The one thing that differentiates laptops is their portability; and this characteristic is pretty much useless when laptop batteries conk out. Of all the laptop components, batteries are arguably the most defining. They may not be essential to making the laptop work, but they are the laptop parts which give laptops their reason for being in the first place. Otherwise, consumers would go for the oft-cheaper-yet-robust desktops instead if they have to be slaves to the power socket.

Seeing how important laptop batteries are, here are some tips on how to extend your battery"s life for as long as possible.

Defrag Regularly
Hard drives consume significant amounts of power, with the hard drive disc constantly spinning to access data. Over time, these bits of data can get cluttered, making the HD work even harder, thereby consuming more power.

The trick is to make the HD as efficient as possible in accessing data. To do this, you have to defrag your hard drive. Defragging is the process where the data stored on the HD is arranged so as to minimize gaps in between, making file access easier.

For most casual computer users, a monthly defragging schedule should be fine.

Terminate Unnecessary Programs Running in the Background
Needless to say, all those background-running programs serve to do nothing more than eat up more of your laptop"s battery life. iTunes, Desktop Search, an antivirus program if you"re not connected to the internet; it doesn"t matter what the program is. Just be judicious about which programs you need running and which you don"t.

Disconnect Unused External Devices
External devices plugged in your computer also consume some juice from the battery as well. Gamepads, external hard drives, flash drives, and whatnot all have to get their power from somewhere, and keeping them plugged in without ever actually using them will only deplete your resources. Pull them out when not in use.

Add More RAM
If you can afford it, it may do you well to purchase an additional RAM stick for your laptop. Not only will it make your computer process faster, but it will also make your hard drive not have to work harder since the flow of information is less clogged. As a result, the battery won"t have to expend as much power on the HD.

Use Virtual Drives Instead of Optical Drives Whenever Possible
As much as hard drives will suck your battery dry, optical drives are far worse. Even when not in use, DVD drives will keep on spinning the discs inside them.
If a program requires the constant presence of a disc in your optical drive, it"s better to use a virtual drive instead; as long as the program gets access to the specific file it needs, that"s that.

Keep the Temperature Down
The hotter it is, the harder it is for your laptop to operate efficiently. Keep things cool by keeping the laptop"s air vents clear.

Take Care of the Battery
Finally, make sure that your battery is well taken care of. When fully charged, do not let this laptop component go unused for a very long time. Use it at least once every two to three weeks. And unless you"re using the newer Li-On batteries, let your old battery fully discharge before charging it up again to prevent the so-called "memory effect."