If you have access to AC power, there's no reason to run on battery. Run on battery whenever you need to and plug it in whenever you can. You can plug or unplug any time you need to, regardless of the charged percentage, and you never need to completely drain your battery. Just make sure you don't run on AC power exclusively, as your battery needs to be used regularly to stay healthy. The link below should answer most, if not all, of your battery/charging questions. If you haven't already done so, I highly recommend you take the time to read it.I play games so it dies fast and I always have to charge it. Also does it matter if i dont charge it to 100% and stop charging it when i want too?
Mine actually stays plugged in 90% of the time...my home desk has power outlets and almost everywhere else I go has them, too. Like others have said, there is no point wasting power cycles if you don't need to.
It doesn't harm your Mac battery to leave it plugged in after it's fully charged. When the battery is full, it stops charging. It cannot overcharge. What is harmful is to run on AC power exclusively, as the battery needs to be used regularly to stay healthy. Read the Battery FAQ I posted earlier for more details and tips on how to properly care for your battery.Will keeping your computer plugged at all times effect how long it lasts?
I have heard the same with cell phones, that you don't want to keep them plugged in while the battery is fully charged.
It doesn't harm your Mac battery to leave it plugged in after it's fully charged. When the battery is full, it stops charging. It cannot overcharge. What is harmful is to run on AC power exclusively, as the battery needs to be used regularly to stay healthy. Read the Battery FAQ I posted earlier for more details and tips on how to properly care for your battery.
Correct.What if the MacBook is plugged in I an external display. Same logic? So this means we should give ourselves and the MacBooks 'power' breaks once in a while as well?
Read the Battery FAQ in the 2nd post of this thread.How often is once awhile?
It's normal.my battery is at 90%. How normal s that?
There's absolutely no benefit in unplugging once fully charged, unless you need to be mobile.I never use mine plugged in once it's fully charged.
If you have access to AC power, there's no reason to run on battery. Run on battery whenever you need to and plug it in whenever you can. You can plug or unplug any time you need to, regardless of the charged percentage, and you never need to completely drain your battery. Just make sure you don't run on AC power exclusively, as your battery needs to be used regularly to stay healthy. The link below should answer most, if not all, of your battery/charging questions. If you haven't already done so, I highly recommend you take the time to read it.
Read the Battery FAQ in the 2nd post of this thread.
It's normal.
That is false. It's not good for Mac batteries to be fully drained.Any rechargeable battery needs to be once in a while drained completely and charged again to maintain its health.
Macs are not iPhones.In fact the manual for the iPhone recommends that procedure.
That is false. It's not good for Mac batteries to be fully drained.
Macs are not iPhones.
From Apple website,
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1490
The battery has an internal microprocessor that provides an estimate of the amount of energy in the battery as it charges and discharges. The battery needs to be recalibrated from time to time to keep the onscreen battery time and percent display accurate and to keep the battery operating at maximum efficiency. You should perform this procedure when you first use your computer and then every few months after that. If you normally leave your Apple portable computer connected to AC power and very rarely use it on battery power you may want to perform this process once a month. The website http://www.apple.com/batteries has more helpful information regarding batteries and offers an iCal calendar to remind you to calibrate your battery.
Note: If you're not sure which model your portable computer is, use these links to identify your iBook, PowerBook, MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro.
Portables with built-in batteries
Current Apple portable computer batteries are pre-calibrated and do not require the calibration procedure outlined in this article. These computers use batteries that should be replaced only by an Apple Authorized Service Provider.
MacBook
MacBook (13-inch, Late 2009) and later
MacBook Air
MacBook Air, all versions
MacBook Pro
MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2012)
MacBook Pro (Retina, Mid 2012)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2009) and later
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2009) and later
MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2009) and later
Portables with removable batteries
iBooks and PowerBook G4s other than the PowerBook G4 (15-inch Double-Layer SD)
Plug the power adapter in and fully charge your computer's battery until the battery indicator lights turn off and the adapter plug light goes from amber to green, which indicates that the battery is fully charged.
