility” is different from the notebook computer desktop is an important characteristic. It is also because of the characteristics, so that the laptop battery inadvertently take on the responsibility of safeguarding the image. A lack of long Sony Laptop Battery
life of notebook capacity, it is impossible to take the needs of mobile office for a long time. And a lack of battery power to help the laptop, and its “Anytime, Anywhere” The advantage is that it is even more out of the question of.

At present, many users of laptop batteries for use just to stay in the primary stage, how to protect the battery as well as the rational use of all batteries do not know. Whenever these big customers to complain about battery life is too short or long battery life is not at the same time is first of all carefully from the normal use of their own look for the reasons for this? Of course, these two problems caused by the pcga-bp1n does not rule out the reasons for their quality, but the vast majority of the current situation, improper use of man-made is a very common phenomenon.

Many people think that the laptop’s battery life is calculated in accordance with the use of life but actually it is not really play a decisive factor should be the number of full charge and discharge. This is not a special case of notebook computers, where all the rechargeable battery is so. Under normal circumstances, it is now generally used in notebook computer lithium-ion battery for the 400 or so take charge of life; Ni-MH battery life a lot longer to reach a thousand times take the necessary and sufficient, but has a strong Electrical memory effect, so although life expectancy than the previous lithium-ion batteries, but its day-to-day use of state, Ni-MH pcga-bp2nx performance is far behind lithium-ion battery.

We have the same human sickness and death, the battery is gradually after the aging and eventually death. As a result, proper use and maintenance of battery is particularly important.

General machinery of the new batteries will be in charge in advance to a certain degree of power for use in the test machine, so you will have to go home after the first machine to this part of the electricity charge for exhausted after work. And the future of every charge must ensure that the remaining pcga-bp2ny power consumption by as much as possible and then to carry out clean.

If the battery needs to be shelved for a long time to save, then left in the battery to ensure a certain degree of power, all manufacturers of whether the stay of the remaining number of different power, but I suggest all of us still full of power after a good save; other long-term non-use of the In the battery at least once a month depth charge and discharge must also work to be done, it is aimed at preventing the long-ion batteries have not been used in case of loss of electricity caused by the activity no longer be able to charge again.

In the computer environment, the use of power supply stability, we proposed to remove the battery, and using a separate power adapter power supply. The aim is simple to avoid frequent battery is not fully discharged in the case was charging. Our environment is absolutely impossible for insulation, so even if the battery is not used will be the same natural power, so that when connected to power again, will be carried out on the pcga-bp2r charge. This is a strong power of the memory effect of Ni-MH battery injury is a very large, although the lithium-ion batteries power the memory effect is almost negligible, but not a long period of charging and discharging will to a certain extent, reduce the pcga-bp2s Life. Of course, if you use the computer’s power supply situation is very bad environment, do not do this, and the price of tens of thousands of laptop comparison, a cell is still relatively cheap, the baby lost his melon on a cost-effective .

Battery maintenance, no matter how, if the method shall not be treated in use, will never be able to give full play to its effectiveness. The same specifications as the battery, why in the day-to-day use and promotion by manufacturers of the difference in time, the use of so many subjects? This is a lot of customers after the purchase is a matter of doubt. Of course, this information does exist a number of misleading, as advocated by the number of manufacturers are in the extreme power of the test results, and our day-to-day use is not possible to reach such an environment. Even so, the difference would not have a lot of time, pcga-bp2t usually about 10-25 minutes (only writing word-processing, web browsing, and so simple to operate). In addition there may be a user of the power of some operations, such as watch video, play games and so on.

On the rational use of batteries and optimize methods, we have all the hardware from the laptop’s own characteristics in terms of categories. Before talking about, let us come to the notebook computer in all hardware power of the smallest case for a simple sort, then followed by “LCD, optical drive, hard drive, memory and central processing unit, the other (interfaces, peripherals and so on ). ”

1.LCD LCD

While the liquid crystal display LCD than CRT monitors have a lot of power, but in many laptop hardware, it is a big power. Among them, and the power consumption is directly related to the factors is the screen brightness and display refresh rate.

A. display brightness

LCD brightness of the full board from the rear of the screen placed in the back of the tube, it can be imagined, lamp brightness caused by the high and low power consumption is never the same. Therefore, if the use of pcga-bp2v-powered, visually to the extent permitted by as much as possible to reduce the display’s brightness can save some electricity. In other words it had broken down in the middle of the user’s screen will be on the all-black background can be adjusted to reduce the power consumption of this LCD is wrong. The use of all-black background as opposed to those who fancy background can indeed reduce the consumption of the system, which to some extent played the role of energy-saving, but to do so by saving energy is minimal, but LCD is not brought about by Because no matter what kind of background, on the LCD’s brightness is no change.

