Do I calibrate my MacBooks battery on arrival?

[peter202]

Hey guys just wandering if you can help me out.

Can i use my MacBook as normal when i get it or is it best to do a battery calibration first?

Thanks

 

[DSL Steve]

Hey guys just wandering if you can help me out.

Can i use my MacBook as normal when i get it or is it best to do a battery calibration first?

Thanks

Use the MB for two or three weeks before calibrating.

 

[Arne]

I am waiting for my MacBook at the moment. It is said to come next week.

What exactly is battery calibration?

 

[xli_ne]

I am waiting for my MacBook at the moment. It is said to come next week.

What exactly is battery calibration?

ya i'm wondering that myself.

 

[Stadsport]

I was under the impression that battery calibration was something of nickle metal hydride batteries, and that MacBooks use lithium polymer batteries.

But I've been wrong before.

 

[paradillon]

Here is Apple's procedure-
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86284

They mention

With all iBooks and PowerBook G4 computers except the aluminum PowerBook G4 (15-inch Double-Layer SD), you should perform this procedure when you first use your computer and then every few months thereafter.

 

[Scottyk9]

My MBP manual says to calibrate the battery within the 1st week - sounds like it is not critical to do this immediately.

 

[Zegna]

I'm still waiting for mine meself, but I'll definitely be calibrating the battery once I turn it on for the first time.

Just to make sure everything is fully functioning, while being on the safe side as well.

 

[Apple Corps]

I may be really going out on a limb here, but when your Macbook arrives "RTFM"

Or you can download the manual from the Apple site and be up to speed ahead of time.

 

[DSL Steve]

Here is Apple's procedure-
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86284

They mention....

With all iBooks and PowerBook G4 computers except the aluminum PowerBook G4 (15-inch Double-Layer SD), you should perform this procedure when you first use your computer and then every few months thereafter.

Your quote is very misleading. If you read the entire article, you'll find your quote applies *only* to the *first* procedure in your link. The *second* procedure in your link is the calibration procedure for the PowerBook G4 (15-inch Double-Layer SD).

 

[Arne]

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86284

According to my understanding of this, not calibrating your battery would not harm it. The calibration just helps you MacBook to know how long it can last without the battery. If you do not do this, you Computer might show you a time left for the battery to die, that is not 100% correct.

 

[SRSound]

not to threadjack or anything, but i have a question pulled over from another thread...

Ok, at first I had this strange problem where my Macbook would charge up the battery and show it at 100% in the menu icon in OS X and the battery would also light up all the LEDs when you checked the power on it. Only thing was the second you unplugged it, the Macbook would power off. You could try to restart it and power it back on with battery power and it would maybe spin the hard drive and the screen would blink on for about a second before going dead.

I sent it in and Apple fixed it to where the battery seemed to work fine. Now it seems it will randomly cut off while on battery power every once in a while. It has done so three times so far all with at least 45 minutes of battery power left on the icon in OS X. It has never turned off on AC power, only on the battery.

Any idea if I should check with Apple again to get it repaired or could this be some kind of software issue?

my powerbook (12" rev D) just started having the same exact problem! My battery will also occassionally jump from around 50% directly to 0% without warning. Any resolution??

 

[Arne]

read this:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86284
(link from above)

You battery propably isn't as good as it used to be. This is normal for batteries. The electronics have to figure out that the battery isn't as good as it used to be, so calibrating the battery (you should say calibrating the electronics) should help.

 

[SRSound]

read this:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86284
(link from above)

You battery propably isn't as good as it used to be. This is normal for batteries. The electronics have to figure out that the battery isn't as good as it used to be, so calibrating the battery (you should say calibrating the electronics) should help.

even after calibrating it, the estimated time in the toolbar is still way off.

 

[scott523]

According to my understanding of this, not calibrating your battery would not harm it. The calibration just helps you MacBook to know how long it can last without the battery. If you do not do this, you Computer might show you a time left for the battery to die, that is not 100% correct.

The purpose of calibrating your battery is to allow you to use the battery to its maximum potential. When I got my C2D MB, it had a charge capacity of 5150mAh. After calibrating the battery several times (sometimes without even knowing it) and with 30 charge cycles already recorded, it currently has a charge capacity of 5533mAh.