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View Full Version : Battery Monitoring With Battery Bar


Hooch Tan
09-04-2010, 04:30 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9183618/Get_a_Better_Battery_Gauge_for_Your_Laptop' target='_blank'>http://www.computerworld.com/s/arti...for_Your_Laptop</a><br /><br /></div><p><em>"Typically, you have to mouse over that tiny System Tray power icon if you want Windows' read on how much battery life is left. BatteryBar adds a full-time, at-a-glance gauge to the right side of the taskbar, which, by itself, is mighty handy."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/lpt/auto/1283578723.usr20447.jpg" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" /></p><p>I have used laptops for a very long time.&nbsp; I have used laptops so old that I am paranoid about being away from a power outlet.&nbsp; While never laptops have helped teach me that it is okay to use a laptop that is not plugged in, I still watch that little battery icon in the lower right corner like a hawk.&nbsp; The problem is that wee icon does not tell me much.&nbsp; BatteryBar is a tool that gives you more information like an at-a-glance view of how much time you have left before things go dark.&nbsp; There are lots of tools like this, and I lament that my personal favourite, Notebook Hardware Control has not been updated in years, so I am always on the search for new programs like this to feed my paranoia.&nbsp; Does anyone have any suggestions on what to use to monitor their laptop life?</p>

crimsonsky
09-04-2010, 05:37 PM
Battery Bar Pro is actually exactly what I use on my netbook and it does the job. Being able to set separate profiles for plugged in and on battery is a boon (although the built in Windows 7 power management allows this as well). For me, the biggest benefit is seeing the statistics, especially in terms of battery wear.

Hooch Tan
09-06-2010, 08:58 PM
Battery Bar Pro is actually exactly what I use on my netbook and it does the job. Being able to set separate profiles for plugged in and on battery is a boon (although the built in Windows 7 power management allows this as well). For me, the biggest benefit is seeing the statistics, especially in terms of battery wear.

One option I would love to see is being able to decide what to do when the lid closes depending on charging state. When I'm plugged in, I'd like it to do nothing, as I may just want to move the laptop slightly to get it out of the way while I'm doing some work. However, if I'm on battery power, putting it into sleep mode would be better.

Tony Rylow
09-07-2010, 08:53 PM
After reading this post, I downloaded Battery Bar for my power hungry M11x. I love being able to see the battery info at a glance. This definitely makes the list of apps that get installed on all of my laptops.

Lee Yuan Sheng
09-08-2010, 02:57 AM
Mmm, great, just like the one on Thinkpads! Nice find.