Battery Life and an External Monitor

[mrogersscf]

I am a bit confused. I *think* this is telling me I shouldn't leave my MacBook Air plugged in for the sake of battery life:

http://www.apple.com/batteries/notebooks.html

However, if I want to utilize an external monitor with the laptop closed I need to keep the laptop plugged in. Am I missing something? Will I harm my battery keeping the laptop plugged in all the time while using my external monitor?

 

[aleni]

I am a bit confused. I *think* this is telling me I shouldn't leave my MacBook Air plugged in for the sake of battery life:

http://www.apple.com/batteries/notebooks.html

However, if I want to utilize an external monitor with the laptop closed I need to keep the laptop plugged in. Am I missing something? Will I harm my battery keeping the laptop plugged in all the time while using my external monitor?

it's fine, but make sure whenever you don't use external monitor, you just use the battery, and once a month calibrate the battery.

 

[GGJstudios]

I am a bit confused. I *think* this is telling me I shouldn't leave my MacBook Air plugged in for the sake of battery life:

http://www.apple.com/batteries/notebooks.html

That's correct:

For proper maintenance of a lithium-based battery, it’s important to keep the electrons in it moving occasionally. Apple does not recommend leaving your portable plugged in all the time.

However, if I want to utilize an external monitor with the laptop closed I need to keep the laptop plugged in. Am I missing something? Will I harm my battery keeping the laptop plugged in all the time while using my external monitor?

Just unplug every few days and run on battery for a while. Read the AC POWER section of the following link.

it's fine, but make sure whenever you don't use external monitor, you just use the battery, and once a month calibrate the battery.

The built-in batteries in the newer Mac unibody notebooks come pre-calibrated and do not require regular calibration like the removable batteries.

This should answer most, if not all, of your battery questions:

Apple Notebook Battery FAQ​