AST RESEARCH, INC.        INFORMATIONAL BULLETIN # 0081        1/27/99

TITLE  Optimum Longevity from Your Notebook Battery

SUMMARY

   Care and feeding of your battery is an important part of notebook 
   ownership and will reward you with maximum battery life. This 
   bulletin expounds upon the instructions given in the User's 
   Manual, however it is not intended to replace the message in the 
   User's Manual.


NOTES

   As your battery is used (charged and discharged), it is expected 
   that the length of time the battery will operate the unit will 
   decrease.  This is typical battery behavior.  However, the 
   following steps have successfully been used in many cases to 
   extend the usable life of the battery:
   
   * Remove A/C power
   * With power off, insert the battery
   * Turn the power on and enter Setup at boot (F2)
     NOTE:  If battery is already completely discharged
     and is unable to power the system, proceed to the RECHARGE
     SECTION below
   * In Setup, go to the Power savings section and set the PM
     Control or Mode to OFF or Disabled (as applicable) and the
     Power Savings mode to Customize.
     NOTE:  Depending on the system you have, some of the field names
     may be slightly different.
   * As they apply to your particular system, set the following
     fields to 'OFF' or 'Disabled':
     Standby Timeout, Suspend Timeout, SmartSleep Timeout, Rest
     Timeout, Hard Disk Timeout or Powerdown, Video Timeout, LCD
     Powerdown, Resume on Modem Ring & Resume On Time or Schedule
   * Proceed to the Exit menu, Save Changes & Exit
   * Go to a pure DOS prompt by (do not shell out from Windows):
     -Use a bootable floppy diskette or
     -In Windows 95/98, hold down the left Ctrl key following the
      POST beep and select 'Safe mode command prompt only' from the
      Startup Menu
   * Allow your unit to completely drain the battery and shut off
     by itself
   
     RECHARGE SECTION
   
   * Following the shutdown, plug in the A/C power and completely
     charge the battery to capacity.  The battery capacity status
     can be viewed by the indicator lights on some models of AST 
     batteries or in other cases use the function key (Fn+ x)
     combination for the particular system you are using.
   * Repeat the discharge/charge process one or two more times to
     regain the maximum potential the battery is capable of.
     NOTE:  Like any battery, the battery will never regain the 
     capacity of a brand new battery, but will regain its maximum
     capacity for its current condition.
   * Once you have completed the entire process, return to Setup
     and reset the Power menu fields to your preference.
   
   Consider repeating this process every few hundred hours of
   battery usage.


TAN  TPR 000244RW

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The information in this data sheet is subject to change without       
notice.  AST Research, Inc. shall not be liable for technical or      
editorial errors or omissions contained herein; nor for incidental or 
consequential damages resulting from the furnishing, performance,     
or use of this material. This material contains information protected 
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without prior written consent from AST Research, Inc.                 
All rights reserved.                                                  
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