Living with Nature (was Reminder about Static Electricity)
Ah, but there's no place like home. What did she do, leave it outside? Or live in a house without AC? I can see that happening in a case like that. Mold is a MAJOR problem down here. It does seem to love to live inside electronics that 'live' outside. I saw a TV that a neighbor 'used' to use out on her patio die after about a year. We opened it up and it was full of all these pretty colors of mold. Sort of changed her mind about bringing it back for warrantee coverage. But most electronics down here, if kept in an air conditioned house (AC also de-humidifies) can live long happy lives. I keep my house at about 74 degrees. Now lightening: yes, we are known as the lightening capital of the US. A wise user NEVER plugs anthing! directly into the wall.well nothing sensitive. TV's, sound equipment, computers, monitors, routers, printers etc are all on back- up power supplies or at a minimum a power strip with a surge protector. Even still, a lightening storm fried 2 dsl modems within a span of 6 months. Anyway, hopefully all of this goes to illustrate to some new user on the list that you have to take care no matter where you live. Weather conditions can render your precious, expensive electronic toys useless. Take all precautions when it comes to protecting them. Find out what others in your area do to extend the life of their computers. Most of all, live defensively. Best wishes for the holiday season, Tim On Nov 27, 2005, at 4:39 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: At 2:10 PM -0500 11/27/05, Tim Collier wrote: Thankfully, we don't have to worry about that down here in Miami. True. You just get hallacious thunderstorms, hurricanes, and 24/7 mildew. :P ug. While visiting my mom years ago (Royal Palm Beach), one of her friends asked me to fix her computer. It was ... mildewed. White fur on the mb. *shudder* - Dan. -- Exterminate all rational though. -- G-Books is sponsored by http://lowendmac.com/ and... Small Dog Electronicshttp://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | -- Check our web site for refurbished PowerBooks | CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html G-Books list info: http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-books.html -- AOL users, remove mailto:; Send list messages to: mailto:G-Books@mail.maclaunch.com To unsubscribe, email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] For digest mode, email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscription questions: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/g-books%40mail.maclaunch.com/ --- iPod Accessories for Less at 1-800-iPOD.COM Fast Delivery, Low Price, Good Deal www.1800ipod.com ---
Re: Life of PBG4 Battery
Hi Clem If you are still getting 1 hr from the first battery and you use the mac like that then (that is great not good) To get better life try this. Go the the system prefs and select the energy saver settings, Then click the options tab. select the 1st and 2nd of the other options then go to the bottom and select the reduced settings in the processor performance tab. Then go to the display settings and starting at the bottom set the screen to what you feel is ok for use. Recharge the battery fully and then see how long you get . I think you should get around 20mins more from the battery that you have and if you take the external card out and find and use an internal airport card then the battery life will get a bit better also. (I only found this when i switched from an external 54g card back to the internal b card Not much of a speed difference for what i use the mac for anyway, ) but this depends on what you do with the net if you need the 54g card that go with it. Also what os are you using.. Vicki On Nov 28, 2005, at 7:47 AM, Clem Bacani wrote: Hi VicKi 1.Yes I run in full brightness 2. What is processor cycle option? 3. I seldom use my cd from my PB 4. I am connected online via a AeroCard Extreme Wireless Card 5. I cross programs from word to Safari and my mail client 6. Chat at yahoo on the side once in a while Thanks again, Clem -- G-Books is sponsored by http://lowendmac.com/ and... Small Dog Electronicshttp://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | -- Check our web site for refurbished PowerBooks | CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html G-Books list info: http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-books.html -- AOL users, remove mailto:; Send list messages to: mailto:G-Books@mail.maclaunch.com To unsubscribe, email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] For digest mode, email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscription questions: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/g-books%40mail.maclaunch.com/ --- iPod Accessories for Less at 1-800-iPOD.COM Fast Delivery, Low Price, Good Deal www.1800ipod.com ---
Re: Life of PBG4 Battery
