Contributing to the thread were Huffer, Mumbodog, and Comptronic. The provided excellent information about battery life, how to prolong it, and what to do if you are going to have your laptop plugged in for more than a week.
Huffer provides this advice: "The smart chip that prevents overcharging also counts charge/discharge cycles and forces the battery to commit suicide after a certain number of cycles. Leaving the battery in will allow more cycles to accumulate on the battery leading to premature death. The rule of thumb is if you are going to leave the laptop in one place for about a week or more, you can remove the battery. Run it down to 50% and remove it then store it in a dark cool dry place but never the refrigerator or freezer."
Thanks to all our fantastic community members. This was a great and informative answer. Truly deserving of being our "Post of the Week"
