Alu Macbook + Battery Update 1.4 = ? Hours

[pelias1525]

Hey guys,

I'm trying to decide between getting one of the late '08 Alu Macbooks that had the removable battery or the newer 13" Macbook Pros.

One of the things I'm looking into is battery life. Does anyone know the effect that Battery Update 1.4 had on the Alu Macbook battery life?

Doing light browsing and listening to music, what sort of length do you think I can get out of the 2 machines?

Thanks much!

Pierre

[jackiecanev2]

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No battery update will compensate for the differently-shaped internal battery cells that afford the new line with extended power and subsequently, time. It might help but if battery life is a priority for you, go ahead and opt for the MBP.

[andalusia]

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No battery update will compensate for the differently-shaped internal battery cells that afford the new line with extended power and subsequently, time. It might help but if battery life is a priority for you, go ahead and opt for the MBP.

Agreed. Go for the Pro if battery life is what you require.

[pelias1525]

Battery life is important, but not the most important thing. I'm wondering what the numbers actually are.

I want a battery that will give me AT LEAST 4 hours using iTunes and Firefox.

I also like that the macbook Alu has a removable battery, in case something goes wrong. Then again, if anything went wrong would AppleCare cover it? Thanks for the posts thus far!

[akutad]

I would definitely get the latest one only because of the battery life and the sd card reader. I personally own the late '08 and my mother in law just bought the latest macbook pro. I found a big difference in battery life between the two machines. I got 4 hours of intense music transfer, updating, downloading, etc when setting up her machine for the first time. I have to say the SD card reader was a really nice touch, for me anyway. Saves battery usage on the camera when uploading and the SD reader is way faster. I would assume you would get 7 hrs battery life with light use. The most I get out of mine is 3 hrs. I normally would always suggest buying a refurbished model as I normally do. But since it just got released then there won't be any refurbished models for probably another 6 months. Even then I would only expect a $200 discount. I don't think it's worth waiting that long for that discount.

[touchdownjesus4]

I have a uMB and after 7 months my battery gives me around 4 hours when using itunes and firefox. This is not on full brightness though. To get decent battery life you have to keep the screen brightness as low as is comfortable in the room you are in. I would go for the new MBP. The screens and batteries are much better and if you ever need a firewire port or SD card slot, they are right there on the side.

[andalusia]

I have a uMB and after 7 months my battery gives me around 4 hours when using itunes and firefox. This is not on full brightness though. To get decent battery life you have to keep the screen brightness as low as is comfortable in the room you are in. I would go for the new MBP. The screens and batteries are much better and if you ever need a firewire port or SD card slot, they are right there on the side.

Agreed. Just go for the Pro (: you won't be dissapointed.