Knowing When to Buy an IBM Laptop Battery

Determining when to buy an IBM laptop battery isn't always as cut and dry as it may seem. We all know we should buy new batteries when our current ones die, but there are plenty of other times when it's good to consider purchasing a new IBM battery.

Why You Need a New IBM Laptop Battery

Knowing when to buy batteries often depends on the kind of battery you need, and preparing for it in advance will prevent you from getting stuck with no power at all.

Replacing Batteries

It's fairly simple: when the battery in your current IBM notebook computer dies, you need to get a replacement for it. But that leaves you scrambling to find a new one while you're without battery power. Knowing the signs of dying batteries will help you be ready with your replacement already in hand.

• Most laptop batteries last for only two to three years. If yours has passed the two year mark, you may want to start looking.
• When the charge on your battery no longer lasts past the one hour point, it's time to start shopping around.

Upgrading Batteries

Your current battery for your IBM computer may be working just fine, even if it is a couple of years old. It's really the features of the computer that feel outdated, and those are what you've decided to upgrade. However, with new features comes additional drain on your battery. If you're upgrading your IBM computer, then it's time to upgrade your battery as well.

Additional Batteries

Regardless of how new batteries are or how long they last, they still may not last as long as you need them to. Most batteries, depending on how you use your computer, only last around three hours. If you want to put your laptop to work for a full eight-hour day, then you will need a second battery to back up the first one.

When You're Ready to Buy IBM Batteries

You know it's time to buy a new battery, but you're not sure where to start. Here are a few things to consider that will help you find IBM batteries.

Know Your Computer

The most important thing you can do when purchasing a battery for your laptop is to make sure you know your IBM model number. Most sites sell laptop batteries by the make and model number of the computer because most batteries only work with specific models. Once you know your model number, go to a site that makes it easy for you by allowing you to sort by that number.

New or Used

You like a good bargain and your IBM notebook is a few years old anyway, so a used battery at a cheaper price probably sounds pretty good to you. When it comes to laptop batteries, this just isn't the case. Laptop batteries have a very limited life, and a used battery will already have lost a portion of that life. You may save money at the moment, but in the long run, you'll end up spending the same, or more, to get another battery. Stick to the new ones.