MacBook Battery Logevity

[ToddG]

No problem, Mactime.

MacBooker15 ... even if you don't let it run down all the way, you are still cycling the battery to some extent and "using it up." The suggestion to do a full cycle once a month comes directly from Apple. They recommend it because it allows the computer to register more accurately how much power is in the battery at any given time.

 

[Macbooker15]

Ok

MacBooker15 ... even if you don't let it run down all the way, you are still cycling the battery to some extent and "using it up." The suggestion to do a full cycle once a month comes directly from Apple. They recommend it because it allows the computer to register more accurately how much power is in the battery at any given time.

Thank You, i will do that once a month

 

[???]

I am at 5228mAh with 24 cycles in 6 months. How do you calabrate your battery?

 

[pacman]

I bought my macbook a week ago and coconut says it has 4836 mAh of original 5200 mAh. (93%). Do you think this is normal?

Thanks,

Pacman

 

[plusfortyfour]

i have a question...what exactly is a Battery Load Cycle?

 

[yosehb]

Actually, that might be contributing to the battery's loss. Deeply discharging a lithium-ion battery weakens it... (Source)

Calibrating a battery is not "good" for it; it's necessary, because it, well, calibrates the power-level meter. Otherwise, they'd get out of sync with the battery's true capacity, and wouldn't give an accurate reading. (And you'd end up draining it more often, accidentally.)

Very informative article. I guess I should stop fully discharging my battery.

 

[ToddG]

i have a question...what exactly is a Battery Load Cycle?

One load cycle = using 100% of max battery power

So you use one load cycle if you run your battery dry; or let it go from 100% to 50% twice; or let it go from 100% to 90% ten times.

 

[hagios1972]

Now talking about time, when my black Macbook is fully charged it shows that it can last for only 3.5 hours when Apple advertised that the battery has a maximum life of 6 hours. I got my MacBood Dec06. Could there be any reason why the actual battery life is shorter by half than advertised? Thanks ...

 

[Screwball6986]

Ok I am going to have to respond to this, especially the "cycling" issue. You do not, I repeat DO NOT want to Cycle a Lithium-ION or Polymer battery, you will lose life. Lithium batteries are mid-cycle batteries that do best being charge at above 20% capacity. Cycling your battery was beneficial when Nickel-Cadmium, and Nickel-Metal Hydride batteries were used, they suffered from memory runoff more commonly know as "Memory Effect". If you deep cycle a lithium battery you run a risk of Heat Runaway, so the battery compensates for this by not charging as much. Calibrate your battery's meter yes. but do not cycle it. If it were a car battery or a Sealed-Lead Acid Battery then yes you would definatly do it. Had to fix all this common misinformations.

 

[mac57]

Apple only advertizes 300 cycles? That isn't much. According to this:

http://www.laptopbattery.net/notebookbatteries_life.html

600 to 800 is more like the norm.

If 300 is it, and you use your laptop daily, you will exhaust the battery at least once a year. That is terrible! Are we quite sure of the 300 number?

 

[mac57]

Did a little more digging on the web. The 300 number is the number of cycles the battery can go through and still maintain up to 80% of its original capacity. See:

http://www.macworld.com/2004/10/secrets/novmobilemac/index.php

As somone who is about to buy a MBP, you had me worried there for a moment!

 

[MrRandave]

according to coconut, my macbook has:
5160mAh (99%)
167 load cycles in 4 months

I use my macbook all day and actually turn it off maybe once a week. i use sleep most of the time. i probably go through about 3+ load cycles per day. i plug the charger in when the battery reaches 10% or below and charge to full. i calibrate once a month. i actually felt that i was doing more harm than good to my battery life. but apparently not. so maybe you might want to get your battery checked out. hope this helps.

 

[hagios1972]

I have been using my MacBook lately with it plugged to electric outlet. The menu on the upper right hand corner shows that the battery is fully charged and the pilot light of the lead is green. However, CoconutBattery usually shows that battery is 99% charged, but today it shows 95%. Is there anyone who have experienced this? Is this normal? Thanks.

 

[rman]

Jus unplug the power cord and let your battery drop to about 94%. Then plug it back in again. It should return to 100%.

 

[channelfive]

my batterie died completly after 5.5 months, i went to the shop and they wanted to give a call as soon they have the replacement, nobody called, so i did, and they said i can pick it up now. but i had to work and the shop was aleady closed after, i came two days later, and they already sendet it back to mac. i now have to wait again, plus i had to leave my old batterie there, without any recipe. i will see if i get a new one.

 

[Flic]

should I be worried that coconut thinks my macbook is 3 months old when it's not even a month old?

 

[ToddG]

That's why it's called CocoNuts instead of CocoSane.

Actually, what it probably means is that your computer was manufactured a couple of months before you took delivery.

I'm not sure what component, specifically, Coconut checks to get that number.

 

[Flic]

Ah awesome, I was having visions of someone using my precious Macbook in the warehouse before me or something

Logical? me? Always.

 

[symondavis]

according to coconut, my macbook has:
5160mAh (99%)
167 load cycles in 4 months

Oh this makes my battery look aged.
Full Charge Capacity (mAh): 4485
Cycle Count: 144
Battery health 89%(taken from iStat)

Maybe I should calibrate. I think I've only done it once since I got my MB back in July/Aug last year.

I'll calibrate it this week and report back my findings on what calibrating will show after.

 

[Aubie16]

Current Battery Capacity: 5469
Original Batter Capacity: 5200

Battery Load Cycles: 146
Age of Your Mac: 5 Months


My batter capacity has gotten better since I bought it 5 months ago! Surprising considering how many load cycles it has.