Toshiba Tecra 500CS User Manual page 145

000-book.bk : 06-road.fm5 Page 144 Thursday, May 16, 1996 2:07 PM
144
Taking Your Computer on the Road
Running the Computer on Battery Power
Monitoring Battery Power
The computer's battery light indicates the main battery's current
charge. The possible states of the battery light are:
Green indicates a full charge.
Orange indicates the battery is charging.
Flashing orange indicates that the charge is running low.
The dashboard section of Toshiba Access Panel provides gauges
that display the remaining battery charge in a variety of formats.
This section describes how to use the Toshiba Access Panel to
monitor the battery charge. To learn more about the Toshiba
Access Panel, read the complete description of its features, which
starts in "Toshiba Access Panel" on page 371.
The computer drains battery power more quickly at low tem-
peratures. Check your remaining charge frequently if you're
working in temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
The computer calculates the remaining battery charge as it oper-
ates, based on your current rate of power use. With repeated dis-
charges and recharges the battery's capacity will gradually
decrease. So a frequently used older battery will not power the
computer for as long as a new battery, even when both are fully
charged. The Toshiba Access Panel indicates 100% charge for
both old and new batteries, but the estimated time remaining will
be shorter for an older battery.
Wait at least 16 seconds after turning on the computer before
trying to monitor the remaining battery power. The computer
needs this time to check the battery's remaining capacity and
perform its calculations.
Part I: Getting to Know Your Computer