How can I minimize the power my laptop uses?

Your laptop battery life depends on the power capacity of your laptop battery and the amount of energy your computer draws. You can maximize your laptop battery life by changing the amount of power your computer draws while in battery mode.

Tips to Reduce Power Usage and Maximize Laptop Battery Run Time:

-Reduce the brightness of your laptop screen. The screen is the biggest battery drain.
-Avoid using the CD or DVD drive as the motor consumes a fair amount of power.
-Turn off your wifi finder if you're not connected to the internet.
-Remove any devices plugged into your USB ports or other ports.
-Close unused programs or apps

If you are a Windows OS user, within the Control Panel section you will find Power Options. In this section you can change power use and low power alerts. Windows users will also be able to lower the brightness of the LCD panel and extend the battery life considerably. You can also extend your battery life between charges by minimizing the use of your CD and DVD drive operation.

If you are a Mac OS user, within the System Preferences go to the Energy Saver to access the battery and power adapter settings. You will be able to adjust graphics, screen, disk and sleep settings that improve battery usage and laptop performance.