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1st Time Mac Owner: Battery Tips

T

thefirstone

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 7, 2011
40
0
I'm a first time Mac owner and got the 13" base MBA. I plugged in the machine and let it charge to full capacity, the first time I used it.

Am I supposed to fully discharge the battery to calibrate it? Apple says on its website that there is no need to calibrate newer batteries. So, I shouldn't have to fully discharge the battery after the first full-charge?

I just want to make sure that I take all the necessary steps with a new battery in order to maximize the battery life.

Thanks in advance!
 
Is it a good idea to calibrate the battery the first time I use it?

I charged it fully, let it run on AC power for two hours but I did not let it drain completely. The battery is down to 30% from sporadic use over two days but I did not drain it completely, in one sitting, after the first charge.
 
thefirstone said:
Is it a good idea to calibrate the battery the first time I use it?

I charged it fully, let it run on AC power for two hours but I did not let it drain completely. The battery is down to 30% from sporadic use over two days but I did not drain it completely, in one sitting, after the first charge.
Click to expand...

It is a good idea, also I tend to run down my battery completely to 0% once a month and than recharge it too 100%. It is helpful especially when you have it plugged in all the time
 
My battery health in iStat shows 98%...it's only been a week.

I almost never keep it plugged in. Once it reaches 100% I unplug it and start using it on battery. I let it drain usually to around 20-30% and then let it charge again. I've done one full 100-->0% cycle already when I first got it because I didn't know about not having to calibrate.

Thoughts?
 
thefirstone said:
I'm a first time Mac owner and got the 13" base MBA. I plugged in the machine and let it charge to full capacity, the first time I used it.

Am I supposed to fully discharge the battery to calibrate it? Apple says on its website that there is no need to calibrate newer batteries. So, I shouldn't have to fully discharge the battery after the first full-charge?

I just want to make sure that I take all the necessary steps with a new battery in order to maximize the battery life.

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

I did the calibration for fun. Meter shows 100%. I use coconut for battery stats.
 
It is not required according to Apple.
No new battery should need to be calibrated.
 
any thoughts on the battery health dropping 2% in only a week? Got my MBA on August 5...
 
http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1490

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 (13-inch, Mid 2009) and later
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2009) and later
MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2009) and later
Click to expand...
 
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