Calibrate battery before or after reinstalling OS X?

[Evolvere]

I am soon to sell my 2008 white MacBook and I just want to know if I should calibrate the battery before or after wiping the HDD clean and reinstalling OS X Leopard, or if the wiping and reinstalling process effectively calibrates the battery anyway? I have calibrated fairly regularly since I bought the laptop, but haven't so for about the last three months.

Thanks for any help.

 

[GGJstudios]

Calibration doesn't happen automatically and is unrelated to cleaning a hard drive. You should calibrate more often than 3 months. Apple recommends every month or two.

This should answer most, if not all, of your battery questions: Apple Notebook Battery FAQ

 

[GfulDedFan]

It would not matter. The calibration process is a hardware refresh that has nothing to do with the OS or applications.

 

[grapes911]

You should calibrate more often than 3 months. Apple recommends every month or two.[/B][/url]

I thought Apple's recommendation was "every few months", unless you almost exclusively use AC power, then you should do it every month. I think every three months or so fits into that description.

 

[GGJstudios]

I thought Apple's recommendation was "every few months", unless you almost exclusively use AC power, then you should do it every month. I think every three months or so fits into that description.

Calibrating a portable computer battery:

Calibrating your battery ensures you get the longest possible running time from it. Calibrate your battery during the first week you own it, and then recalibrate it every two months. If you use your computer infrequently, it’s best to recalibrate it at least once a month.

 

[grapes911]

You should perform this procedure when you first use your computer and then every few months after that. If you normally leave your Apple portable computer connected to AC power and very rarely use it on battery power you may want to perform this process once a month.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1490

IMO, "every few months" does not equal "every two months." I've always thought of few meaning more than one, and usually more than two, but not much more. I find this to be an inconsistency from Apple.

 

[Evolvere]

Thank you all for your quick replies. I'm going to calibrate first and then wipe and install.

 

[johnnyham]

I'm normally one to follow tips and advice from Apple, but I've never calibrated my battery and I have consistently been getting approximately 5.5 hours out of it for a year now. With Airport and Bluetooth off and the screen at minimum brightness, I can get close to 7.

Of course, every now and then my battery gets completely drained when the power goes out or it gets unplugged, so I am inadvertently calibrating it. But that happens rarely.

And reading between the lines on the "few" issue... typical English conventions state that a "couple" is two and "few" is three, although it can be used to indicate any small number, typically less than ten.

 

[GGJstudios]

I'm normally one to follow tips and advice from Apple, but I've never calibrated my battery and I have consistently been getting approximately 5.5 hours out of it for a year now.

Calibration has nothing to do with battery health or how long you can run on a charge. Its only benefit is making the reporting of the battery's condition more accurate.

Of course, every now and then my battery gets completely drained when the power goes out or it gets unplugged, so I am inadvertently calibrating it.

Simply draining your battery is not calibration. There are specific steps to the calibration process. Read the Battery FAQ link I posted.

 

[johnnyham]

Calibration has nothing to do with battery health or how long you can run on a charge. Its only benefit is making the reporting of the battery's condition more accurate.

Simply draining your battery is not calibration. There are specific steps to the calibration process. Read the Battery FAQ link I posted.

I was referring to the 5.5 hours that OS X reports, which as I understand, is relayed to it by the microchip in the battery which is calibrated via the process.

And I should have mentioned that once my battery does completely drain, I do recharge it fully once I have a chance. I don't like carrying around a half-charged laptop. I do have a spare battery though that I keep with me for long trips.

So in effect, I am following the steps (full charge, drained battery, full charge), just not regularly.

 

[GGJstudios]

So in effect, I am following the steps (full charge, drained battery, full charge), just not regularly.

The steps are more detailed than that (full charge for 2 hours, drained for 5+ hours, etc.)