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Best Battery Saving Tips for 2013 MacBook Air

D

DblEGT

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 22, 2013
38
0
I know the new MBAs are excellent laptops with awesome battery life. Are there any tips (large or small) YOU'VE discovered which will help extend battery life even further?
 
Back out of applications you are not using. Minimize browser tabs. Use Safari instead of Chrome
 
mj1108 said:
Screen brightness. I keep mine at around 9-10 ticks.
Click to expand...

So far, I've done the following:

1. 50% screen brightness
2. Slightly dimmed keyboard backlighting
3. Use Safari over other (non-Apple) browsers whenever possible.

Will investigate using the "clicktoflash" feature in Safari to minimize Flash usage.


Any others I am missing??
 
I heard instead of Flash, use HTML5.. There is a plugin for Youtube on Safari app store.


Make sure to 'quit' your apps as closing does not fully exit them.
 
These are my best tips so far:

  1. Disable Bluetooth (unless you're using wireless devices)
  2. Disable file sharing (unless you need it)
  3. Use Safari with the ClickToPlugin extension
  4. cmd+Q the apps you're not currently using
  5. Keep your login items in a low number
  6. 50% screen brightness or less (unless you're outdoors)
 
There are many factors that impact your battery life. See the BATTERY LIFE FROM A CHARGE section of the following link for details, including tips on how to maximize your battery life.
​
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.
 
Any new ideas fellas? We all know about the screen brightness, keyboard brightness, html5 videos, no dropbox (or very less), quitting apps that you are not using (hahaha right) and what else ?
 
GGJstudios said:
Leaving it plugged in all the time is a quick way to kill a battery.
Click to expand...

I don't think that's the case with lithium ion batteries. IIRC the main contributor to battery life is charging cycles. By leaving it plugged in you reduce the number of charge cycles. So in theory, by leaving it plugged in you extend battery life.
 
Jefe's MacAir said:
I don't think that's the case with lithium ion batteries. IIRC the main contributor to battery life is charging cycles. By leaving it plugged in you reduce the number of charge cycles. So in theory, by leaving it plugged in you extend battery life.
Click to expand...

That's not true at all. Read the Battery FAQ in post #9 to learn the facts.
 
Remove mountain lion and install snow leopard. Everything is faster and uses less CPU cycles, ram, and hard drive swapping. Battery life is significantly improved, even in sleep mode.
 
vistadude said:
Remove mountain lion and install snow leopard. Everything is faster and uses less CPU cycles, ram, and hard drive swapping. Battery life is significantly improved, even in sleep mode.
Click to expand...

honestly, even if i don't know a lot about macs, on thing do know is that:
downgrading your software is ABSOLUETLY the DUMBEST thing that anyone can do.
 
Jefe's MacAir said:
I don't think that's the case with lithium ion batteries. IIRC the main contributor to battery life is charging cycles. By leaving it plugged in you reduce the number of charge cycles. So in theory, by leaving it plugged in you extend battery life.
Click to expand...

No, I used to do this and you will basically run the battery down into the ground as it is essentially charged for x number of cycles despite being 100% charged. By leaving your laptop plugged in you'll run it down and probably make it void of warranty.
 
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