How to keep the juice (battery) flowing

IF YOU e using the laptop as your primary computer and keeping it plugged into the electrical outlet all the time, removing the battery is fine.

Many companies actually recommend against keeping the battery constantly plugged in, as heat and other factors could affect internal chemistry and shorten its overall life span.

Sudden surges of current from the wall outlet can do bad things to computers, modem and other delicate electronic equipment.

To help protect against electrical fluctuations, many people use a surge suppressor - a device that goes between a computer's power cord and the wall outlet.

If you want to make sure your computer has a backup power system in case the electricity fails, you might want to buy an uninterruptible power supply.

Besides protecting your electrical fluctuations, a UPS can also serve as an emergency backup when the power goes out, to give you enough time - two to five minutes - to shut the computer down properly.

A detailed explanation is at http://computer.howstuffworks.com/question28.htm.

If you don't use the laptop battery, charge it of its capacity and tuck it away it in cool, dry place - New York Times Special Features