For my PowerBook or iBook, how do I extend the battery life?

To learn more about the batteries Apple uses in PowerBooks, iBooks, and iPods, including tips and suggestions for improving battery life, visit the following web site:

To improve the battery life of your PowerBook or iBook, you must reduce its power consumption. There are a number of strategies to do this:

• Reduce your screen's brightness. The LCD displays of modern portable computers consume a lot of power. Dimming the screen will reduce its power requirements considerably. If you're using an older PowerBook, turn off backlighting.
  
  
• Put your computer to sleep when you're not using it. You may set it to go to sleep after a certain amount of time in your Energy Saver control panel or in System Preferences. During sleep, your screen and hard disk will be turned off, greatly reducing your computer's power requirements.
  
  
• Turn on processor cycling. Processor cycling slows down your CPU when it's not needed. On some models, you can further conserve energy by slowing the processor speed.
  
  
• Don't use applications that frequently access the hard disk. This includes web browsers and most word processors. If you must use these programs, turn off their ability to cache web pages and auto-save documents, respectively. Also, unless you are using Mac OS X, turn off virtual memory. If you are using Mac OS X, turn off the Classic environment.
  
  
• Turn off AppleTalk. Even if you don't have a connection, AppleTalk will make frequent network queries, increasing the processor's energy requirements.
  
  
• Go offline. Your modem, AirPort card, and/or Ethernet interface all draw energy from your battery. When you aren't using your AirPort card, make sure you turn it off.
  
  
• Turn off the sound, or use headphones in lieu of your computer's speakers, which consume more power.
  
  
• Don't use PC cards, expansion bay devices, or peripherals that receive power from any of your ports. They often require a substantial amount of power even when they're not in use. Likewise, do not use internal devices, such as your floppy, CD, or DVD drives.
  
  
• You should periodically recondition your battery. To do this, operate your PowerBook or iBook on battery power until the battery is completely drained. There are also software and hardware products that can do this.
  
  
• Carry a spare battery. With iBooks and recent PowerBooks, you may change batteries without shutting down your computer.

Also see:

• Why won't my PowerBook or iBook battery charge?
• Is there a potential danger with Mac PowerBook 140/170 batteries?