Clem, Vicki's suggestions are good for maximizing usage. Sounds like your battery has lost a little of it's original lifespan which is not abnormal for an older battery. Off the top of my head, I'd guesstimate that you probably had more like 2 hours when it was new. I'm a firm believer in cycle charging to restore lost battery life. Back when I used to repair Toshiba laptops, we cycle charged batteries all the time to restore them for owners. Granted, this started with NiCd batteries. Then the NiMh came out and everyone was like Oh, no memory problems... wrong. Cycle charging kept those up just as well. With Li batteries, there really is minimal memory problems, and, although I've heard some people say not to cycle charge Li batteries, I still do. I've restored battery life to friends batteries for them, even restored life on my Dad's Wallstreet to 1 hour from a totally dead battery that wouldn't even give him a minute. Granted, that was an extreme circumstance and took some coaxing, but it beat buing a new one ;-) All of the batteries in all of my laptops at home give me at least 2 hours of runtime. (I have 6 laptops at home IBM and Mac) This includes a PB3400 with the original battery that I still get 2 1/2 hours from. Remember that with laptop batteries, the more you use them, the better they will last. If you always keep your laptop plugged in and never run it off the battery... then, 6 months later you run it off the battery for the first time, you may very well find that it only holds a charge for 1 hour. I routinely run my batteries completely dead and recharge them at least once every two weeks and recommend the same to anyone else. This email is getting long enough for now ;-) If you don't know how to cycle charge a battery, let me know and I'll email you the steps. Oh, and my thoughts on battery reconditioning software... personally, other than to play with it and see how it works, I've never used it. I have friends that use it, and they don't get as good results with their batteries as I get with mine... Sionnach __ Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005 http://mail.yahoo.com -- G-Books is sponsored by http://lowendmac.com/ and... Small Dog Electronicshttp://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | -- Check our web site for refurbished PowerBooks | CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html G-Books list info: http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-books.html -- AOL users, remove mailto:; Send list messages to: mailto:G-Books@mail.maclaunch.com To unsubscribe, email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] For digest mode, email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscription questions: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/g-books%40mail.maclaunch.com/ --- iPod Accessories for Less at 1-800-iPOD.COM Fast Delivery, Low Price, Good Deal www.1800ipod.com ---
Re: Life of PBG4 Battery
This email is getting long enough for now ;-) If you don't know how to cycle charge a battery, let me know and I'll email you the steps. ok, I'd be interested in that. Any remedy to the common problem to have the pb going to sleep without warning while advertising the battery with some 40% (or even more) charge? I was advised by Apple personnel to try and run the battery completely down in order to recalibrate, down to the point it shuts the computer down. I did that once, but it didn't solve the problem. I think it's something introduced by Panther? I have this also with Tiger. Another advise I followed was that of replacing the Apple Battery monitor from the menu bar and replacing it with Slim Battery, which I've done, without improving the situation. cheers, gianfranco -- 10 GB Mailbox, 100 FreeSMS/Monat http://www.gmx.net/de/go/topmail +++ GMX - die erste Adresse für Mail, Message, More +++ -- G-Books is sponsored by http://lowendmac.com/ and... Small Dog Electronicshttp://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | -- Check our web site for refurbished PowerBooks | CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html G-Books list info: http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-books.html -- AOL users, remove mailto:; Send list messages to: mailto:G-Books@mail.maclaunch.com To unsubscribe, email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] For digest mode, email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscription questions: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/g-books%40mail.maclaunch.com/ --- iPod Accessories for Less at 1-800-iPOD.COM Fast Delivery, Low Price, Good Deal www.1800ipod.com ---
Re: Life of PBG4 Battery
Hi Vicki and Sionach I have followed your suggestions to the letter and hope to get more on this. I will keep you informed of the success. I think one of the reasons why my battery does not stay as long as two hours is the reason cited below by Sionach. -- allowing the laptop plugged and never run it off the battery. I do remember though that this last for more than two hours couple of months ago. I went over that information at Mac support on how to cycle the battery but there are two choices and I do not know which one applies in my Laptop. Can you please email me the step on how to do it. Thank you Clem On Nov 28, 2005, at 7:31 AM, Sionnach Aisling wrote: Remember that with laptop batteries, the more you use them, the better they will last. If you always keep your laptop plugged in and never run it off the battery... then, 6 months later you run it off the battery for the first time, you may very well find that it only holds a charge for 1 hour. I routinely run my batteries completely dead and recharge them at least once every two weeks and recommend the same to anyone else. __ Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005 http://mail.yahoo.com -- G-Books is sponsored by http://lowendmac.com/ and... Small Dog Electronicshttp://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | -- Check our web site for refurbished PowerBooks | CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html G-Books list info: http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-books.html -- AOL users, remove mailto:; Send list messages to: mailto:G-Books@mail.maclaunch.com To unsubscribe, email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] For digest mode, email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscription