Newbie laptop questions

So I just bought a nice refurbished thinkpad T40, with a new battery. I like it.

I've never owned a laptop before, so I have no idea what I'm doing. How long should I charge the battery for before its first use? How long would it take to charge completely from empty?

And subsequently, is it best to use the battery until it's empty before charging? How many charges is this kind of battery good for?

Most laptop stores tell you that you should charge for ~8 hours (full night, won't hurt if you leave it longer) first, to "format" the bat. After that, it depends on the capacity. As for draining completely: do it every 2 week - 1 month, if you are a carebear. It might prolong it's capacity and lifetime.