If you own a notebook, eventually you will need to replace the rechargeable battery that was supplied with the computer when it was originally purchased. This is a fact, and is not due to any defect in the battery itself but simply because the current technologies and battery chemistries result in batteries that have limited lifespans.

A laptop computer battery is evidently a rechargeable battery, which is also known as a secondary cell. The usual battery chemistry that have been used in laptop computer batteries up to date have included nickel cadmium batteries, nickel metal hydride batteries, and lithium ion batteries. Almost all laptop computers today are shipped with lithium ion batteries.

Lithium ion batteries are most commonly used in today’s laptop computers because they have very good energy to weight ratios, are not affected from the memory loss phenomenon, and because they lose their charge slowly. Lithium ion batteries have been theorized as long ago as the 70s, but have not found working application until fairly lately. Lithium ion batteries are also more friendly to the environment as they don’t contain any heavy metals as most of the earlier battery chemistries.

Over time, you will begin to notice that your laptop computer’s battery does not run the computer as long as it did when it was a fresh and new battery. This is due to the fact that the internal resistance of the battery increases as the battery ages and effectively cannot hold as big a charge as a new battery. Your computer’s utility software will normally indicate the charge level of your notebook’s battery and will advise you when the battery starts to give out.

When you know that you need a replacement laptop battery, you will find that there are several sources available from which you can purchase a battery. These include the original equipment manufacturer, otherwise known as the OEM vendor, stores that sell computer equipment including OEM and generic battery brands, and a number of online sites. When shopping for a cheap laptop battery, of course you would like to save money.

The quickest way to find a direct replacement battery for your laptop computer is to simply purchase a cell from the company that manufactured your computer. The downside is that you will always pay the most cash when you buy the battery from the computer maker. You may be able to find the OEM battery from a local computer dealer or an internet source, but often times there is no cost savings associated with buying the OEM battery from another source and sometimes you may even end up paying more.

Most times, generic batteries provide the best value when you need to replace your notebook’s battery. It is true that the factories that make these generic batteries also provide the batteries for the OEM suppliers. So fundamentally you could be getting the duplicate battery that the computer’s manufacturer distributes with a different label on it. These generic batteries are available from your local retailer and from internet stores. These batteries can save you a sizeable amount of cash over the purchase of a battery provided by the computer vendor.

Even So, these generic batteries can be made at a number of different factories and, like anything else, some factories produce better batteries than others. When buying a generic battery, you should consider the reputation of the source and, more than anything else, you need to ensure that the battery store will warrant that the battery will work with your computer. Laptop batteries are generally warranted for a period of anywhere from 3 to 12 months and it is important that you verify that the battery operates correctly when you receive it. Just place it in your notebook computer and charge it as you normally would. If it charges fully and there are no error messages from your power management utility, you know that you are good to go. You also will have saved yourself a sizeable amount of money by buying replacement laptop batteries.

An analysis was done to determine whether discount laptop batteries could result in a savings to the consumer. The results were definitive that a cost savings of 50% could be realized.