App to measure battery usage

[Nr123*123]

Hi,

Is there an app that measures actually battery usage? I know activity monitor measures the battery, but it doesn't differentiate between sleep time and usage.

The reason is that my rMBP is showig a diagnostic error that the battery may not be charging properly, and I can't really tell how long the battery is actually lasting.

 

[konradsa]

Try MiniBatteryLogger

 

[DeltaMac]

What exactly is the error that you see that tells you something like "not charging properly" - and when do you see it?

You should be able to check your battery condition in System Information.
Apple Menu/About This Mac. Click on More Info, and click on System Report.
Finally, click on the Power tab.
You can post a screen shot of that Battery information.

If your charger is losing connection, you may see that the connection LED occasionally turns off, or blinks. You should see a steady light, either amber (during charging) or green when the battery is fully charged.

 

[Nr123*123]

I will try mini battery logger, thanks!

What exactly is the error that you see that tells you something like "not charging properly" - and when do you see it?

You should be able to check your battery condition in System Information.
Apple Menu/About This Mac. Click on More Info, and click on System Report.
Finally, click on the Power tab.
You can post a screen shot of that Battery information.

If your charger is losing connection, you may see that the connection LED occasionally turns off, or blinks. You should see a steady light, either amber (during charging) or green when the battery is fully charged.

I ran the diagnostic test and I get a PPP003 error; battery may not be charging properly. I have tried different chargers, different locations, but the error remains. The battery status is healthy and the cycle count is 20, as it is a mid-2014 15". I have been to the Apple store, and they will run some diagnostic tests on it when they have time (iPhone 6 launch means I can't even call them!). As yet, they don't know what the error means. Any ideas?

The battery usage isn't fantastic, but then the power of the laptop kind of nullifies any argument that it should last long. I can't tell exactly how long it lasts, but it isn't much beyond 5-6 hours of Safari, Word, Emails.

 

[DeltaMac]

According to this article - your power adapter may have an issue (and probably not the battery, which would generate a different code, I think)
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS4575

You could call AppleCare, who may tell you to take your MBPro (with power adapter) to an Apple store for testing.
As you mentioned, the current iPhone "frenzy" may not be the best time to do that.
(I avoid Apple Stores like the plague during new product launches, but that's just me )
As it's not likely to cause further damage, just continue to monitor for other developments until you have an opportunity to schedule a genius appointment in a week or two.

 

[Nr123*123]

According to this article - your power adapter may have an issue (and probably not the battery, which would generate a different code, I think)
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS4575

You could call AppleCare, who may tell you to take your MBPro (with power adapter) to an Apple store for testing.
As you mentioned, the current iPhone "frenzy" may not be the best time to do that.
(I avoid Apple Stores like the plague during new product launches, but that's just me )
As it's not likely to cause further damage, just continue to monitor for other developments until you have an opportunity to schedule a genius appointment in a week or two.

Already tried a different charger, and in multiple locations to rule out the charger

I will try to go to the Apple store in a few days

 

[DeltaMac]

If you really have no problem other than one error in the Diagnostics, then could be an ignorable bug in the test (I don't know, but just suggesting) The "genius" should be able to verify that.

So, I would ask if you have any other indication of any problem, such as not charging completely, or some other power issue?


Have you tried an SMC reset, to see if there is any change in the Diagnostics result? That might even take care of your issue …
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964?viewlocale=en_US

 

[Nr123*123]

I tried an SMC reset but to no avail.

I *think* the battery usage is quite high. I have seen some inaccuracies in its percentage read outs though, e.g. it jumps from 70% to 90% and back to 70% on occasion.

 

[DeltaMac]

Is your MBPro almost new?

Verify your numbers about how long you think you can use your MBPro on one charge.
Use your MBPro as you normally do, but leave the charger out until you get the Battery Low - plug in now! (or whatever it says then).
If you get more than 5 or 6 hours, that's pretty good. If you get over 10 hours, like some users report, that's something to cheer about, I suppose.
Use some of the tips that Apple offers for better battery life, such as using a lower screen brightness. And (always a good tip) avoid using Adobe Flash, if possible. Other tips here: http://www.apple.com/batteries/maximizing-performance/#macbook

 

[Nr123*123]

Just to update this, the Apple technician ran the diagnostic and said it's most probably a software glitch and that the battery is operating normally.

 

[nobodyjustwalks]

Hi,

Is there an app that measures actually battery usage? I know activity monitor measures the battery, but it doesn't differentiate between sleep time and usage.

The reason is that my rMBP is showig a diagnostic error that the battery may not be charging properly, and I can't really tell how long the battery is actually lasting.

Finding an application that distinguishes between "sleep time" and "usage" will be the challenge. I use iStat Menus and while it displays various battery statistics, the battery drop-down section primarily distinguishes between "time on battery" and "time on charger."