Johnobrucy

Laptop battery maintenance

I recently bought my first laptop. The way I use it, the machine is plugged in 98% of the time. For the battery to run down, I would have to deliberately set out to do so by unplugging the power cord.

I did that the second day I owned it, just to see what happened, and how quickly it recharged.

Should I periodically run the battery to death (then recharge) so as to maintain the battery in good condition? If so, how often, once per month; twice per year?

Also, do you leave it plugged in to a live outlet overnight, or when turned off and not in use (batteries still receive a trickle charge?), or do unplug the power cord (or turn off the power strip). In those cases, the power shows as slightly drained when I turn it on from house current the following morning.

I couldn't find any info on this at the Gateway site, and this is my first laptop computer. I'm looking to establish good habits with this nifty little box.

What are you laptop users doing on this one?