Poll: If you have a Laptop, do you own a spare Laptop battery?

[MacRumors]

Vote: Poll: If you have a Laptop, do you own a spare Laptop battery? (http://www.macpolls.com/?poll_id=571)

[forafireescape]

I don't own a spare battery...I mostly use my MBP in places where I can charge it, or will be able to soon.

[tersono]

I've owned 7 laptops over the years and never owned a spare battery for any of 'em...

[Eric Lewis]

yes...i do..when i go on long plane rides or car rides or train rides

cause i sometimes have 21 hour car rides to florida

[CJRhoades]

I have 1 spare for my TiBook and MBP.

[teleromeo]

I have two power adaptors that say plugged in. One at home and one at work.

[cbrain]

I don't own a laptop.

[hairmonger]

The past two years are the first times I've ever taken a laptop anywhere. Two or three times I took one to meetings with my architect. Otherwise, the power cord is just across the room, and if the battery gets low I plug it in and go do something else on another laptop.
Not a traveler, and glad of it.

MacBook, Aluminum Powerbook G4, Titanium Powerbook G4, slate clamshell iBook G3

[brian9271]

I do own a laptop, but as other people had said "There's a plug", so why would you really need a spare battery for your laptop, there's plugs everywhere, except for the forests, but why bother anyway...

[iSaint]

I do own a laptop, but as other people had said "There's a plug", so why would you really need a spare battery for your laptop, there's plugs everywhere, except for the forests, but why bother anyway...

Same here. I abused my first laptop's battery, an iBook, but I typically plug my Powerbook in all the time.

[riscy]

Nope, no point - even when I travel short distances I just shut the lid and the Mac uses very little power.

No need for a second battery as there is usually a socket nearby, now if I go camping...

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

Never had the need for a spare battery...

[darwinian]

The only spare I've ever had was on my Pismo, because it could take two batteries instead of dragging around an optical drive I didn't use ... that was in 2000 ... the MacBook Air's lack of optical isn't so bad all the way in 08 for me!

[axboi87]

One from my previous 12" powerbook may it R.I.P (fell out of apartment window, was stealing wifi and went to the kitchen to get something to drink and came back to an empty window sill!), and the one I kept from the battery recall to make three all together.

[Mac-Addict]

One from my previous 12" powerbook may it R.I.P (fell out of apartment window, was stealing wifi and went to the kitchen to get something to drink and came back to an empty window sill!), and the one I kept from the battery recall to make three all together.
Karma :P

[Decrepit]

And have never needed an extra battery.

Back in the days when a good laptop weighed nearly as much as a Mac Pro. :-)

[quixotic]

Nope. There's usually a power source nearby anyway.

Probably would get one if I flew a lot, assuming they even allow you to carry spare batteries now a days. Only biz and 1st class seem to have spots to plug in.

[lamina]

I wouldn't really call it a spare... I had to replace my PowerBook battery because it only holds about 16% of its original charge (according to coconutbattery), and I need it for my 2 hour lectures.

So, I don't use the new battery unless I have to for school or whatever, and I keep the old one in while I'm at home. It's got enough charge for ~45 minutes, which gives me enough time to find a plug.

[mr.light]

I have had my iBook for over four years and have only pulled the battery twice. Once in the process of disassembly to replace the clutch hinge that broke after slamming into a concrete floor, and once to replace the battery a year ago. Hmm. Maybe the MBA's sealed battery isn't such a bad thing after all?

[Kilamite]

Never owned a spare battery - don't have the need.

I own two Mag-Safe adapters though - one lives attached to my desk and one lives in my laptop bag. That way I never forget it.

[Ernest]

No, no I don't. I don't need it. I am only at school for a few hours and not on my laptop the whole time, 2 hours max.

[shadowfax]

Never owned a spare battery - don't have the need.

I own two Mag-Safe adapters though - one lives attached to my desk and one lives in my laptop bag. That way I never forget it.

Me too. It's the way to go.

[PlaceofDis]

nope no need for a spare. unless the current one goes down the drain.

[FrankieTDouglas]

I own two batteries for my Powerbook. Had to replace my first battery after a year and a half because it was only holding a charge for maybe 20 minutes. Now with my new one, it's slowly dropping to around an hour charge or so. So I don't have spares so much, as just having to buy new ones.

[iMpathetic]

Used to have a 0min battery for my iBook G4 but never used it. So I guess you could say no to this one.

