5 Ways Of Increasing Battery Life On Ultraportable Laptops

The life of ultraportable batteries can vary. Although some ultraportable laptops may last as long as 9 hours, others – like the 11 inch Macbook Air – may only reach five. If you're going to be away from a power source for some time then it helps to implement a few of these battery-saving techniques.

1) Switch Off Wi-Fi: One simple method for conserving battery life is ensuring that Wi-Fi is switched off when not in use. To turn Wi-Fi off, you may have a dedicated switch or function (Fn) button, you may have an option in your power management settings, or you may have to access it through your control panel. In any case, be vigilant with your Wi-Fi and you’ll be able to keep using your laptop for longer.

2) Turn Down Brightness: Another simple method to help stretch out battery life is to turn down the brightness of your monitor. This can usually be done using the function keys on your keyboard (the function key for brightness will usually have a small sun image on it). If you are in a relatively dark place, turning down the brightness settings makes very little difference to screen visibility, but even in lighter environments screen brightness shouldn’t impact your usage too much. Tilting your screen at the correct angle can also help offset reduces brightness.

3) Quit Background Programs And Gadgets: A lot of the time our computers run background programs and gadgets without us even knowing it. Turning them off can help reduce power consumption and extend battery life allowing you to make the most of your ultraportable laptop when on the move. These programs often appear at the bottom right in the taskbar, but some will only appear in the task manager. Those in the taskbar are easily turned off, usually by right clicking on them and choosing something like “exit” or “quit”. Those in the task manager can be closed by highlighting the relevant program and selecting “end task”. Note: it is important not to close programs in the task manager if you're unsure of what they do. Some are essential to running the computer and may cause crashes and other problems if switched off. Always check before closing a program you're unsure about.

4) Turn Off Your Music And Mute Speakers: If you're listening to music while you work or browse the web, turn it off. Playing music through your laptop speakers uses up a lot of battery power, and even listening through headphones has a noticeable effect. It's also worth muting the speakers: websites especially will often have video or audio adds which will eat into your battery if the speakers aren't muted.

5) Look At Your Power Saving Options: All portable devices have power saving options. Your ultraportable laptop is no different. To see what options you have, simply right click the battery icon at the bottom left of your screen and select “power options”.