Early 2011 MBP

[naxir]

So, I just purchased an early 2011 MBP. I know, I know, refresh is coming, but my previous laptop died and I needed this for school. Also, I got the 2.2GHz 15" on sale and didn't have to pay any sales tax, so I saved some more money.

Anyways, I have a question about the battery life. The machine came with Lion and I have upgraded it to 10.7.3. I have also installed gfxCardStatus and put it into integrated only mode. My battery life seems to be much lower than it should be, although I'm not sure if the battery just needs to be used a bit for it to calibrate itself.

For example, I'm at 87% battery life and it estimates 2 hours remaining (though it jumps down to 1 hour 30 minutes remaining and back up again every few minutes). I am downloading a large file over wifi, bluetooth is turned off, and screen brightness is at 30-40%.

My question is: Does the battery need to be "broken in" to be calibrated? Or is it possible that something needs to be fixed? I have read that some people reset their SMC and it cleared up issues, though it seems like with a machine that hasn't been out of it's box for 24 hours yet, that shouldn't be necessary. Perhaps there's something I can adjust to increase battery life? In linux/windows, I could have the processor automatically down clock itself to improve battery life on my old netbook, that's probably already happening but I'm not sure where to check.

This is my first mac and so far it's been a nice experience, I'd just like to figure out how to get closer to the 7 hours advertised battery life.

 

[miles01110]

For example, I'm at 87% battery life and it estimates 2 hours remaining (though it jumps down to 1 hour 30 minutes remaining and back up again every few minutes). I am downloading a large file over wifi, bluetooth is turned off, and screen brightness is at 30-40%.

There's your explanation. "Time remaining" is based on usage at that instant.

My question is: Does the battery need to be "broken in" to be calibrated?

No.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Your battery does not need to be broken in:

______________________________________________________
This should answer most, if not all, of your battery questions:
Apple Notebook Battery FAQ by GGJstudios
The F.A.Q. includes the following topics:

• BATTERY INFORMATION
• BATTERY LIFE FROM A CHARGE
• AC POWER
• CALIBRATION
• BATTERY LIFESPAN
• CHECKING STATUS AND HEALTH
• CHARGING
• WHAT IS A CYCLE?
• BATTERIES ARE NOT COVERED
• BULGING OR SWELLING BATTERY

______________________________________________________​

 

[heisenberg123]

There's your explanation. "Time remaining" is based on usage at that instant.



No.

yes what he said, if your download was never going to end like it was an endless download it would die in the 2hours quoted, once the download stops and your not doing any processes it could jump back to 4 hours remaining, its all based on your current processes

 

[naxir]

There's your explanation. "Time remaining" is based on usage at that instant.



No.

Ah, I see. Out of curiosity, does heavy wifi usage really hurt the battery life that much?

Your battery does not need to be broken in:

______________________________________________________
This should answer most, if not all, of your battery questions:
Apple Notebook Battery FAQ by GGJstudios
The F.A.Q. includes the following topics:

• BATTERY INFORMATION
• BATTERY LIFE FROM A CHARGE
• AC POWER
• CALIBRATION
• BATTERY LIFESPAN
• CHECKING STATUS AND HEALTH
• CHARGING
• WHAT IS A CYCLE?
• BATTERIES ARE NOT COVERED
• BULGING OR SWELLING BATTERY

______________________________________________________​

Thanks! I'll check into that.

 

[GGJstudios]

For example, I'm at 87% battery life and it estimates 2 hours remaining (though it jumps down to 1 hour 30 minutes remaining and back up again every few minutes). I am downloading a large file over wifi, bluetooth is turned off, and screen brightness is at 30-40%.

My question is: Does the battery need to be "broken in" to be calibrated?

No, the built-in batteries in the newer Mac unibody notebooks come pre-calibrated and do not require regular calibration like the removable batteries. Calibration doesn't affect battery life, anyway. It only makes your readings more accurate.

Also, your battery charge remaining is a constantly-changing estimate, based on current power demands. There are many factors that impact your battery life. See the BATTERY LIFE FROM A CHARGE section of the following link for details, including tips on how to maximize your battery life.

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

Apple Notebook Battery FAQ​

 

[miles01110]

Ah, I see. Out of curiosity, does heavy wifi usage really hurt the battery life that much?

If you're downloading a large file then yes.

 

[naxir]

Thanks for all of the quick responses by the way I don't think I've ever posted on forums where my questions were answered so quickly.