[BlakTornado]

I never use my Laptop (A crappy little Dell Latitude Cpi - now you know why xD)

[Fearless Leader]

I use my TruePower battery for my MBP that I just recently got. 3.5 to 4 hours on it. My now 2 year old original battery held 2 if I was lucky, so I use it times of no power and keep it charged up all the time (I know that its bad for the battery but I really dont care about it) and it had well over a thousand cycles on it.

[QuarterSwede]

No spares for me. I'm rarely somewhere that doesn't have a socket and when I am I don't want to use my computer anyway (camping, etc).

(I know that its bad for the battery but I really dont care about it)That's a myth. It used to be bad for the battery but not with todays technology. I keep mine topped off all the time and my 12" PB battery still gives me 3 hours.

[TatsuTerror]

Very interesting...so many complaints about the lack of a removable battery in the Macbook Air, yet most don't own a spare.

[elcid]

This poll represents why I didnt think the MBAir was much of a prob.

[iBookG4user]

Yes, I own a spare battery, and it is very handy at school for long lectures.

[shadowfax]

Yes, I own a spare battery, and it is very handy at school for long lectures.

I would die before I attended a lecture by a professor for enough time to run my battery out (well over 2 hours)--if he were boring enough that I had to be using my laptop.

Moreover, unless you're going to school in podunk, you really ought to be able to find a power source in the classroom if you come early and sit by the wall... most classrooms at my university have laptop power connectors and ethernet jacks at the desks.

[Hankster]

For PC laptops I used to have a spare because the life would be so short. But, with my MacBook the battery lasts over five hours so I don't bother :)

[LizKat]

No spare. What for, it's another damn thing to keep charged. I am not often very far from wall juice.

I do have multiple adapters. And multiple machines so I usually make through power outages without a problem. I ditched the 45w adapters because the 65w are ok for either the 12 or 15 books. I used to write on the adapters with a big black laundry marker.

For apple: what's with the light grey and tiny print on the white adapters, eh? It's not like it's optional information you're obscuring....

[iBookG4user]

I would die before I attended a lecture by a professor for enough time to run my battery out (well over 2 hours)--if he were boring enough that I had to be using my laptop.

Moreover, unless you're going to school in podunk, you really ought to be able to find a power source in the classroom if you come early and sit by the wall... most classrooms at my university have laptop power connectors and ethernet jacks at the desks.

Maybe I should've put taking notes, as I take one class in college and the rest are at the high school level. In high school power sources are no where near the desks, and in my college class all of them are being used. I have a 6 hour day at high school and when my teachers want to make us take a lot of notes then the battery can easily run out.

[Kilamite]

Maybe I should've put taking notes, as I take one class in college and the rest are at the high school level. In high school power sources are no where near the desks, and in my college class all of them are being used. I have a 6 hour day at high school and when my teachers want to make us take a lot of notes then the battery can easily run out.

Oh how did people ever get by with pen and paper?!

[JML42691]

I don't own a spare battery, and there is never really a time when I would need one, I am always near a power outlet to use.

[iBookG4user]

Oh how did people ever get by with pen and paper?!

I write 20 WPM and type over 80 WPM, you do the math :rolleyes:

[ucfgrad93]

No spare for my MBP.

[spriter]

I've only had a spare battery when I had an iBook G4. No idea why, though as it lasted 4-5 hours anyway. Even when doing the occasional long-haul, I've better things to do than use a computer for 8-10 hours. Like sleep. My eyes will thank me for it when I'm old.

[Kilamite]

I write 20 WPM and type over 80 WPM, you do the math :rolleyes:

If you are having to write more than 80 WPM then you aren't note taking, you are writing an essay.

In my lectures, we get given handouts of the slides or whatever the lecturer will be talking about. He sometimes does examples and side notes that aren't in the handouts, and I can easily keep up.

If you have your laptop, you might aswell sit on your arse, turn it round and film him using the iSight!

[mino]

In my opinion there are two problems with spare batteries:

1- you need an external charge dock to charge the battery you're not using

2- you have to turn off your laptop in order to change battery (wouldn't it be great to just close the lid and change the battery while the mac is in stop?)

