How to prolong your notebook's battery life

No amount of battery life ever seems enough for a notebook user on the go. Fortunately, there are several steps that can be taken to prolong the battery life of a notebook computer running Windows®, Laptop Magazine reports.

The first is to dim the computer's screen when running on battery power. While large, high-definition displays are easy on the eyes, they are tough on battery life. Lowering the brightness even slightly will have dramatic results.

Also, according to the report, a user should turn off any background tasks while the computer isn't plugged in. Background tasks don't get in the way of productivity, but they are draining on a computer's battery.

Finally, a user can do without the aesthetics of a backlit keyboard while working with battery power. According to the report, this is another small fix that will result in big-time power savings.

According to a Yahoo report, there are even measures users can take to ease the impact of deteriorating batteries. It's true that power capacities fall over time, but recalibrating a notebook's battery may improve the accuracy of the computer's power meter.