4.5 just seems way too short for a 15''. My buddies are pushing 7-8 with 1/2 brightness and safari/itunes running. let me knw what the apple store says about this because this seems like a problem others have mentioned on the forums. about to get a 15'' myself haha
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2010 Macbook Pro Battery Life???
- Thread starter owlbabu
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3hours 27min, and my battery is down to 3%. Nothing particularly heavy duty was running. Because I wasn't running ONLY a web browser or text editor, I wasn't expecting to get 8-9 hours. But I was definitely expecting at least 5 or 6.
Any other tips before I bring this baby to the Genius Bar?
Any other tips before I bring this baby to the Genius Bar?
I just bought the same MBP you did and calibrated a day later. I'm really feeling that you didn't calibrate correctly. I urge you to try it one more time.
I didn't check the times of your posts when you said that you've tried calibrating but this should have taken you 10+ hours.
- Close the lid (sleep) and charge until the indicator turns green. Make sure you check frequently.
- When it's reached 100% set a timer or try to remember to let it charge for 2 more full hours. Remember, up until now, you're not supposed to the MBP.
- Now unplug it and use it casually...Safari, plug up your iPod and let it charge to suck up some juice...use iSight and make some vids or have fun in iPhoto
- When you get the warning that your MBP is entering reserve power, you're almost there! It'll go to sleep on it's own.
- Now, close the lid and let your MBP rest for 5 hours.
- After 5 hours, charge your MBP until the indicator is green again. DO NOT use it. You should have only used your MBP during this process when you were draining the battery.
I didn't check the times of your posts when you said that you've tried calibrating but this should have taken you 10+ hours.
This does NOT sound like only a calibration issue. Apple states on their homepage that the tests are made with the screens on 50% brightness, wi-fi on, and doing basic tasks like web surfing and word processing. I tried this on my 13" MBP when I got it and got almost exactly the advertised battery time. If you're down to half the advertised time I'd say you got a bad battery. Call apple, I'm sure they will replace it for you.
DO NOT FOLLOW THESE STEPS! This is NOT Apple's calibration procedure. You should follow the procedure that Apple recommends, not some variation posted by someone in a forum, who doesn't understand the correct process.
Calibrating a portable computer battery
microsoft word triggers the nvidia gfx card (for some reason) , that could be a factor, but ur battery is still underperforming.
Same trouble here. I went through the calibration procedure on a new MBP 15" i7 w/ high-res screen. I've only been using Safari and occasionally iTunes and only seem to be getting around 4 hours. Definitely not close to 8-9 hours. Does the 1680x1050 screen upgrade and i7 significantly reduce the maximum battery time? Should I take it to the Apple Store? Will I have to leave it there for them to figure out if there's a battery issue? Can they replace the battery in the store if there's a problem or will it have to go back to Apple since I got a custom configured model?
Also, Coconut Battery is showing that the age of my Mac is 4 weeks, even though I ordered it July 25. Does that make any sense? Coconut Battery is also showing that my current battery capacity is 6730 mAh and original capacity is 6900 mAh.
Also, Coconut Battery is showing that the age of my Mac is 4 weeks, even though I ordered it July 25. Does that make any sense? Coconut Battery is also showing that my current battery capacity is 6730 mAh and original capacity is 6900 mAh.
Same Problem here
I have the same problem... My 3 week old, 15" macbook pro, i5 2.53GHz standard config is only showing 4:12 min right after a calibration, and charge! I dont use the time display for my battery though but it should say more! When I drained the battery for calibration, it took only about 3 hours of playing with Photobooth, itunes, and garageband(all with max brightness though). so I can kinda understand the lower life when I am stressing the CPU, but right after a charge and only running safari, it says 4:12!!!! I am not located near an apple store but if you let me know what apple says, and if you have a faulty battery then I will definitely make a trip!
Thanks
I have the same problem... My 3 week old, 15" macbook pro, i5 2.53GHz standard config is only showing 4:12 min right after a calibration, and charge! I dont use the time display for my battery though but it should say more! When I drained the battery for calibration, it took only about 3 hours of playing with Photobooth, itunes, and garageband(all with max brightness though). so I can kinda understand the lower life when I am stressing the CPU, but right after a charge and only running safari, it says 4:12!!!! I am not located near an apple store but if you let me know what apple says, and if you have a faulty battery then I will definitely make a trip!
