Is taking off the laptop battery a good idea?

Some myth dispelling information on the subject @ Battery information from Battery University

Well, that's surprising. Even the manual for my new Clevo recommends a full discharge cycle, which is wrong for Li-Ion

I wont be doing that then.

Although according to the link above and a bit more googling, leaving the battery at 100% while stored and running plugged in (full continuous charge, higher temps due to the current) is also bad for it's capacity life.

I guess I'll avoid fully discharging AND leaving it plugged in for extended periods of time.

Let’s look at real-life situations and examine what stress a lithium-ion battery encounters. Most packs last three to five years, less if exposed to high heat and if kept at a full charge. Table 3 illustrates capacity loss as a function of temperature and state-of-charge. One can clearly see a performance drop of recoverable capacity caused by environmental conditions and not cycling. The worst condition is keeping a fully charged battery at elevated temperatures, which is the case when running a laptop on the power grid. Under these circumstances the battery will typically last for about two years, whether cycled or not.

TVeblen said:

I'm wondering if that manual said "a full discharge cycle" or a "full recharge cycle".

This is pretty much all my manual had to say about battery care:

New Battery
Always completely discharge, then fully charge, a new battery

Battery Life
Battery life may be shortened through improper maintenance. To optimize the life
and improve its performance, fully discharge and recharge the battery at least
once every 30 days.

How do I maintain the battery?
Completely discharge and charge the battery at least once every 30 days or after
about 20 partial discharges.

Aside from a 'few hours' to fully charge, there's no mention of how many cycles, over charge/volt protection or if it's 'fine' to leave a battery in full time whilst on power

Anecdotal evidence vs evidence from the links above still seem to be at odds.

'It's recommended to fully discharge vs never fully discharge'
'Safe to leave battery in vs remove battery for extended use'

The only thing I'm now certain of is that the battery will eventually clap out. The one thing I'm not (the important one) is when :)

It also hard to shake nicad habits