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Q: I just bought a laptop computer and have received conflicting advice as to whether it should be kept plugged in when able or unplugged to allow the battery to run down first and then plug in again. Which is the correct course for ultimate battery longevity?

A: There is conflicting information on this subject, so the answer tends to change depending on where you look.

I will just speak to my personal experience, which indicates that there should be no problem at all leaving a laptop connected to A/C power.

This comes from years of experience working with laptops that are used as a desktop replacement and connected to power for the bulk of their use, usually through a docking station and connected to external monitors.

But if you go down the battery care rabbit hole on the Internet, you will find conflicting opinions.

Laptop batteries will wear out and need to be replaced eventually, no matter how well you take care of them. Most manufacturers only warranty the battery of a laptop for one year, even if you purchase an extended warranty on the computer itself so even the vendors recognize that laptop batteries are fickle at best.

I would expect a laptop battery to be mostly reliable for about three years before you start to see serious degradation in performance.

The real problem with laptop batteries these days is the fact that they are not easily replaced by the computer owner like they were several years ago.

The new lightweight laptops tend to be completely sealed up, making it difficult to self-service what was once a pretty easily done by a novice.

That being said, there are some really good YouTube videos that can walk you through swapping a battery on most laptops.