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Laptop Batteries
The two most common reasons why people buy
new batteries for their laptops
are:
- spare battery - to be able to use their PC
longer than possible with just one battery,
they buy extra batteries.
- replacement battery - even the best cared
for battery eventually loses its ability
to hold a charge, and so the batteries have
to be replaced.
There are four sources for batteries
for
your laptop:
- Original manufacturer - if your laptop is a recent model, you
can probably still order a battery directly
from the manufacturer. However, battery technology
is constantly progressing as manufacturers
seek to put more power in a smaller space;
as a result, batteries are often unique to
a model or line of laptops. To hold down
inventory costs, most manufacturers stop
stocking new batteries for older models after
a few years.
- Distributors of OEM (original equipment manufacturer)
batteries - if your manufacturer no longer sells your
battery, look to distributors. Frequently,
they have a small stock of original replacement
batteries.
- Compatible batteries - a lower cost option and, after a manufacturer
drops the part, often times the only practical
option is to use a battery manufactured to
the original specifications by another company.
While there is some risk in buying "just
as good or better than the original"
batteries, these batteries are often a lower
cost choice, if not your only choice.
- Used batteries - over time, laptops get discarded for many
reasons, and it is possible to find a a battery
in another machine like yours. However, you
do not have any way of knowing how "worn"
the battery is or how well it was cared for
by the previous owner. Do not be surprised
if the used battery you buy is also approaching
the end of its useful life.
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