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Mobile Computing
Monitoring main battery power
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The computer can be used while the RTC battery is being charged, although the charging status of the RTC battery cannot be monitored.
Monitoring main battery power
The computer’s main battery light gives you an indication of the main battery’s current charge. The following also applies to the secondary battery (not included with your computer) if installed.
❖ Glows amber while the main battery is being charged
(AC adaptor connected).
❖
Glows green when the main battery is fully charged.
❖
Is unlit when the battery has discharged, the battery is not charging, or the AC adaptor is not plugged into the computer or
AC outlet.
NOTE Battery life and charge time may vary, depending upon power management settings, applications and features used.
❖
Flashes amber when the main battery charge is low and it is time to recharge the main battery or plug in the AC adaptor.
NOTE If the AC power light flashes amber during charging, either a battery pack is malfunctioning, or it is not receiving correct input from the
AC power supply.
Disconnect the AC power cord/cable and remove the battery pack.
See
“Changing the main battery” on page 117
for information on replacing the main battery.
HINT: Be careful not to confuse the battery light ( ) with the on/off light ( ).
When the on/off light flashes amber, it indicates that the system is suspended (using the Windows ® operating system Sleep command).
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Power button
System indicator lights
AC power light
On/off light
Battery light
Wireless indicator light
Secondary battery light
Internal storage drive light
(Sample Illustration) Power and battery light locations
SD™ card light
Determining remaining battery power
NOTE Wait at least 16 seconds after turning on the computer before trying to monitor the remaining battery power. The computer needs this time to check the battery’s remaining capacity and perform its calculations.
Move the cursor over the power icon in the Notification Area, see
“Finding your way around the desktop” on page 124
. A pop-up message displays the remaining battery power as a percentage.
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With repeated discharges and recharges, the battery’s capacity gradually decreases. A frequently used older battery does not power the computer for as long as a new battery, even when both are fully charged.
TECHNICAL NOTE: The computer drains the battery faster at low temperatures. Check your remaining charge frequently if you are working in temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
The computer calculates the remaining battery charge based on your current rate of power use and other factors such as the age of the battery.
What to do when the main battery runs low
When the main battery runs low you can:
❖
Plug the computer into an external power source and recharge the main battery
❖
Place the computer into Hibernation mode and replace the main battery with a charged spare (not included with your computer)
❖
Save your work and turn off the computer
If you do not manage to do any of these things before the main battery completely runs out of power, the computer automatically enters Hibernation mode and turns itself off. Hibernation mode keeps track of where you were, so that when you turn on the power again, you can continue where you left off.
If you have Hibernation mode enabled (the default), the computer copies the details of your open programs and files to the internal storage drive before shutting down. For more information on using
Hibernation, see “Hibernation mode” on page 77.
Setting battery notifications
You can set two notifications. Each notification can be set to alert you when a specified percentage of remaining battery power has been reached. You can also set the computer to enter Sleep mode or
Hibernation mode or to completely power down when the notification goes off.
To change the default notification settings:
1 Click Start , Control Panel , Mobile PC , and then Power
Options .
The Power Options window appears.
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2 Click Change plan settings under the power plan to be customized.
The Edit Plan Settings window appears.
3 Click Change advanced power settings .
The Advanced settings tab of the Power Options window appears.
(Sample Image) Advanced settings tab of Power Options screen
4 Click Battery to display the battery options.
5 Configure the alarm settings to suit your needs.
Conserving battery power
How long a fully charged battery pack lasts when you are using the computer depends on a number of factors, such as:
❖ How the computer is configured
❖ How much you use the internal storage drive, optical drive, diskette drives, or other optional devices
❖
Where you are working, since operating time decreases at low temperatures
There are various ways in which you can conserve power and extend the operating time of your battery:
❖
Enable Sleep or Hibernation, which saves power when you turn off the computer and turn it back on again
❖ Use the Windows ® power-saving option plans
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These power-saving options control the way in which the computer is configured. By using them, you can increase the length of time you can use the computer before you need to recharge the battery.
Microsoft ® has combined these options into preset Power Plans.
Using one of these power plans lets you choose between maximum power savings and peak system performance. You may also set individual power-saving options to suit your own needs.
The following sections describe how to choose a Power Plan and discuss each power-saving option.
Power Plans
You can choose a predefined Power Plan or select your own combination of power options. To do this:
1 Click Start , Control Panel , Mobile PC , and then Power
Options .
The Windows ® Power Options window appears.
(Sample Image) Windows ® Power Options window
2 Select an appropriate plan for your work environment or create your own custom plan.
3 Click Create a Power Plan to set up a new plan.
NOTE To edit a plan or to edit advanced settings, continue to the following steps.
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4 Click Change Plan Settings to choose the plan you want to edit.
This screen allows you to change basic settings.
5 Click Change Advanced Settings to access settings for battery notification levels, internal storage drive power save time, etc.
You can click on the plus signs to expand each item and to see what settings are available for each item.
6 Click Save Changes to save the plan changes you have performed.
By default the three power plans Balanced, Power Saver, and High
Performance are satisfactory for most people and do not need to be edited. The Power Saver plan is the best used for maximum battery time. The High Performance plan will give you the shortest battery time, but the highest performance from your computer. The
Balanced plan is a compromise between battery time and performance.
Using a hot key to set the Power Plan
You may use a hot key to set the Power Plan.
To set the Power Plan:
1 Press Fn and F2 simultaneously to display the Power Plan hot key card.
(Sample Image) Power Plan hot key card
2 While continuing to press Fn , press F2 until you select the desired Power Plan.
The Power Plan options are: Balanced, Power Saver, and High
Performance.
3 Release the Fn key.
The hot key card disappears. You are now in the selected mode.
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