IBM T41 battery runs out in 15 minutes

[kofi2003uk]

hi everyone,
i need some advice.i have had this ibm t41 for about 4 years now.its been working fine(windows xp) until about a month ago. the battery keeps running out very fast even though its fully charged. it can jump from 90% battery power to 20% within 5 minutes and then die suddenly.
can anyone tell me what is wrong with it. is this a case of throwing the battery away and buying a new one?

 

[big-all]

absolutley typical responce of a dying battery
but dont throw it away untill you try the new for a few months to double check its being charged ok

 

[kofi2003uk]

thanks big-all. will start looking for a new one.anything i need to look out for when buying a new one ie capacity and stuff like that?thanks

 

[Steve]

And dont throw old batteries in the bin. Take to your council's "household amenity site" (dumpit site) and put in the appropriate container.