Aluminum PowerBook (15-inch) Battery Update 1.0

jaseone · Jan 9, 2006, 08:33 PM

I just saw this pop up in my Software Update, it didn't have much of a description something like "Allows the battery to use it's full capacity" or similar. I've installed it and restarted without any visible problems although it did take a while to reboot.

It isn't listed on http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/ yet though.

stoid · Jan 9, 2006, 08:39 PM

Fascinating.

I thought I read awhile back that the 15 inch PowerBook batteries could hold a 4600 mah charge, but Apple had firmware limited to filling to 4400 mah for some reason, perhaps this lifts that restriction?

jaseone · 08:57 PM

On further investigation it seems to have installed a new utility "PowerBook G4 Battery Updater" that has the following blurb upon launch:

Quote:

The PowerBook G4 Battery Updater improves the performance of batteries that may develop short run times. The update process will take about 15 minutes and must not be interrupted.

To upgrade the firmware on your battery, read through the instructions below. When you're ready, click Update.

The PowerBook G4 Battery Updater is installed in Applications/Utilities.

During the update process your PowerBook G4 needs to be running, the power adapter must be plugged into a working power source and the battery should not be removed. Your battery will appear to have no charge and will not power your computer until the update process has been completed.

If the update is interrupted retry the update process again until successful. If you have more than one battery to update be sure to complete the update process before starting to update another battery.

1. Click Update to start the update process. The status bar shows the progress of the update.

2. Wait until the update is complete. When complete a dialog will show that your battery was successfully updated.

3. Remove your battery, then put your battery back into your PowerBook G4 for it to be recognized.

4. Repeat the calibration process for your battery, to get the longest running time possible.

For more information, go to www.apple.com/kbnum/n303035

That link 404's though so no further information is available at the moment.

Now do I run it or do I not?

EDIT: I went ahead and hit Update but apparently the reason it took a while to reboot after the Software Update was that it was running the Firmware update for the Battery, now to dig around in the .app to see if there are any more hints to what exactly it does...

WildCowboy · Jan 9, 2006, 08:53 PM

Same deal here...took a while to reboot after the update (and also turned my screen brightness way down). Running the battery updater just gives a message that my battery doesn't need to be updated.

MacRumors · 09:28 PM

Now in Software Update for affected PowerBooks:

Quote:

This update aids the 15-inch Aluminum PowerBook battery in performing at full capacity.

It installs a PowerBook G4 Battery Updater utility, used to update battery firmware to "improve the performance of batteries that may develop short run times."

Kwyjibo · Jan 9, 2006, 09:46 PM

mine doesn't need an update yet either but the battery has been acting pretty strange for me ..

clayj · Jan 9, 2006, 09:58 PM

Mine came up as "update not needed". So much for my uptime...

cazlar · Jan 9, 2006, 10:00 PM

I just wish they brought one out for my 12"PB (revB)

aristobrat · Jan 9, 2006, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WildCowboy

Same deal here...took a while to reboot after the update (and also turned my screen brightness way down). Running the battery updater just gives a message that my battery doesn't need to be updated.

I ran the update and rebooted while on battery power and it (obviously) didn't do anything.

Plugged the AC back in and immediately was notified to run the update in the Utilities folder.

wHo_tHe · Jan 9, 2006, 10:12 PM

If this is anything like the Bluetooth updater, then no thanks. That piece of crap sludged my Bluetooth just before a big business trip. Shame on me for trusting Apple the way I thought I could!

D3LM3L · Jan 9, 2006, 10:18 PM

Hey is this update working on any April 2004 PowerBooks? Mine installed the update but keeps telling me that my battery does not need it when I run the updater app. Thanks!

jono_3 · Jan 9, 2006, 10:19 PM

do you think the update would do anything on a 1.33(is that rev b?) 12inch pb?

buttercup · Jan 9, 2006, 10:21 PM

So far so good. It appears to think it has more life but it hard to tell. I am waiting for it to die so I can calibrate it now.

jaseone · Jan 9, 2006, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by D3LM3L

Hey is this update working on any April 2004 PowerBooks? Mine installed the update but keeps telling me that my battery does not need it when I run the updater app. Thanks!

Did you restart after the Software Update? If so then it is already installed.

thejadedmonkey · Jan 9, 2006, 10:28 PM

that's an odd update...

applekid · Jan 9, 2006, 10:31 PM

Don't be fooled!

It's a distraction from MWSF '06!

puckhead193 · 10:45 PM

Quote:

4. Repeat the calibration process for your battery, to get the longest running time possible.

Does this mean unplugging and draining the battery....

When i ran it, this comes up...

vasaz · Jan 9, 2006, 10:37 PM

How long is a "while" for the restart? Mine has been stuck at the blue screen for ~10 min...

puckhead193 · Jan 9, 2006, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vasaz

How long is a "while" for the restart? Mine has been stuck at the blue screen for ~10 min...

min took longer but def. not 10 mins...maybe a min longer then what i'm used to.. weird...maybe it froze...

D3LM3L · Jan 9, 2006, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaseone

Did you restart after the Software Update? If so then it is already installed.

Yes, I did... I thought it had to flash the firmware afterwards though (like Bluetooth updates).

arturo · Jan 9, 2006, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clayj

Mine came up as "update not needed". So much for my uptime...