[PlaceofDis]

In my opinion there are two problems with spare batteries:

1- you need an external charge dock to charge the battery you're not using

2- you have to turn off your laptop in order to change battery (wouldn't it be great to just close the lid and change the battery while the mac is in stop?)

as per number 2. i know you used to be able to swap batteries while it was asleep. can't remember if this changed with the intel switch or not.

[Kilamite]

as per number 2. i know you used to be able to swap batteries while it was asleep. can't remember if this changed with the intel switch or not.

You still can - when the Mac goes to sleep, data is written to the hard drive from RAM (Safe Sleep is on by default unless turned off by user via Terminal command), so incase of power failure when laptop is sleeping the data from RAM is retained in the hard drive.

Switch over the batteries, and your Mac will wake up (note it will take a wee while longer than usual as it copies data back from the hard drive, it also displays a wake up screen).

Try it, put your Mac to sleep, unplug the battery, pop it back in then wake it.

Pretty cool stuff.

[Brianstorm91]

Nope, I'm a desk user.

[iBookG4user]

If you are having to write more than 80 WPM then you aren't note taking, you are writing an essay.

In my lectures, we get given handouts of the slides or whatever the lecturer will be talking about. He sometimes does examples and side notes that aren't in the handouts, and I can easily keep up.

If you have your laptop, you might aswell sit on your arse, turn it round and film him using the iSight!

This is a pointless argument, you have your way of doing things and I have a different way of doing things.

[zapp]

This is a pointless argument, you have your way of doing things and I have a different way of doing things.

If you have a new and innovative way to be more productive, someone will fault you for it and ask why you aren't doing it the way we have always done it. Fortunately the drive to overcome obstacles and innovate is stronger that the desire to remain complacent.


I wish I could type 80 words a minute, but I can't so I usually write my notes in shorthand (not official shorthand, just my chicken scratch). Of course thinking it over, I probably would not have learned much over the last 2 weeks if I was constantly refreshing the Apple order status page and Fed-ex. I had to leave my iPhone in my locker so I wouldn't be tempted to check the status. I did however get the live Macrumors updates on the iPhone and order the Macbook Air during class.

[shadowfax]

This is a pointless argument, you have your way of doing things and I have a different way of doing things.

I would just say you are lucky you have the means to buy a spare battery (like $150 extra) and the willpower to carry it around (the battery is definitely the single heaviest part on a MPB).

I would love to see a die hard roadie traveling with his/her MBAir and a spare battery...

... and a screwdriver and baggie for the screws.

[kainjow]

I bought a spare when I went to WWDC 07 but didn't use it too much there, and haven't used it since.

[vidbuff]

I have had a spare battery for all of my Mac laptops, and I always carry the spare with me in my briefcase. Long flights are a great time to write code, and a spare battery keeps me powered up on a coast to coast flight including the inevitable layover.

The best laptop I've ever had was the G3 Wallstreet that held two batteries.

And I use three power adapters: home, office and briefcase.

It's interesting and surprising to me how few other people seem to carry a spare battery.

[galstaph]

have two and no spares for either

[MikeTheC]

Technically, I am no longer a laptop owner. However, I have been one up until a couple months ago, so I decided to answer this question.

I owned a PB G4 15" 1.5GHz, and yes, I owned a spare battery. I also interchanged them on a regular basis, and probably for various different reasons would actively "use them both for real" several times in the course of a year.

I cannot imagine owning a laptop and NOT owning a spare battery, and for two reasons:

1. Longer total system runtime, regardless of the base value of each battery.

2. As a backup in case of the failure of one or the other.

I was determined (and still am) never to behave like many of the idiot customers I used to deal with in my previous job who refused to take personal responsibility for their technology purchases and never had any kind of backup hardware. It's just all supposed to work perfectly for ever and ever, and they should never have to be trifled with or troubled over even the remotest possibility of malfeasance.

So there!

[jabrowntx]

Macbook + 1 spare battery. This is my 3rd laptop over the years and the first I've bothered to buy a spare battery.

[desenso]

I own one but never use it. I occasionally switch the batteries out, but only so that they get worn roughly evenly. That's part of the reason why I'm not worried about switching to the Air and its sealed battery.

[MacinDoc]

From all the complaints about the MB Air's (officially) user-non-replaceable battery, you would think that 80% of laptop owners regularly used spare batteries, not 8%.

[Tilpots]

From all the complaints about the MB Air's (officially) user-non-replaceable battery, you would think that 80% of laptop owners regularly used spare batteries, not 8%.