questions: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/g-books%40mail.maclaunch.com/ --- iPod Accessories for Less at 1-800-iPOD.COM Fast Delivery, Low Price, Good Deal www.1800ipod.com --- -- G-Books is sponsored by http://lowendmac.com/ and... Small Dog Electronicshttp://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | -- Check our web site for refurbished PowerBooks | CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html G-Books list info: http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-books.html -- AOL users, remove mailto:; Send list messages to: mailto:G-Books@mail.maclaunch.com To unsubscribe, email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] For digest mode, email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscription questions: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/g-books%40mail.maclaunch.com/ --- iPod Accessories for Less at 1-800-iPOD.COM Fast Delivery, Low Price, Good Deal www.1800ipod.com ---
Re: Life of PBG4 Battery
I'm going to second Sionnach's comment about making sure you use the battery on a regular basis. After a year of use, my Thinkpad's battery lasts just as long now as it did when new - about 90 minutes. My co-worker, who got his laptop about the same time, gets maybe 20 minutes...but he uses his plugged in all the time; I use mine on battery almost every day. Interestingly, my Thinkpad (T42) doesn't go nearly as long as my iBook (G4/1.33) on battery power - the iBook goes for the better part of three hours. I do have a 14.1 screen on the Thinkpad, vs. a 12 screen on the iBook, but wouldn't have guessed that it would make such a difference... drew -- G-Books is sponsored by http://lowendmac.com/ and... Small Dog Electronicshttp://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | -- Check our web site for refurbished PowerBooks | CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html G-Books list info: http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-books.html -- AOL users, remove mailto:; Send list messages to: mailto:G-Books@mail.maclaunch.com To unsubscribe, email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] For digest mode, email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscription questions: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/g-books%40mail.maclaunch.com/ --- iPod Accessories for Less at 1-800-iPOD.COM Fast Delivery, Low Price, Good Deal www.1800ipod.com ---
Re: Life of PBG4 Battery
On Nov 27, 2005, at 11:33 PM, Clem Bacani wrote: I have a PBG4 500 Mhz and I wonder what is the expected life of the battery. I only have an hour to keep it running now. Is that normal? Any recommendations? Or do I need to recondition my battery? What steps will I take to maximize power of my battery? Clem How old is this battery?(I don't know when the PBG4 500MHZ came out). Assuming it is Lithium-ion: There was a thread about this a bit ago. Lithium batteries usually lose about 50% of their initial capacity after a couple years, no matter what you do, just due to aging. You know how old your battery is, so you can judge how well it is doing. that sounds... not too bad for an older battery, to me. If you use the battery (full discharge then recharge) it's not the best for the battery, but probably best for the MacOS power manager, which seems to need an occasional discharge then recharge. You should try and avoid complete discharges if at all possible for best lithium battery life. Other items about prolonging life: --- http://www.batteryuniversity.com/parttwo-34.htm is one good spot; the wikipedia entry for LiIon is pretty good. Googling finds others. Charles Moore has a good summary here, for powerbooks but really it's the same thing: http://www.applelinks.com/p5/index.php/print/1217/ Basically: LiIon batteries lose capacity over time whether you use them or not; storage condition makes a difference. 50% charged and cool helps a lot for storing, so if you have a spare battery that you don't use much that is a good thing to try for. For the battery you are using, it's best to keep it compatatively topped up rather than letting them go totally down. BUT leaving the powerbook plugged in always can let it get hot which is bad. HEAT IS BAD for all batteries, but it has a marked effect on LiIon. It's a good thing to keep them cool at all times you can manage. So take that iPod out of its protective case when charging, don't charge your laptop when it's on the sofa, put it on the wood table, etc. Replies I got from makers of replacement LiIon batteries when I was buying spares indicated 50% loss of max capacity after 2 years whether they are used or not; so stocking up on many spares was not recommended, even by the guys who sold the batteries I was buying (www.laptopsforless.com, battery for my Sony Clie UX-50 -I highly recommend these guys for batteries for many devices). HTH. Brian -- G-Books is sponsored by http://lowendmac.com/ and... Small Dog Electronicshttp://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | -- Check our web site for refurbished PowerBooks | CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html G-Books list info: http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-books.html -- AOL users, remove mailto:; Send list messages to: mailto:G-Books@mail.maclaunch.com To unsubscribe, email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] For digest mode, email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscription questions: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Archive: http://www.mail-archive.com/g-books%40mail.maclaunch.com/ --- iPod Accessories for Less at 1-800-iPOD.COM Fast Delivery, Low Price, Good Deal www.1800ipod.com ---
