Just to add to kempie's answer, just use the battery basically.
Don't keep it charged forever, and don't keep it empty forever. Just use it as and when you need to, and charge it as and when it's convenient.
To make sure the battery level indicator is properly set up, it's good practice to fully discharge the battery (i.e., use it until it turns off), leave it for a few hours like this, then plug it in and keep it fully charged at 100% for a few hours before unplugging. Do this once a month or every few months.
This all goes for your laptop battery too, assuming li-ion or nimh.