Battery Management

[monkeysinspace]

I know that the new battery technology used in the newer MB's such as the new rMBP don't deteriorate if it's on AC power. However, it's still better to keep the number of cycles to a minimum as that is how the battery deteriorates. So my question is this: if I have say 75% charge left and plug in the adapter, how do I make it so that the battery does not charge? I just want to be on AC power for a couple of hours and when I leave with my laptop again, I want to use the 75% that I had prior. Essentially, how do I go about setting charge thresholds or anything similar?

 

[LoMonkey]

People worry about cycle numbers too much. What is more important is battery health. I'd much rather have a battery with 100 cycles and 95% health than one with 30 cycles and 90% health. It's important to cycle the battery every now and then to keep it healthy. So don't worry too much about it charging. It's ok to charge a modern battery at pretty much any point as long as you eventually cycle it. Modern batteries are way better than those of yesteryear.

 

[monkeysinspace]

People worry about cycle numbers too much. What is more important is battery health. I'd much rather have a battery with 100 cycles and 95% health than one with 30 cycles and 90% health. It's important to cycle the battery every now and then to keep it healthy. So don't worry too much about it charging. It's ok to charge a modern battery at pretty much any point as long as you eventually cycle it. Modern batteries are way better than those of yesteryear.

So what constitutes as a cycle then? If I charge to 100%, use it to 60%, then charge it again, will that be a cycle? If I seldom discharge to 20% let's say, what will be a cycle?

 

[LoMonkey]

So what constitutes as a cycle then? If I charge to 100%, use it to 60%, then charge it again, will that be a cycle? If I seldom discharge to 20% let's say, what will be a cycle?

Both of these links should be helpful.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1519
http://www.apple.com/batteries/notebooks.html