Moreover, many users prefer to use the laptop screen saver, which may CRT display also has a protective effect, but the use of pcga-bp4v-powered laptop, it can be said is not useful . But now the screen saver can be said to be doing more and more fancy, running the screen saver when the system load it more, then naturally increased power consumption. It is therefore recommended that you leave the computer in time will have the option to close LCD, or the use of sleep function, or even shut down your computer. IBM users more fortunate, can be used directly FN + F3 to close the screen:).

B. display refresh rate

It is well known, LCD’s refresh rate is a parameter in name only, because there is no LCD display is flashing, the general notebook refresh rate is fixed re-60Hz, reduce the increase is of no use. But when we refresh the screen a number of very fast operation, also will increase the power consumption. This explains why, as well as playing video games, pcga-bp71 consumption will be very soon, apart from the CPU, video card, and other hardware to increase the load, constantly repeated the action Shuabing is also a crucial factor in power consumption.

Unfortunately, however, the problem is basically not a good solution, we can only suggest that the use of battery-powered as much as possible when the video to see less and less to play the game … …: (

For IBM notebook computer, its unique power management software can be adjusted Battery MaxMiser laptop screen refresh rate, see figure, IBM’s exclusive features:

2. CD-ROM

Many users believe that the drive was mainly due to the power of the laser head of the transmitting power. In fact, the first laser transmitter power consumption will necessarily despite electricity, but compared with the motor rotation, it is not a what.

In fact, the notebook has been in energy-saving drive up and down a lot of effort, we can feel the drive belt when the disk is idle, the motor will be in a very short period of time from the high-speed down to the last stop low-speed rotation. But read the CD-ROM, will be rotating motor, motor rotation must be consumed electricity. And the laptop vgp-bpl2 has a CD-ROM problems, and that is when, or insert boot disk with CD-ROM will first turn on a few of the buzz, which is to consume electricity.

In fact, this problem can be solved. In addition to the use of batteries in less time as far as possible the use of CD-ROM, also known as the use of a Nero Driver Speed CD-ROM software to reduce the speed.

This is a very good green software, no need to be installed to run in the Nero Driver Speed Options can click on “Detect” button to detect the current drive supported by the speed of file, and can choose the language interface vgp-bps3. Language from the menu, we can see that this software can show support for Simplified Chinese.

In the interface, the drive can read the speed and load to stop the rotation after the time for the definition and can run the software on the way to conduct a detailed definition.

In addition, if your CD-ROM support for the DMA transfer mode, then certainly keep in mind that in the Device Manager will open the function, and do not use PIO mode. This will effectively reduce the share of the CPU, so as to achieve energy efficiency.

3. Hard

With a similar drive, turning the motor power is also a factor in one of the other heads of the hard disk seek time will also have a corresponding movement of power.

A laptop computer hard drive energy-saving design is a certain period of time when the hard disk for users to put an end to read and write operations, will head to the auto, motor idling into the state, but the weakness lies in the design of hard disk heads will be ready to re - Since the hard disk seek testing the use of state. Each head of the mechanical movement will bring a certain degree of power consumption, the power management in the process of “free hard disk closing time” is vgp-bps5 set very necessary.

If your notebook computer using the IBM TravelStar hard drive, then you can use a software PowerBooster hard to achieve energy-saving operation, the software’s interface is very simple, you just need to move on the “minimum energy consumption” and “the greatest performance” Between the blocks can be designated.

Another possible choice of models to update the hard drive because they can support a higher rate of transmission standards, but it also needs the support of the motherboard chipset. At present, the general might be able to see the hard disk are DMA/66 support and DMA/100 standard vgp-bps8, although generally only for the speed to 4200 / notebook computer hard drive is concerned, DMA/100 in the transfer rate on the role of performance is not Out because of the internal hard disk transfer rate impossible to achieve the goal. But effectively reduce the share of the CPU, it does have a large role.

4. CPU and memory

Will be part of the reason why these two together is that they contain between the hardware is more obvious. When the computer’s CPU speed is relatively high, compared with an hour of memory, the CPU is actually waiting for the memory; and when the CPU speed is relatively low, the memory is very large, there have been waiting for the CPU memory. In either case, the system will increase its operating capacity, at the same time is not conducive to energy conservation.

A. CPU

First of all, as far as possible choose to use mobile notebook computer CPU, as the mobile CPU for notebook computers has made energy-saving design. We were well-known features of the Intel SpeedStep is one of the great characteristics from the P3-600Mhz processor after, Intel mobile CPU in the official added this feature vgp-bps9, which allows the CPU to use battery-powered clock automatically reduce the frequency of operation, In order to play the role of energy conservation. (Mobile Celeron processors do not have the features)

Intel SpeedStep:

If you are using Windows 98/Me/2000 operating system can go to the Intel Web site to download and install the program SpeedStep, in the process of the interface can be the CPU clock frequency definition, the user may need to use their own CPU running the designated frequency level. Such as IBM, , and other brand of notebook computer power management program also offers a similar feature, although the same is also based on Intel SpeedStep, but much more detailed, provided a wealth of energy-saving models to suit the theme of the use of demand. Although Windows XP already embedded in the process vgp-bps10, but regrets that it did not provide the definition of the procedures manual, the system will automatically install after the end of the default power management program will be adjusted to energy-saving notebook computer program, which is why a lot of Users feel that Windows XP installed on the computer system after a slow one of the reasons why.

