Battery Preservation

Hey all,

Im a recent switcher from PC, and so far I love everything about my macbook. Typically my macbook sits on my desk at home, and because of this, it stays plugged in. I have heard mixed comments about this. Some say it is best to leave it plugged in, others say let it drain, then recharge it, while the third group says to remove the battery entirely!

I dont want to remove the battery, so scratch that one off the list. What is the best practice to keep the battery in optimal condition?

I also read that the calibration technique http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86284

Is actually harmful to the battery life. It is used for the memory chip in the laptop to correctly report the remaining amount of battery life. Is this true?

As you can probably tell, I'm a little overwhelmed with this, as I mentioned I love the macbook, just dont want to ruin the battery!

All help/suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks

I just do what I feel like doing and my battery is fine. Just a little performance decrease since two years ago when I bought my iBook.

I typically don't plug it in after being used if its hot. I'll shut it down, let it sit on my desk for a few hours, then plug it in to recharge it. My battery shows 6+ hours (which is really like 3+). So I guess it could stand to be calibrated.

T

when the macbooks battery reaches 100% when connected to the AC the macbook will stop charging the battery so there is no worrie about leaving it plugged in. When im home i always just plug my macbook in

A quick summary of the ways you can damage your battery:
1. Using it
2. Not using it
3. High temperatures
4. Low temperatures

In short, your battery will not last forever. New ones are about $130. Expect to buy one sometime in the next three to four years. In the meantime, don't sweat it.

http://www.apple.com/batteries/

Nice summary, technologist!

Yeah thanks technologist. That is the answer I was looking for
I'll just go back to enjoying my mac