I got the new 2011 MBA and was just wondering if you can keep it permanently plugged in on the battery charger? How many days can you do that for? It's going to be my primary computer and I will only take it out occassionally maybe once every two weeks. I planned to have it plugged into the charger the whole time without turning it off (but I notice it goes to sleep on its own if I am away for awhile). Is this okay to do? Are there any ill effects on the computer or battery? Thanks!
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Can you leave MBA on charger multiple days?
- Thread starter amitdoc2b
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It's your computer, isn't it? Use it how you want to use it. Concerns about battery life are frivolous.
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This should answer most, if not all, of your battery questions:
Apple Notebook Battery FAQ by GGJstudios
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This should answer most, if not all, of your battery questions:
Apple Notebook Battery FAQ by GGJstudios
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Just unplug it every 2-3 days and use it on battery. After it reaches about 50% plug it in again.
Why?
My 2010 is plugged in all the time and reports 35 cycles and 97% health, and runs cool as a cucumber.
maybe 10 years ago it did but chargers and batteries are "smart" nowadays and it runs off the AC power not the battery when plugged in...
Do not worry about it. I own a 2010 MBA, I leave it plugged in for weeks at a time, then I'll leave it unplugged for long stretches. Same thing with powering on and off -- I never turn it off, just close the lid. Bottom line is I don't baby it, I just use it. Been flawless to date, no problems, no battery issues. So my suggestion is just use it as you see fit, it will be a good machine for years to come.
It's absolutely fine. The batteries are clever enough to stop charging once they are fully charged. Apple recommends that you should run it on batteries (at least) once a month, which you plan to do anyway.
Bad advice. That will wear out the battery unnecessarily. Not much, but it is unnecessary. Once a month is enough.
Nonsense.
That's completely false. First-time poster, posting misinformation. It's fine to run plugged in, since it will stop charging after the battery is fully charged. It will not overcharge. While you shouldn't run on battery all the time, it's fine to do so for days at a time. It does not heat up your computer to plug it in. This should answer most, if not all, of your battery questions:
Was really interested in this too, thanks for the info guys. I thought to maintain good battery life its better to run it off the battery more. I'm really guilty of running my MBP on charger all the time though 
I probably worry about my laptop battery about as much as I worry about my car or shaver battery. Let it do its thing.
macbook batteries especially have a number of uses and using those to keep your computer fully charged all the time, wears out your battery. its good to "exercise" your battery at least once a month to keep it healthy.
and btw, just because i have one post doesn't mean i'm an idiot, i've been browsing the forums long enough without an account.
and btw, just because i have one post doesn't mean i'm an idiot, i've been browsing the forums long enough without an account.
It's not necessary to charge "as often as possible, for as long as possible." Just run on battery when you need to and plug in when you can. If someone is on the road and runs on battery for a while several days in a row, then plugs in to recharge after several days, that's perfectly fine.
I didn't say you're an idiot. I said what you posted is false, which it is. It doesn't matter whether you've been posting for years or it's your first post; it's still wrong. Batteries don't have a number of "uses". They're guaranteed to retain up to 80% of their original capacity for up to 1000 cycles, which is not the same as "uses". Leaving the battery plugged for days at a time means it's not charging, so you're not using cycles to keep it charged. You can leave it plugged in for days at a time and still unplug after that to exercise the battery. It is not harmful at all to do so, and it will not heat up your computer. Read the Battery FAQ I posted, so you'll have correct information to post.
Battery
My wife has a 2006 Macbook that has been on her desk and plugged in for most of it's life. In comparison, I had the same year Macbook and used it as much on the road with the battery as it was plugged in. My battery went dead a year ago. Hers is still holding a full charge and is good for three or four hours of browsing, word processing, and music, no problem...
I understand, you get a new computer, want to take care of it and get the maximum out of your battery especially if it is internal, but I think you are safe to leave it plugged in most of the time.
Out of curiosity, if it is always plugged in why did you get a laptop?
My wife has a 2006 Macbook that has been on her desk and plugged in for most of it's life. In comparison, I had the same year Macbook and used it as much on the road with the battery as it was plugged in. My battery went dead a year ago. Hers is still holding a full charge and is good for three or four hours of browsing, word processing, and music, no problem...
I understand, you get a new computer, want to take care of it and get the maximum out of your battery especially if it is internal, but I think you are safe to leave it plugged in most of the time.
Out of curiosity, if it is always plugged in why did you get a laptop?
I never implied otherwise, hence why I said "as often as possible and as long as possible."
It's not always possible to charge, and that's fine, but the more the better in terms of reducing the amount of cycles that the battery goes through.
I just sold my 2009 15" MacBook Pro. When advertising it, many people inquired about the health of the battery. Using CoconutBattery, I determined I had only gone through approximately 150 cycles. Considering I had this machine for two years, I don't think that is extremely high, leading me to believe that the machine is running off of the A/C cord and not the battery when it is plugged in. I kept the machine plugged in for the majority of the time and my battery capacity was still 95% of its factory condition.
Based on those numbers, I would guess that having your MacBook Air plugged in will not harm the battery.
keeping the machine plugged in for days, such as the OP's case, will keep the machine fully charged all the time, meaning the battery cannot exercise it self, so when a time comes to actually go somewhere with your laptop, the battery is so un exercised that the battery life doesn't work to its full potential.
Again, this is false. It won't hurt the battery or its potential to leave it plugged in for several days at a time. It does hurt if you leave it plugged in ALL the time.
The flexibility of being able to take it with me when necessary, such as vacations, overnight work shifts, or simply to move between the bed and my desk.