People love to complain about stuff that doesn't effect them. Don't you read these forums?:p:)

No spare for me.

[twoodcc]

i do not own a spare battery....let's see, i've owned 6 laptops now total (only 1 right now)

[nagromme]

2 laptops, an iPod, a camera, and a phone. Zero spare batteries; zero battery replacements; and all devices still highly usable.

Very interesting...so many complaints about the lack of a removable battery in the Macbook Air, yet most don't own a spare.

Kind of puts the onslaught of complaining (bloggers included) in perspective. A certain very vocal group is quite worked up over coming up with reasons why people should not buy a MacBook Air. Meanwhile it's just what some of us have been waiting for!

These same people complain that 2GB RAM is only enough for light surfing and Word!

Remind anyone of the FUD operating manual (especially #2)?
http://homepage.mac.com/bhoglund/forumFudsters.html

Now how about this poll:

How much RAM do you personally use--in a laptop--for "demanding" tasks? That means tasks beyond surfing, email, media playback and office productivity.

* 1 GB or less.

* 1.5 to 2 GB.

* 3 to 4 GB.

* More than 4 GB.

* I don't use a laptop for anything more demanding than surfing, email, media playback and office productivity.

* I don't use a laptop at all.


(I'll answer myself: 1 GB or less. I might appreciate 2, like my desktop has, but I don't have it and I don't require it. I do 3D modeling, Photoshop, app development and audio editing on a PowerBook with 1 GB. I could do video editing, but I currently use a 2GB machine for that. I've never used a machine with more than 2GB. I've probably never been in the same ROOM as a machine with more than 2GB.)

[ascender]

From all the complaints about the MB Air's (officially) user-non-replaceable battery, you would think that 80% of laptop owners regularly used spare batteries, not 8%.

I had the exact same thought looking at the current results. Really surprised me given how many negative comments I've seen about not being able to change the battery on the Air.

[Chimpy]

Vote: Poll: If you have a Laptop, do you own a spare Laptop battery? (http://www.macpolls.com/?poll_id=571)

If I was a business traveller I certainly would. That being said, unless you spend long hours away from a power outlet (say, in flight or in meetings, etc) I see no need for an extra battery.

[hexonxonx]

No spares on any of my three laptops. Of course, I never use them on battery power anyways.

[gotohamish]

Vote: Poll: If you have a Laptop, do you own a spare Laptop battery? (http://www.macpolls.com/?poll_id=571)

In regards to the Air... well, the results speak for themselves.

[neutrino23]

I've owned at least six Apple laptops that I can remember. Early on I had spares but the last three or so I've only bought a second battery when the first one wore out. I did carry a spare battery back when I was flying to Japan or Taiwan. On domestic flights now there is not enough time to run down the battery. Even on a five hour flight you can only use the electronics for about four hours. Part of that time is used up with refreshments, food and reading. Nowadays almost everyplace I visit on business provides plenty of AC outlets for visitors. Airports are the worst offenders. Some airports are quite friendly to laptops, others seem to go out of their way to hide the outlets. Unless you are somehow shackled to your laptop there is little need for a spare battery.

Currently I have a 17" MBP that is almost two years old. At about the one year mark the battery started acting up and actually started swelling. I took it to an Apple store and they replaced under warranty. Very nice.

I think the critics of the MBA are just looking for things to criticize. I think they feel it is their job to look at specifications and pick them apart. Remember when it was considered a disaster because the towers didn't have enough card slots? Surveys at the time showed almost no one using them. Remember how the iPod mini was trashed when it first came out because the HD was too small? That turned into a best seller.

It wasn't that long ago that the Mac mini was shipping with just 512MB of memory. I think the iMacs came with similar memory standard. Current iMacs ship with 1GB and I bet most people don't add more memory.

OS X is very good at memory management. Unless you're running Parallels and Photoshop and InDesign and iPhoto and other programs at the same time you won't even notice that the MBA "only" has 2GB of memory.

[Dagless]

Well...

My powerbook battery was in that big recall - only I forgot to send it back and went away for 3 weeks. Came back and didn't find any emails or messages off Apple or Sony about wanting it back. So I kept it. It's made me realise how important a 2nd battery can be. I've basically got a good 8 hours of battery power on the road now.

[marclapierre13]

I dont have a spare battery. When mine starts to suck or dies, than ill buy a new one.