Disconnect the power adapter and use your iBook or PowerBook. When your battery gets low, you will see the low battery warning dialog on the screen. Continue to use your computer until it goes to sleep. At that point the battery has been sufficiently drained for calibration.
Connect the power adapter and leave it connected until the battery is fully charged again.
Another one from Apple,
http://www.apple.com/batteries/notebooks.html
Apple recommends charging and discharging its battery at least once per month.
And one more thing... iPhone battery did not come from an alien planet, its just another rechargeable battery.
Did you read the full scope of the article or only skim through the parts that you highlighted?
From the article you quoted:
"Portables with built-in batteries
Current Apple portable computer batteries are pre-calibrated and do not require the calibration procedure outlined in this article. These computers use batteries that should be replaced only by an Apple Authorized Service Provider.
MacBook
MacBook (13-inch, Late 2009) and later
MacBook Air
MacBook Air, all versions
MacBook Pro
MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2012)
MacBook Pro (Retina, Mid 2012)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2009) and later
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2009) and later
MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2009) and later
Basically any modern Macbook does not need the CALIBRATION to be done.
Note that I put calibration in caps.
"The battery has an internal microprocessor that provides an estimate of the amount of energy in the battery as it charges and discharges. The battery needs to be recalibrated from time to time to keep the onscreen battery time and percent display accurate and to keep the battery operating at maximum efficiency."
They are telling you that the calibration process affects the microprocessor inside the battery that tells the computer how much charge is left. In other words the calibration is to calibrate your battery gauge and in turn giving you the best measurement of battery to ensure you use it to the max.
Calibrating your battery does not affect the actually improve the physical properties of it like adding more milliamperes. It also does not keep its health. Infact it does the opposite. Any battery that is drained to its limit can actually lost charger faster.
But none of this matters because Apple themselves say that you do not have to do any procedures to the batteries in modern macbooks.
Apparently the second link completely missed your attention.
There's absolutely no benefit in unplugging once fully charged, unless you need to be mobile.
The built-in batteries in the newer Mac unibody notebooks come pre-calibrated and do not require regular calibration like the removable batteries in older Apple notebooks.
That means putting at least one cycle on the battery. It does not mean you have to completely drain and recharge the battery in one session. You get the same effect by draining to 50% and recharging twice or draining/recharging 25% and repeating 4 times. Read the WHAT IS A CYCLE? section of the Battery FAQ to understand how cycles work.Another one from Apple,
http://www.apple.com/batteries/notebooks.html
Apple recommends charging and discharging its battery at least once per month.
You can't lump all rechargeable batteries together and assume they are all to be treated the same way. The charging technology employed in Mac notebooks is different from that used in iPhones. That's why they have different instructions, different batteries and different logic boards.And one more thing... iPhone battery did not come from an alien planet, its just another rechargeable battery.
The problem isn't leaving it plugged in after it's fully charged, which does not harm the battery. The problem arises when you leave it plugged in ALL the time, without exercising the battery.I know thats apparently true, but all my friends who leave theirs plugged in manage to kill their batteries where as mine always last this long...
Leaving a laptop plugged in 100% of the time is in fact bad for the battery. .
That's not true. Leaving it plugged in the vast majority of the time is not good. Many people read the once-per-month recommendation out of context. As Apple states:But unplugging your MBA once every month or so, for a few hours, is plenty, according to Apple's recommendations. So leaving it plugged in 99% of the time is probably best.
That does not suggest leaving it plugged in most of the time. The once per month recommendation refers to a notebook that is not being used regularly throughout the month:An ideal use would be a commuter who uses her notebook on the train, then plugs it in at the office to charge. This keeps the battery juices flowing.
There is nothing there that suggests that leaving a notebook plugged in 99% of the time is recommended.If on the other hand, you use a desktop computer at work, and save a notebook for infrequent travel, Apple recommends charging and discharging its battery at least once per month.
The problem isn't leaving it plugged in after it's fully charged, which does not harm the battery. The problem arises when you leave it plugged in ALL the time, without exercising the battery.