Recommend a good battery for a laptop

[Sugar Ray]

Hi

I have a Dell 8600 and for some reason the battery even though fully charged lasts a minute (so i just keep the ac connected) Does anyone know a good make of battery and how much I'm looking at. Do I have to get another Dell battery??

[LeMarchand]

You don't have to use a Dell battery (though use of another brand may invalidate your warranty).

In a bit of a hurry, and haven't got time to Google for addresses, but first search for Dell battery recall on Google; if you're very lucky you may be eligible for a free one (which takes ages). If not, search for Dell 8600 battery - there will be loads of places that do copies cheaper than Dell. I got a D600 battery from http://www.laptopshop.co.uk/ for �65, and the service was very quick.

[LeMarchand]

P.S. Make sure you "condition" your new battery: FULLY charge and then FULLY discharge it a few times before using it normally.