Battery

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I expect that someone has already asked this at some time and if so, I apologise in advance. Is it wise to leave the battery permanently connected to the mains? or should it be run down occasionally. I have the coconutBattery application and it is referring to battery loadcycles. What does this mean? I obviously want to get the best life out of the battery so any advice will be gratefully received.

Thanks

Brian :Cool:
 
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90% of the time my MBP is plugged in. But every once in a while I unplug it and let it drain all the way down. Keeps the battery hovering at between 99% and 100%.
 
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Ok, that seems a good idea.

Brian
 
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ermm ive been using it without the battery connected lately didnt think it really mattered that much...hmm *note to self plug battery in when i use it*.?
 
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I heard that the battery's lifespan is based on number of charge cycles, not time. 1 cycle being: discharge, recharge. So wouldn't leaving it plugged in and cycling between 96 and 100%, instead of something like 10 and 100%, burn it out quicker? (or does it switch off the battery and run exclusively off the AC when full?)

I'm on a regular MacBook (intel) and I want to leave it plugged in more often. I'm considering taking the battery out when it's running off AC.
 
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^ wow thanks for that link...but I still don't really understand what is classed as 'cycles' (sorry I'm a little slow at this) ><
 
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'cycle' is when battery is used up then charged to full. That is 1 cycle

I think that's what it is...
 
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I heard that the battery's lifespan is based on number of charge cycles, not time. 1 cycle being: discharge, recharge. So wouldn't leaving it plugged in and cycling between 96 and 100%, instead of something like 10 and 100%, burn it out quicker? (or does it switch off the battery and run exclusively off the AC when full?)

I'm on a regular MacBook (intel) and I want to leave it plugged in more often. I'm considering taking the battery out when it's running off AC.

For batteries using lithium chemistries the more charge the battery has the longer the lifespan of the battery. So basically keeping it plugged in as much as possible is good.
 
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Well from personal experience, My battery's health went down to 50% in a matter of 6 months when I left it plugged in all the time (I used to use my laptop as a portable desktop i.e. Always closed, using DVI out and bluetooth keyboard and mouse). 150 charge cycles and it was at 50% health. After getting results like this, my battery was replaced under AppleCare/Warranty because it was not performing to specifications.

Now, with my new battery, I let it drain to 40-50% and plug it back in, doing a calibration every 1st of the month. I'm at 170 charge cycles and my battery is at 91% health.

My Advice: don't leave it charging all the time. Even Apple says that the "ideal use would be a commuter who uses her MacBook Pro on the train, then plugs it in at the office to charge"; which implies that the batteries were intended to be drained and then recharged to "keep the juices flowing".
 
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Well from personal experience, My battery's health went down to 50% in a matter of 6 months when I left it plugged in all the time (I used to use my laptop as a portable desktop i.e. Always closed, using DVI out and bluetooth keyboard and mouse). 150 charge cycles and it was at 50% health. After getting results like this, my battery was replaced under AppleCare/Warranty because it was not performing to specifications.

Now, with my new battery, I let it drain to 40-50% and plug it back in, doing a calibration every 1st of the month. I'm at 170 charge cycles and my battery is at 91% health.

My Advice: don't leave it charging all the time. Even Apple says that the "ideal use would be a commuter who uses her MacBook Pro on the train, then plugs it in at the office to charge"; which implies that the batteries were intended to be drained and then recharged to "keep the juices flowing".

i have found a few rules about Lithium-Ion batteries

* Unlike Ni-Cd batteries, lithium-ion batteries should be charged early and often. However, if they are not used for a long time, they should be brought to a charge level of around 40%–60%. Lithium-ion batteries should not be frequently fully discharged and recharged ("deep-cycled") like Ni-Cd batteries, but this is necessary after about every 30th recharge to recalibrate any external electronic "fuel gauge" (e. g. State Of Charge meter). This prevents the fuel gauge from showing an incorrect battery charge.[21]
* Li-ion batteries should be kept cool. Ideally they are stored in a refrigerator. Aging will take its toll much faster at high temperatures. The high temperatures found in cars cause lithium-ion batteries to degrade rapidly.
* Li-ion batteries should not be frozen [37] (most lithium-ion battery electrolytes freeze at approximately −40 °C; however, this is much colder than the lowest temperature reached by household freezers).
* Li-ion batteries should be bought only when needed, because the aging process begins as soon as the battery is manufactured.[21]
* When using a notebook computer running from fixed line power over extended periods, the battery should be removed,[38] and stored in a cool place so that it is not affected by the heat produced by the computer.
 
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i love when someone brings some solid information to the table.

okay, so I think all this has helped me decide that when I've got it plugged in for a while (days), I'll pull out the battery. Now, slightly off topic, but what happens if it gets unplugged? I assume the clock might jam up, but anything else to worry about?
 
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'cycle' is when battery is used up then charged to full. That is 1 cycle

I think that's what it is...

For example: You charge your battery all the way up to 100%. You unplug the charger and run it down to 50%. You plug the charger and charge it back up to 100%, unplug it and run it down to 50% again. This is one full charge "cycle" if you will.

i love when someone brings some solid information to the table.

okay, so I think all this has helped me decide that when I've got it plugged in for a while (days), I'll pull out the battery. Now, slightly off topic, but what happens if it gets unplugged? I assume the clock might jam up, but anything else to worry about?

I wouldn't recommend pulling the battery out. I believe the processor runs at half speed when you do this. Not sure if this is the case with your specific model notebook. Also, you run the risk of accidently yanking the charger out and losing all your work, don't need to tell you how much that sucks.

I usually leave mine plugged in all the time and unplug it every other day and run the battery down to 50%. This will keep the "juices" flowing still. I have nearly 50 cycles on my battery and I'm still at 100%
 
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i love when someone brings some solid information to the table.

okay, so I think all this has helped me decide that when I've got it plugged in for a while (days), I'll pull out the battery. Now, slightly off topic, but what happens if it gets unplugged? I assume the clock might jam up, but anything else to worry about?

Do not operate your MB without the battery installed. Your MB defaults to a slower speed without the battery installed. A 2Ghz model will operate at 1Ghz with battery removed and laptop plugged in.
 
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Do not operate your MB without the battery installed. Your MB defaults to a slower speed without the battery installed. A 2Ghz model will operate at 1Ghz with battery removed and laptop plugged in.

I don't think that is correct. There is no reason why the laptop would perform at a lower level when connected to a consistent AC power source.

From experience, the Laptop will consider you on AC power (whether or not the battery is present) and maximize the performance of your notebook because it doesn't have to worry about preserving battery life.

If you have proof to the contrary, I'd love to see it, please.
 
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For example: You charge your battery all the way up to 100%. You unplug the charger and run it down to 50%. You plug the charger and charge it back up to 100%, unplug it and run it down to 50% again. This is one full charge "cycle" if you will.


I usually leave mine plugged in all the time and unplug it every other day and run the battery down to 50%. This will keep the "juices" flowing still. I have nearly 50 cycles on my battery and I'm still at 100%

Wow you seem the perfect person to ask this....how exactly do you know your battery status i.e. how many cycles your battery has done etc..?
 

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