Thanks
Wow, really? I wasn't saying my way was the correct way. I was trying to share that the way I did it showed me great results. He doesn't have to do it the way I said and I wasn't endorsing my way as the only correct official way.
Might be a stupid question but surfing around I've seen a posted link to a program called speedit?? Something like it that lowers the Ghz used by the computer when possible to extend the battery life. Has anyone tried this, has anyone heard of it. It sound a little shady to me but then again if I'm stuck all day at school and by chance forget my power supply it seems like something that would help out. I haven't tried calibrating my MBP 15in i7 although I think I may have done it subconsciously considering in my time using pc I was told that one shouldn't have the pc on power supply all the time but let the battery run down a little from time to time and recharge. I do understand the calibration procedure but other experience and advice would be great! 
If you understand the calibration procedure, you'd know you can't do it "subconsciously" and it involves more than "letting the battery run down a little from time to time and recharging". Read the link I posted.I haven't tried calibrating my MBP 15in i7 although I think I may have done it subconsciously ... let the battery run down a little from time to time and recharge. I do understand the calibration procedure but other experience and advice would be great!
I dont think its out of the ordinary, I think you should get more then 4.5 hours, set it to 1/2 brightness and see what it says, this is my 3rd mac and not one of them got what the battery life was quoted, the only way they get what they are supposed to is just sitting there with no apps running, 1/2 brightness and bluetooth and airport off...my battery life is good in my 15, they say its 8-9 hours id say i get 5 to 6 with low brightness and web browsing, not bad at all but its never what they say it is
If you'll actually read the post I wrote you'll see that "letting the battery run down a little from time to time"- WASN'T REFERRING TO THE MAC, and was actually referring to tips I'd received about pc usage when I had one, but way to be anal about it. I did read several calibration instructions and what I was saying, if you had read carefully, was that I believe I have already done the procedures outlined here.
what i dont understand is i used to have the old black macbook, and on the second battery i put it in it i got almost 4 hours and that was running things like Final Cut and watching movies 
That battery lasted almost two years and performed more or less consistently like that the whole time until i sold it. (interestingly a week later it completely died and the computer couldnt even recognize it was installed...)
Whereas the battery before that died early and basically sucked from day one. Oh and by the way, those removable batteries were advertised at around 4 hours and to actually get 4 hours wasnt bad at all
My conclusion was that rechargeable batteries in general are an inconsistent/unreliable technology, and some times you get lucky and sometimes you dont. Anyway everything since then has only supported this idea.
But at present i am using a new 13" MBP 2010 and trying to make sense of the battery. In the case of my old one it more or less delivered 4 hours almost irrespective of what i was doing, heavy or light. BUt this one is so so volatile. I tested it last night and saw that if I would have used 1/4 screen light and text edit with moderate web browsing I could have gotten 8 to 9 hours. I must say that is pretty good, but what i dont understand is that if it can perform like that for light jobs you would also think that it could increase performance for heavy jobs. But my experience has been that it is futile for heavy jobs, giving 2 to 2.5 hours with full light,watching movies (vlc/QT), airport on, youtube, etc. ( I havent even started doing video work again i.e editing, rendering, etc. )
So its still pretty screwy if you ask me. I am still debating whether I will try to get apple to do something. I know they will drag their feet and complain from my previous experiences ....
That battery lasted almost two years and performed more or less consistently like that the whole time until i sold it. (interestingly a week later it completely died and the computer couldnt even recognize it was installed...)
Whereas the battery before that died early and basically sucked from day one. Oh and by the way, those removable batteries were advertised at around 4 hours and to actually get 4 hours wasnt bad at all
My conclusion was that rechargeable batteries in general are an inconsistent/unreliable technology, and some times you get lucky and sometimes you dont. Anyway everything since then has only supported this idea.
But at present i am using a new 13" MBP 2010 and trying to make sense of the battery. In the case of my old one it more or less delivered 4 hours almost irrespective of what i was doing, heavy or light. BUt this one is so so volatile. I tested it last night and saw that if I would have used 1/4 screen light and text edit with moderate web browsing I could have gotten 8 to 9 hours. I must say that is pretty good, but what i dont understand is that if it can perform like that for light jobs you would also think that it could increase performance for heavy jobs. But my experience has been that it is futile for heavy jobs, giving 2 to 2.5 hours with full light,watching movies (vlc/QT), airport on, youtube, etc. ( I havent even started doing video work again i.e editing, rendering, etc.