[mkrishnan]

The only time I've ever owned a spare was my very first notebook... it was behaving oddly and Compaq service thought the battery was defective and sent me a new one. After that, I figured it out, and got the first battery working again, and then ended up with two batteries.

I didn't have one for my iBook (although Apple was nice enough to give me a free new battery after I'd had it for more than three years...). I don't have one for my Eee.

And (to the point of the original post)... if I were in the market for a new notebook, the fixed battery on the MBA would not be a deterrent. :)

[Steven.nevets]

not having a laptop, I can only answer for other family members.

both of my sisters and one of their boyfriends have MBPs, none have spares, they are all university students and it has never bothered them.

My dad has a sony laptop (but he's switching back soon) and doesn't have a spare, goes on day long business meetings, and just finds a plug.

the results don't really surprise me, I'm more surprised at how vocal the small minority is being. if the MBA isn't for you, why convince every other person it also isn't for them?

[Cassie]

I own an old iBook clamshell, which I only use maybe once or twice a week, so there's really no point in buying an extra battery. On road trips, I have a sort of adapter that plugs into the car's DC outlet and supplies 2 AC outlets so no use for the battery there.

I plan to use a laptop for my main machine only once, during collage, and even then It's not likely I'll buy a 2nd battery.

[nagromme]

the results don't really surprise me, I'm more surprised at how vocal the small minority is being. if the MBA isn't for you, why convince every other person it also isn't for them?

That kind of behavior typically stems from insecurity or self-doubt. They WANT Apple to do wrong, they WANT Apple products to flop, and they WANT to not want a MacBook Air. (Even some Mac users still want to think of Apple as evil in any situation without waiting for evidence. They probably got in the habit of disliking their OS provider when they were Windows users ;) ) But deep down they feel Apple may have actually made a GOOD product, that it may actually sell to a lot of people, and that they themselves can't help wanting one. These hidden doubts make them rage all the more anxiously against people who like portability in their portables :)

I can't help being reminded of when people figure out I'm a vegetarian. I don't tell them, and I don't stick my nose in their eating habits any more than I'd tell everyone that an ultraportable is the best for them. But they see me ordering marinara sauce and go on the attack themselves--with about as little logic as the people attacking me for choosing an Air. Why the heck do they care what I eat? I think because deep down, their own values give them doubts they don't want to admit. Part of them does see good reason to be a vegetarian, and that doubt doesn't make them stop and think, it makes them rage all the harder. You get a lot of emotion, and a scramble to come up with anything plausible sounding to back up that emotion.

It IS surprising to me that this ultraportable--which we all knew was coming--generates SO much interest. I'd expect a good old fashioned OS war to generate such heat, but not an ultraportable-vs.-regular-laptop war!

[offwidafairies]

i was given a spare for xmas. i have needed it once. it is heavier than taking my power adapter. i always fall asleep on planes, and most places i go i can plug my puter in, so have no use for it really. its an expensive paper weight.

[sushi]

10 years ago I carried a spare battery or two.

Now I carry power adapters for car, airline, etc. as appropriate.

[bigandy]

I've had laptops for the last eleven years. And I've only once had a spare battery for one of them, which I never used.

Meh.

[DanBUK]

Still use beloved 12" 1Ghz PB for mobile computing. Running latest of everything (although not tried new office- any experience anyone?)

Never had a spare battery. replaced it twice over 4.5 years of heavy use. Never been caught short- I know how long it lasts and I plan accordingly.

Not saying a spare isn't useful for some, just not for me. On that note, an Air isn't for me either (though I kind of wish it was).

Give me a 12" approx MBP and I am all over it like a rash! Fingers crossed for tomorrow...;)

[R.R.Mac]

i love spare batteries.

My ibook g4 broke down too many times so i demanded a new one off apple. They never took the old one away so i had a spare battery. As people upgraded to macbooks from iBooks they had their batteries free so i took them. I currentlly have 3 spare batteries!:p

[GlossyIsBad4U]

Many laptops, no spare batteries.

However I like the option to be able to change mine without having to:

1: void the warranty
2: crack the case
3: drive 300 miles to a Apple Store to pay them to replace it.

In fact I like the idea of being able to change the battery on all my devices.

My TOMTOM perfectly working except for the battery which isn't replaceable. This occurred on a long trip which necessitated me buying a new $500 TOMTOM to replace it instead of a inexpensive $40 battery.

