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Is it ok to leave my MBA plugged in most of the time?

J

John marts

macrumors member
Original poster
Sep 20, 2014
79
3
I use my MBA as my main computer and I have a little laptop desk/stand set up where I have it plugged in. When I'm home I like using it on the desk so if it is constantly plugged in will it hurt the battery in the long run?
 
R

Reymugen

macrumors newbie
Nov 13, 2013
10
0
the same for me. my macbook is always plugged in when i use it, maybe 8h per day, everyday.

but i thinks it's okey, because i read somewhere that the charger knows when the macbook is fully charged and stops. correct me if i'm wrong.
 
M

motrek

macrumors 68030
Sep 14, 2012
2,613
305
Reymugen said:
the same for me. my macbook is always plugged in when i use it, maybe 8h per day, everyday.

but i thinks it's okey, because i read somewhere that the charger knows when the macbook is fully charged and stops. correct me if i'm wrong.
Click to expand...

My theory is that when the LED on the connector is green, the computer is not charging.

It's okay to leave a MacBook plugged in. Better, even. Why put wear on your battery when you don't have to?
 
Weaselboy

Weaselboy

Moderator
Staff member
Jan 23, 2005
34,137
15,602
California
Reymugen said:
the same for me. my macbook is always plugged in when i use it, maybe 8h per day, everyday.

but i thinks it's okey, because i read somewhere that the charger knows when the macbook is fully charged and stops. correct me if i'm wrong.
Click to expand...

You are correct.

Apple previously had some business on their web site about using on battery occasionally to "exercise" the battery, but that is no longer recommended.

Just use it on battery when you want, but no need to put unnecessary cycles on the battery.

Here are a couple links with the official battery info from Apple.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1446

http://www.apple.com/batteries/
 
ABC5S

ABC5S

Suspended
Sep 10, 2013
3,395
1,646
Florida
Using that link, it also says "Age" has some effect on battery life as well, not just cycles.
 

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0387274

Cancelled
May 21, 2014
122
54
My MBA is about 2 weeks old and it already has 8 cycles. Is this way too quick wear for my battery?
 
Weaselboy

Weaselboy

Moderator
Staff member
Jan 23, 2005
34,137
15,602
California
lautzki said:
My MBA is about 2 weeks old and it already has 8 cycles. Is this way too quick wear for my battery?
Click to expand...

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1519

Here is some info from an Apple support article that explains how the cycles work. So for example, in your case, if you used the battery down to 50% 16 times, it would show 8 full cycles used.

About Battery Cycles

Use of your Mac notebook battery accrues in the form of charge cycles. A charge cycle means using all of the battery’s power, but that doesn’t necessarily mean a single charge. For instance, you could use your notebook for an hour or more one day, using half its charge, and then recharge it fully. If you did the same thing the next day, it would count as one charge cycle, not two, so it may take several days to complete a cycle.

Batteries have a limited amount of charge cycles before they are considered to be consumed. Once consumed, a replacement battery is recommended. You can use your battery after it reaches its maximum cycle count, but you may notice a reduction in your battery life. Knowing how many charge cycles are on your battery and how many are left can help you determine when a battery replacement is required. For optimal performance, replace your battery when you reach the maximum cycle count.
Click to expand...
 
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