)So its still pretty screwy if you ask me. I am still debating whether I will try to get apple to do something. I know they will drag their feet and complain from my previous experiences ....
what i dont understand is i used to have the old black macbook, and on the second battery i put it in it i got almost 4 hours and that was running things like Final Cut and watching movies
That battery lasted almost two years and performed more or less consistently like that the whole time until i sold it. (interestingly a week later it completely died and the computer couldnt even recognize it was installed...)
Whereas the battery before that died early and basically sucked from day one. Oh and by the way, those removable batteries were advertised at around 4 hours and to actually get 4 hours wasnt bad at all
My conclusion was that rechargeable batteries in general are an inconsistent/unreliable technology, and some times you get lucky and sometimes you dont. Anyway everything since then has only supported this idea.
But at present i am using a new 13" MBP 2010 and trying to make sense of the battery. In the case of my old one it more or less delivered 4 hours almost irrespective of what i was doing, heavy or light. BUt this one is so so volatile. I tested it last night and saw that if I would have used 1/4 screen light and text edit with moderate web browsing I could have gotten 8 to 9 hours. I must say that is pretty good, but what i dont understand is that if it can perform like that for light jobs you would also think that it could increase performance for heavy jobs. But my experience has been that it is futile for heavy jobs, giving 2 to 2.5 hours with full light,watching movies (vlc/QT), airport on, youtube, etc. ( I havent even started doing video work again i.e editing, rendering, etc.
So its still pretty screwy if you ask me. I am still debating whether I will try to get apple to do something. I know they will drag their feet and complain from my previous experiences ....
What I don't understand is why some people feel compelled to constantly run the MacBook Pro at full brightness when quite frankly, in a fully lit room, two notches above halfway mark is plenty bright, even with poor eyes. Or when it's dark and you have the lights off (which you really never should, if it can be avoided), one notch is amazingly vibrant. The only time my MacBook Pro goes to full brightness is when I'm at work, under the fluorescent lights, and even then I crank it down some notches because it's just not necessary IMO.
I've written books on battery power; navigated things, remote access, etc...the only two apps that will kill the battery are GarageBand and VMWare Fusion. Even Microsoft Office doesn't do that much like those two apps will.
What i don't understand is how apple has managed build up a base of such openly neutered brainwashed apple fan boys who are the most sentimentally tweaked, personal-discretion-relinquishing, individuals in the world of commerce. And whats more, they are proud of this quality and some how in their twisted heads find it redeeming and see it as an entry right to the exclusive world of "Apple" where the "chosen ones" stay until the big OS X in the sky comes back around and they can drink their cool-aid and join Steve Jobs back in the Mother Land
Only with apple do you find that when people/customers complain about some less then satisfactory performance of their product, or just express their observations and general dissatisfaction or personal preferences - that other apple customers start to foam at the mouth and turn into a cross between a pack of rabid hyenas and a fanatical brainwashed mob at the Salem witch trials.
I find it very peculiar and funny.
At any rate I keep the screen FULLY lit because (...are you read for this) I LIKE TOO !
It helps undo some of the reflections from the glare of the extremely glossy screen. THATS RIGHT! I SAID IT! The screen is a bit too glossy for my taste also!
If you want the honest truth, Apple could avoid getting people worked up about their "less than advertised" battery performance by simply being more forthcoming. Like "10 hours reading/editing text on or offline, 4 hours watching movies, 3 hours editing video, etc". What is the problem with telling people what they get in real life use, because after all they will figure it out when they USE IT IN REAL LIFE.
As far as rechargeable batteries go, i bet you any person who works with electronics and advertising would tell you off record that rechargeable batteries are a screwy technology and very in performance no matter what. Some times the performance is so bad it gets labeled as "defective" and they are obliged to replace it because of the huge disparity with its advertised performance.
Only with apple do you find that when people/customers complain about some less then satisfactory performance of their product, or just express their observations and general dissatisfaction or personal preferences - that other apple customers start to foam at the mouth and turn into a cross between a pack of rabid hyenas and a fanatical brainwashed mob at the Salem witch trials.
I find it very peculiar and funny.