[Ja Di ksw]

The results / complaints about the MacBook Air don't contradict each other. People may not have a spare battery, but they still need to replace them and don't want to lose their computer for a few days to do so.

[Macchino]

Have one... never use it

[blairwillis]

Yes, but it's sitting here "exploded" and about to trigger a call to AppleCare. :mad: Seriously, and it's funny because my original battery was replaced under the "exploding battery recall" and they said the serial of this one was not included in the recall. So much for that theory.

[iphonesrq]

ya had to get one for my PB it doesnt hold a charge after about 3mins

[Eniregnat]

With my PB I had 2 spares. For my MB I have just 1 spare. I don't plug in if I don't have to. Part of having more than one battery is so that I don't put myself in the position of being the guy that runs a cable across a through way. It's a bit of coffee house etiquette that I think I should follow.

I also don't have an optical drive, I have a second HD in my MB. Again, so I can run efficiently when editing in the field. It doesn’t seem to drain the battery much compared to the optical drive. I spool audio onto it from work and I can then work from home or at events with out using an external drive.

[motulist]

I don't have a spare battery, and the one I have only lasts about 15 minutes.

So my powerbook is no longer a portable, it's a pluggable. Meaning I take it to different places, but only where there's a plug.

[BongoBanger]

Yes. I need to have the availability of a backup although I've only used it perhaps a half dozen times in two years.

More of a confidence thing really. You don't want the worry of the battery conking out when you're doing a presentation.

[Macmaniac]

Nope, I am still running off of my original Powerbook G4 Battery.

[lost eden]

For my last laptop, a T-series ThinkPad, I replaced the optical drive with a secondary battery. I never used the optical drive & figured I may as well use the space for more battery life - the machine managed up to 7 hours of normal desktop/office/internet-with-wifi. One feature I really miss now that I have a MacBook, as it means I'm lugging around an optical drive that I never use & could put the space to much better use.

[Consultant]

If I was a business traveller I certainly would. That being said, unless you spend long hours away from a power outlet (say, in flight or in meetings, etc) I see no need for an extra battery.

Business travelers usually get business class which always have power outlets, or premium economy which sometimes have power outlets.

[iAthena]

I don't own a spare battery. I rarely run on battery power anyway if I can help it.

[hockeysc23]

I have 3 with my old Powerbook G4 Ti but thats because they were given to me. on the MB i just ordered I don't see myself buying a backup battery.

[mbrydone]

No...I have a macbook and that batter seems to last forever...on powersaving mode...would be great for plane trips though

[leekohler]

Yep- I've got a spare. I use it when I'm on long trips for watching TV shows and such.

[pseudonymph]

My rev A macbook went from 3-4 hours of battery life when I first got it, to around 90 minutes around a year later. Right before I sold it I bought a spare since the capacity had gone down so much.

I ended up ebaying that first macbook and going for a santa rosa model. Battery life has been fantastic on these compared to the original core duo models. I still swap the batteries out every month or so but I'm finding less reasons to.

The battery thing wouldn't stop me from ordering an MBA either. But I have like 4 apple stores within a 45 minute drive of me so replacement isn't a big issue. It'll probably be my next laptop, but not for a few years, I love the current macbook too much :)

[hosshead]

Yes, I have a spare.
It has saved me from scream-the-walls-down boredom when we've had LOOOONNGGG power outs over here and little to do but ice-skate across downed lines and surf the net/watch vids.
If it weren't for my back up battery, I'd probly have set fire to the sofa or eaten the cat.
(Don't like cats.....)

And I use it sometimes when I am at work and using the MBP for projects and there's not a handy electric nearby.


Since I know what prompted the poll;
it's one reason I wouldn't buy the Air.
I can't imagine having to send my laptop elsewhere to get a new battery, especially from the rural out here where the shippers/postals are into drop-kicking packages. And it's just weird. Makes it feel like those cardboard cameras you send in, box and all, to get the film developed......

[Richie Ni]

I don't,don't think it's needed for me.

[ewxlt]

I got one, but never use it. It seems I'm always near a power source. I've used it a few times on a car trip.

[itickings]

Never owned a spare battery for any laptop, but I am considering one for my newly arrived Macbook. A project will require more hours than a single battery can handle, without access to any power source.

Probably won't carry the spare on other occasions though.

[Mr. Gollihue]

i've got two. just in case.

