01-03-2007, 10:26 PM

Lately the battery in my 12" powerbook won't last longer than 20-30 minutes. It can have a full charge and turn off at around 20 minutes. I'm not sure if the actual battery is dead or if the timer is just off. I've been told I should let it drain completely then recharge fully to reset it but that doesn't work. How can I fix this short of buying a new battery?

Thanks!

01-03-2007, 10:50 PM

Unfortunately, this is an all-too common reality of notebook batteries (any brand). As they age, depending on how they have been cared for, they lose capacity. Some say that if you store and use the battery in a specific manner, the battery will hold up better over time, but it's been my experience that even the best cared for batteries lose capacity eventually. Being that you're running an older machine, this is to be expected. Check eBay for the best prices. Good luck.

01-03-2007, 11:33 PM

The definitive "how old is my battery and when will it die" app:

Coconut Battery

01-04-2007, 12:22 AM

Todd - agree with the batt app.

coconutbattery

01-06-2007, 08:56 AM

****, my MBP C2D is 5 weeks old and already I have lost 49 mAh out of my capacity...it was at 5500 mAh and now it is at 5451 mAh, ****!

01-06-2007, 12:57 PM

Thanks for that link. 4347 out of 5500 for 4months...thas pretty bad yeah? I've always let it drain, until the warning @ 9mins comes up. Anyway to care for it better? wait until 1 minute? Any suggestions appreciated.

01-06-2007, 02:56 PM

Losing 1% in 5 weeks seems great to me, especially if you use the notebook a lot. I just ran Coconut on mine and I've lost three percent in six weeks (40 load cycles). So after about two years my battery will be at half capacity. Think you could find a rechargeable cell phone battery that would run that well if you put 40-80 hours of talk time on it a week?

tylerboyo -- it is NOT as good to run the battery to zero every time. Instead, start recharging it around the 30-40% point. It's not a bad idea to run it down once a month or so but in general try to keep it in the 30-100% range (but not constantly charging while already at 100%, that's not ideal either).

01-06-2007, 04:03 PM

Originally Posted by blackwaterdev

Lately the battery in my 12" powerbook won't last longer than 20-30 minutes. It can have a full charge and turn off at around 20 minutes. I'm not sure if the actual battery is dead or if the timer is just off. I've been told I should let it drain completely then recharge fully to reset it but that doesn't work. How can I fix this short of buying a new battery?

Thanks!

check this link out.. you maybe able to get a free one..

https://support.apple.com/ibook_powe...tteryexchange/