At any rate I keep the screen FULLY lit because (...are you read for this) I LIKE TOO !
It helps undo some of the reflections from the glare of the extremely glossy screen. THATS RIGHT! I SAID IT! The screen is a bit too glossy for my taste also!
If you want the honest truth, Apple could avoid getting people worked up about their "less than advertised" battery performance by simply being more forthcoming. Like "10 hours reading/editing text on or offline, 4 hours watching movies, 3 hours editing video, etc". What is the problem with telling people what they get in real life use, because after all they will figure it out when they USE IT IN REAL LIFE.
As far as rechargeable batteries go, i bet you any person who works with electronics and advertising would tell you off record that rechargeable batteries are a screwy technology and very in performance no matter what. Some times the performance is so bad it gets labeled as "defective" and they are obliged to replace it because of the huge disparity with its advertised performance.
Dude...you're saying it's a defect. It's not. You're running the maximum brightness - so why would you expect some stellar battery life when you're running at full blast? That's illogical. If you want to run full brightness that's your business, but then you need to accept that your battery life is going to take a hit. Just like with any other laptop, cell phone or other battery-driven screen. Even worse, you're running battery-intensive applications. There's no way you would get 8 hours of battery life running Final Cut all the time on full brightness with wireless and all that; it's silly to think you would.
At any rate I keep the screen FULLY lit because (...are you read for this) I LIKE TOO !
Fine. Then you say "I'm running at full brightness all the time because I prefer to, I know that causes me to lose battery life that I would otherwise have, but I am willing to sacrifice it and I know it's not a problem with the device, but rather how I choose to use it.
Then what'd you buy it for? IF you got it from the Apple Store, you saw the screen, you knew what you were getting. If you didn't, there are NUMEROUS review and unboxing screenshots and videos all across the Interweb. The glossy screen has been there for three iterations of the MBP. There's no possible way you didn't know, so why'd you buy it if it's such a problem? Worse, why not get the antiglare version which was readily available on various models?
Constantly running Final Cut with max screen brightness is not "real life use". For your usage pattern you would have been better served with an iMac which was not subject to these concerns of yours. IN any event, Apple makes it quite clear what usage they used to determine the rated battery life. It's basically the majority of laptop users, NOT laptop users. Light users, occasional users, who keep the screen brightness down because they want to optimize their battery life. If you don't feel you should have to, then you settle with the fact that your battery life will be shorter. What's the problem here?
Or, they choose to do it to shut up complaining customers. I don't need to quote you the line about the squeaky wheel.
Honestly, I think the battery indicator is terrible at estimating battery life. I have a macbook pro 13 current generation. Last night i calibrated the battery. As i was trying to drain the battery as fast as possible, i still got around 6 to 7 hours of use. I played two hulu videos in the background, brightness full blast, wifi on, surfed the web with heavy flash, and played Plants vs. Zombies. The entire time, the battery said i had about 2 to 3 hours left. While the battery life is truly amazing, the battery indicator is crap imo.
Switch it from displaying time remaining to show percent remaining, which is less confusing. Also remember that it's only an estimate, and that it changes moment by moment, depending on the current workload on the computer. Very much like EPA estimates, your mileage varies based on a number of factors. It's not reasonable to expect it to be highly accurate.
I was calibrating my battery the other day. I did my best to drain the battery as fast as possible. Doing Garageband, DVD and even gaming on it. At some point I got a bit tired of it and decided to go do something else. When I got back, the battery still wasn't empty.
I put it to heavy work again when it finally went into sleepmode after 7 hours so that I could do the calibration.
I put it to heavy work again when it finally went into sleepmode after 7 hours so that I could do the calibration.
Macbook Pro i5 2.4ghz with high resolution display
I get about 5-6 hours battery. Wi-fi on Safari, Bluetooth off Brightness down 3 notches, simple Photoshop editing.
Depending on use it is lower when I am using Logic and Final cut pro.
I would say recalibrate the battery from time to time.
Apple advertises battery use in extreme conditions that I don't think anyone will use lol.
I get about 5-6 hours battery. Wi-fi on Safari, Bluetooth off Brightness down 3 notches, simple Photoshop editing.
Depending on use it is lower when I am using Logic and Final cut pro.
I would say recalibrate the battery from time to time.
Apple advertises battery use in extreme conditions that I don't think anyone will use lol.