[David G.]

No I don't have a spare battery. In fact, I was at my local library today and was downloading software updates continuously for 2:15 (hr:min) and only went down in battery power 28%! And that was with a calibrated battery even!

[brandon.vong]

Sorry to hijack the thread but is this normal that my battery is already at 97%? Thanks!

[MacBook-Gal]

I don't have a spare battery yet, but I have been thinking about getting one.

[a104375]

i have never seen a need to get an extra battery because when are you going to use it to change it while its on u have to plug it it anyway so just leave it plugged in and charge

[Rotary8]

nope. and the only time I ever needed one was on a plane. You figure by now they have power outlets built into the seats. I know china eastern airlines had that. very helpful flying from JFK to Shanghai nonstop.

[kabunaru]

I don't have a spare laptop battery.

[joegomolski]

My laptop is a MBA, don't have a spare battery. Over 5 hours a charge who'd need a second battery?

[ryleguy06]

nope, never had a spare.. seems like a hassle i would just find a more efficient laptop

[solidgoldmini]

No. Just the one. I treat my 12" PB like a child, so it still lasts a long time for me.

[TFM]

no - but i wish i did - my battery quit holding a charge about a year and a half ago - just don't need it to i guess

[Mo Tiggas]

The current battery is great, even after four years. Didn't hurt when apple gave me a new one, just as the other was starting to go because of the whole fire issue. Too expensive to get a second. Generics are half the price, although I haven't tried one.

[sunfast]

I've had loads of laptops and never had a second battery. Never needed one

[sleepingworker]

I used a spare for my Pismo but have never carried a spare for my PB. I did have to buy a replacement battery for the PB as the first ran out of juice after 30 minutes of use! I might consider it for my next laptop as even this battery can't get me though a DVD on a flight.

[erijane]

I don't own a laptop.
nope no need!

[Jpoon]

Nope, no need for more than 3 - 4 hours on the go.
I have a car adapter / airline adapter for on the go for extended periods of time.

[spacecadet610]

no don't travel enough to justify it

[SFStateStudent]

was on my PowerMac 5300cs (want to talk about getting hot?) and that was in the 90's. It was nice to see color on a powerbook, but my Gawd it was heavy and 750mb EXPENSIVE (in fact I still have it in the closet with Mac OS 8.1). :o

[petespendthrift]

I mostly use my MBP like a portable desktop - nearly always plugged in. One battery with good life is enough for me.

[applegoddess09]

No I didn't buy a spare battery; I just always keep it plugged in constantly. =]

[tracer8]

I have a MacBook Pro and had a PowerBook G3 Firewire before that.
I always have one battery at work and another at home.

[mcavjame]

I don't own a laptop.

Thanks for the chuckle. This hit me just right for some reason.
Cheers.

OP- no, never have with any of current or two previous.

[psychofreak]

Nope, and I rarely run out of battery...

[spacecadet610]

I've got a macbook air now. I wish i could have a spare battery!

[sleepingworker]

I've got a macbook air now. I wish i could have a spare battery!

How long is your battery life with the MBA? Hopefully there will be a 3rd party external battery available ... I know, extra weight.

[Saliwa]

I was lucky, with iBook, some time ago, Apple exchanged the batteries for free as someone had his blow up. So I have a 4yrs old iBook with a 1yr (or so) battery :D No need for a spare.

[Patrick425]

i don't have a spare battery, but in a few years when mine starts to die, Ill probably get a new one.

[Cassie]

No, don't really see the need for one, since I'm always near a power outlet, and if I'm not, maybe I shouldn't be using it anyway.

[cheekybobcat]

If only...
I have a bad habit of forgetting to charge...well anything.

Plane rides aren't so fun with out my MacBook :(

[bobbleheadbob]

No, I've never needed one. Always been able to find an outlet when traveling.

[redwarrior]

3 laptops
no extra batteries
did just purchase a 400W inverter

[Gray-Wolf]

2 laptops, no extra batteries, as of yet. I want one for the mac though. Next on the buying list. ;)

[bartelby]

My PowerBook G3 has 2 batteries. My PowerBook G4 will need a new battery very soon.

[NC MacGuy]

I never have more than one until I absolutely need it. Then I keep the old one as a last resort spare.

[macEfan]

Yes, I have a spare iBook battery...in fact I have never even used it... I keep it around for emergency purposes...