If you choose this, your processor at full speed in any situation Pao Bule:

This can only choose:

OSHIBA laptop power management program

If the choice is another Pentium 3 processor notebook computer, as far as possible to opt for the Tualatin .13 micron core Pentium 3-M processor, as compared to the old .18 micron copper core of the Pentium 3, new Generation of processors in the power saving and performance have a lot of good.

B. Memory

Many people think that the DDR memory than ordinary power SDRAM memory, in fact, this is wrong because they overlook the

The use of DDR memory notebook computer with Pentium 4 is more and Nvida Geforce (ATI Radeon) graphics card such a big power, in power naturally is not possible to be small. But the memory on its own terms, DDR rather than power SDRAM, DDR memory because the voltage is 2.5v, and ordinary SDRAM memory for 3.3v.

Of course, it is not possible voltage changes, and we can change only the amount of memory. Under the system needs to choose the right size of the memory is pcg-r505 very important, otherwise there will be because the memory is too small, causing the system to read a large number of hard disk space as virtual memory, it is natural to increase the power consumption.

The following is a different operating system memory proposals:

Windows 98> = 64M

Windows Me> = 128M

Windows 2K> = 192M

Windows XP> = 256M

5. Other (interfaces, peripherals, etc.)

We used USB, PCMCIA interface are charged, the power consumption is inevitable. Moreover, according to an external device used by different power consumption has also brought about by the will, for example, mobile hard drive power consumption than external mouse is great.

There is only one solution, which is in the process of using the pcg-v505 as much as possible of those who spend less interface, unless forced to use. After the used equipment must remember to remove, because although the device to stop working, but the interface in order to maintain communications equipment and computers, must also consume electricity.

For some, we almost do not have to interface, you can consider it a temporary closure of the attention is not in the hardware manager of the property in equipment to disable the device, but the CMOS settings to Disable. For example, we are familiar with the infrared interface, it’s time to time and then automatically open around the existence of infrared scanning equipment, this is the will power.

Finally, we made available to a proposal that is in the hardware configuration to allow as much as possible on the premise of the selection of the latest operating system, as in the energy-saving design, compared to their pre-generation operating system to improve many. In addition, a reasonable combination of Windows power management procedure or notebook computer manufacturers of specially designed power management procedures of the power savings are helpful.

Optimization of these operations can not play the role of the extended pcg-z505 life, but can really feasible as far as possible within the scope of the extension of battery life, so as to maximize battery performance. After more than one operation, battery life can be extended by about 10-15 minutes, the sounds seem to think that optimize the role of the less obvious, but it can not Xiao Qiao such a short span of ten minutes, it may be the most critical Computer has become an important moment in the life-saving information on the straw. Battery protection is not the same everywhere, or do not have to worry about batteries, a reasonable operating under the premise of rest assured that you use bold, it’s better for our effectiveness is the key.

Making Battery Quick-Test Feasible

Several universities, research organizations and private companies, including Cadex, are striving to find a workable solution to f2019 battery quick testing. Many methods (omnibook 6000) have been tried, and an equal number have failed because they were inaccurate, inconsistent and impractical.

When studying the characteristics relating to f2299a battery state-of-health and state-of-charge (SoH and SoC, respectively) some interesting effects can be observed. Unfortunately, these properties are cumbersome and non-linear, and worst of all, the parameters are unique for every f3172a battery type. This inherent complexity makes it difficult, if not impossible, to create a formula that works for all batteries.

In spite of these seemingly insurmountable odds, battery ( pavilion zt1000) quick testing is possible. But the question is asked, “how accurate will it be, and how well will it adapt to continuously changing battery chemistries?” The cost of a commercial quick tester and the ease-of-use are other issues of concern.

Dell AC power adapter type cannot be determined

The “Dell AC power adapter type cannot be determined” problem description

I have brand new inspiron 2500.

Battery fully charged, when I unplug the charger from the wall, but let the plug in the Inspiron for a while (let’s say a night), when I startup my computer, I get the message “The AC power adapter type cannot be determined. Your system will operate slower and the battery will not charge. Please connect a Dell 90W AC adapter or higher for best system operation” (needless to say that the power adapter IS a Dell 90W…).

Unplugging and replugging the adapter solves the problem.

The problem happens frequently at Dell inspiron 2500, latitude cpx, latitude c600, latitude c610, 75uyf and so on.