If your laptop is saddled with a battery so poor that you have to constantly be plugged into an outlet, you're missing out on all the benefits a portable computer can offer. There are steps you can take to make sure your batter lasts as long as possible before you need to replace it.
TechDragInfo offers the following tips:
*Dim your screen brightness. Unless you do a lot of work outside, a dim screen works just fine and consumes less power.
*Close unused programs. Anyone with a smartphone with a weak battery knows the drill well. After you close out apps you're no longer using, make sure they're not still running in the background, sapping away your power.
*Clean your battery. Every couple of months, take the battery out and clean the metal contacts with dabs of alcohol, then dry it thoroughly before you reattach it.
What laptop batteries do you find last the longest, and what do you do to make sure you get the most out of your batteries?
http://techdraginfo.blogspot.com/2010/10/improve-laptop-battery-life-by-taking.html