I also got this, update not needed, mine is a 1.5Ghz PowerPC G4

D3LM3L · Jan 9, 2006, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arturo

I also got this, update not needed, mine is a 1.5Ghz PowerPC G4

Actually my friend told me it's unnecessary. His battery was at 64% before the update, and was at 82% after he restarted. Clearly Apple simply installed the update, and the updater app at the same time. Everything is updated after you restart!

dornball · Jan 9, 2006, 11:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by D3LM3L

Actually my friend told me it's unnecessary. His battery was at 64% before the update, and was at 82% after he restarted. Clearly Apple simply installed the update, and the updater app at the same time. Everything is updated after you restart!

how do you figure out the percentage you battery is currently, of the original 100%. mine seems like 50% of what it used to be (2 years ago), but i would love to know the actual %, if there is some sort of test.

btw, i ran the updater, and it said it didn't need to be updated. i guess it couldn't already ran itself, like others here are talking about, btu my battery doesn't seem to be lasting any longer than it did before.

-dornball

mrwilly123 · Jan 9, 2006, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dornball

how do you figure out the percentage you battery is currently, of the original 100%. mine seems like 50% of what it used to be (2 years ago), but i would love to know the actual %, if there is some sort of test.

btw, i ran the updater, and it said it didn't need to be updated. i guess it couldn't already ran itself, like others here are talking about, btu my battery doesn't seem to be lasting any longer than it did before.

-dornball

Try coconutBattery. It's pretty snazztastic.

bigandy · Jan 9, 2006, 11:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrwilly123

Try coconutBattery. It's pretty snazztastic.

i was just going to suggest that!

my batteries aren't doing so good- one's 50% through it's life, the other is 43%

really need a new powerbook. don't just want batteries, want new machine! *fingers crossed for tomorrow*

Jan 9, 2006, 08:33 PM	#1
jaseone macrumors 6502a Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Houston, USA	"Aluminum PowerBook (15-inch) Battery Update" (1.0) I just saw this pop up in my Software Update, it didn't have much of a description something like "Allows the battery to use it's full capacity" or similar. I've installed it and restarted without any visible problems although it did take a while to reboot. It isn't listed on http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/ yet though. __________________ Jason Bainbridge flickr \| Blog \| Twitter

Jan 9, 2006, 08:39 PM	#2
stoid macrumors 68040 Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: So long, and thanks for all the fish!	Fascinating. I thought I read awhile back that the 15 inch PowerBook batteries could hold a 4600 mah charge, but Apple had firmware limited to filling to 4400 mah for some reason, perhaps this lifts that restriction? __________________ Get Salted!

Jan 9, 2006, 08:53 PM	#4
WildCowboy macrumors god Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: nowhere near the infinite loop anymore	Same deal here...took a while to reboot after the update (and also turned my screen brightness way down). Running the battery updater just gives a message that my battery doesn't need to be updated. __________________ 15" 2.4 GHz MacBook Pro -- 15" 1.67 GHz PowerBook -- 14" 1.2 GHz iBook

Jan 9, 2006, 09:58 PM	#7
clayj macrumors 601 Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: 1123,6536,5321	Mine came up as "update not needed". So much for my uptime... __________________ mba guru mac pro 2.8 ghz 8 core 14 gb ram 4 tb hd 30" acd \| macbook air 1.8 ghz 64 gb ssd \| mac minis 2.0 ghz c2d 1.66 ghz cd \| iphone 3G \| ipods x4

Jan 9, 2006, 10:21 PM	#13
buttercup macrumors member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Vancouver	I installed it... So far so good. It appears to think it has more life but it hard to tell. I am waiting for it to die so I can calibrate it now. __________________ 20" white Intel iMac, 15" 1.67 G4 Powerbook w/ DL SuperDrive, Black 60G 5G iPod

Jan 9, 2006, 09:46 PM	#6
Kwyjibo macrumors 68040 Join Date: Nov 2002	mine doesn't need an update yet either but the battery has been acting pretty strange for me ..

Jan 9, 2006, 10:00 PM	#8
cazlar macrumors 6502 Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Sydney, Australia	I just wish they brought one out for my 12"PB (revB)

Jan 9, 2006, 10:12 PM	#10
wHo_tHe macrumors regular Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: ::radiofreenewton.com:: Streaming Internet radio on your Newton!	If this is anything like the Bluetooth updater, then no thanks. That piece of crap sludged my Bluetooth just before a big business trip. Shame on me for trusting Apple the way I thought I could!

Jan 9, 2006, 10:18 PM	#11
D3LM3L macrumors regular Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Edgewater, NJ	Hey is this update working on any April 2004 PowerBooks? Mine installed the update but keeps telling me that my battery does not need it when I run the updater app. Thanks!

Jan 9, 2006, 10:19 PM	#12
jono_3 macrumors regular Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Canada	do you think the update would do anything on a 1.33(is that rev b?) 12inch pb?

Jan 9, 2006, 10:28 PM	#15
thejadedmonkey macrumors 68040 Join Date: May 2005 Location: Pa	that's an odd update... __________________ Mac Mini G4 • MacBook Pro • iPod Nano "Good judgement comes from experience, experience comes from bad judgement. - Mark Twain

Jan 9, 2006, 10:31 PM	#16
applekid macrumors 68020 Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: On this chair	Don't be fooled! It's a distraction from MWSF '06!

Jan 9, 2006, 10:37 PM	#18
vasaz macrumors member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: MN	How long is a "while" for the restart? Mine has been stuck at the blue screen for ~10 min...

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