battery life on mbp

ChicoMendez

Hi Lads

i just got my new mbp and would like to ensure my battery stays good for as long as possible

on any laptop ive ever used if you leave the battery in while connected to the mains then it reduces the battery life -
is this the case with a mac book pro ??

K.O.Kiki

ChicoMendez wrote:

Hi Lads

i just got my new mbp and would like to ensure my battery stays good for as long as possible

on any laptop ive ever used if you leave the battery in while connected to the mains then it reduces the battery life -
is this the case with a mac book pro ??

How'd you check that?

Anyway, it's just a computer (with better power management) -- just do the routine:

1. Charge to 100% on arrival, discharge to 0%-ish after that.
2. Recharge to 100%, try to not let it go below 15% (I think) after that.

The battery life will go down as it gets older anyway. A good little widget to look for would be MiniBatteryStatus widget; it'll tell you how many times you've charged the battery (as well as the usual time-left).

ChicoMendez

so i just charge it and the pull out the socket and let it run down and the do it all over again and again and again ...

hmmmmmmmm

uncle_sam_ie

ChicoMendez wrote:

so i just charge it and the pull out the socket and let it run down and the do it all over again and again and again ...

hmmmmmmmm

Yes, exercise that baby. That will make it healthy and strong. The one thing that will definitely shorten your battery life is keeping it plugged into the mains all the time.

Doodee

whoopsies,


I keep forgetting that i have it plugged in all the time (due to it being stationary for the time being)

What are you lads getting for batterylife in windows?

mines at full batt right now and im reading 2hrs with screen not dimmed and only light applications

ChicoMendez

what happens if you dont want to use teh battery all the time - ie use the mbp as a desktop... surely you can disconnect THE BATTERY AND SAVE IT FOR A RAINY DAY ???

K.O.Kiki

ChicoMendez wrote:

what happens if you dont want to use teh battery all the time - ie use the mbp as a desktop... surely you can disconnect THE BATTERY AND SAVE IT FOR A RAINY DAY ???

Nah, just think of what happens when you get a power-cut...

ZENER

ChicoMendez wrote:

so i just charge it and the pull out the socket and let it run down and the do it all over again and again and again ...

hmmmmmmmm

Modern battery technology differs greatly from the days when Ni-CAD batteries had a memory problem. Li-ION batteries are a bit more robust. Still, certain precautions should be taken to ensure a prolonged life. These batteries have a limited number of discharge-charge cycles - typically 300 - 350. So a full Discharge-Charge cycle will be allowed 300 times.

It's better to top-up the battery after use so you don't need a full recharge. Storage temperature is also important, they don't like high temperatures.

More info is available on Wikipedia.

ZEN

Cabaal

ChicoMendez wrote:

Hi Lads

i just got my new mbp and would like to ensure my battery stays good for as long as possible

on any laptop ive ever used if you leave the battery in while connected to the mains then it reduces the battery life -
is this the case with a mac book pro ??

not sure about constant use, but manual says this after you get it

The next thing I need to do is to calibrate the battery of the MacBook Pro to get the battery functioning at it’s fullest capacity. According to page 24 on MacBook Pro User’s Guide, to calibrate the battery you need to follow these steps:

1. Plug in the power adapter and fully charge your MacBook Pro battery until the light on the power adapter plug changes to green and the Battery icon in the menu bar indicates that the battery is fully charged.
2. Allow the battery to rest in the fully charged state for two hours or longer. You may use your computer during this time as long as the adapter is plugged in.
3. Disconnect the power adapter with the MacBook Pro on and start running it from the battery. You may use your computer during this time. When your battery gets low, you will see the low battery warning dialog on the screen.
4. Continue to keep your computer turned on until it goes to sleep. Save your work and close all applications when the battery gets low and before the system goes to sleep.
5. Turn off the computer or allow it to sleep for five hours or longer.
6. Connect the power adapter and leave it connected until the battery is fully charged again.

Bunnyhopper

Check out http://www.apple.com/batteries/notebooks.html

Also I've heard this is useful: http://www.coconut-flavour.com/coconutbattery/