if you own an ipod, check out
this nice FAQ about their battery. An important question is
What is the best way to handle charging/discharging/storage of lithium ion batteries
Also, many, many factors affect how much you get out of each
charge, as well as how long the battery will last overall. The
main factors include charging patterns, the routine amount of
discharge (i.e., Do you use it until it dies? Use it for an hour
or two and recharge?), temperature, storage, usage frequency,
etc. Lithium ion batteries do not take kindly to frequent full or
complete discharges. When possible, the optimal usage pattern -
for any lithium ion battery - is a partial discharge, followed by
recharging. A partial discharge can be anything less than a full
discharge. However, an occasional full discharge is desirable
(e.g., once every 30 charges) to calibrate the battery. Lithium
ion batteries do not significantly degrade, or develop "memory",
even if charged at irregular intervals; irregular charging is
acceptable. An iPod can also safely be attached to external power
for extended periods of time. (For extremely extended periods of
time, such as months, the battery will essentially be the same as
if it were in "storage"; lithium ion batteries do not store well
for extended periods of time at full charge. However, there is no
way around this under these circumstances.) When possible, always
use the AC adapter (or vehicle adapter) for extended charging, not
a FireWire cable attached to a computer.
