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How Many Cycles Does a MacBook Battery Last

Apple replaced my logic board at one point and it doesn't have a serial number.... thats why my age is messed up.

(White MacBook purchased 11/2006)

cocobatt.jpg
 
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I'm about to buy a new battery, unless someone tells me to hit up apple customer care? Seems like it's fallen off a cliff in the last 2 months... :(
 
Two questions arise for me,

1 What is that monthly calibration that someone mentioned above?

2 I read that it is not that good for a battery to run the ac adapter all the time without disconnecting the adapter, running off the battery, and cycling it down. Opinions, Experiences?


Thanks
 
Wow, I just got owned.

Code: 
Battery Information:

  Model Information:
  Serial Number:	Sony-ASMB012-3727-9ccb
  Manufacturer:	Sony
  Device name:	ASMB012
  Pack Lot Code:	0003
  PCB Lot Code:	0000
  Firmware Version:	102a
  Hardware Revision:	0500
  Cell Revision:	0303
  Charge Information:
  Charge remaining (mAh):	4189
  Fully charged:	Yes
  Charging:	No
  Full charge capacity (mAh):	4219
  Health Information:
  Cycle count:	61
  Condition:	Check battery
  Battery Installed:	Yes
  Amperage (mA):	0
  Voltage (mV):	12431

17 Month old MBP with 61 cycles running at 75% health according to iStat and Coconutbattery.

I just read the apple article on batteries, and they suggest NOT to leave your laptop plugged in! I leave mine plugged in 24/7...SINCE SEPT 07!

DAMN!

Well, what do I do now? Drain it till it dies, then fully charge it or something? I don't really get the monthly maintenance you guys are talking about (I know its sorta explained in Apples article), is that it?
 
enklined said:
Well, what do I do now? Drain it till it dies, then fully charge it or something? I don't really get the monthly maintenance you guys are talking about (I know its sorta explained in Apples article), is that it?
Click to expand...

Calibrating your computer's battery for best performance (support.apple.com)

PowerBook G4 (15-inch Double-Layer SD), MacBook (all models), MacBook Pro (all models), MacBook Pro (17-inch) (all models) and MacBook Air

The battery calibration for the PowerBook G4 (15-inch Double-Layer SD) and any model of MacBook or MacBook Pro has been updated because of a new battery released with this computer. With these computers, follow these steps to calibrate your battery:

1. Plug in the power adapter and fully charge your PowerBook's battery until the light ring or LED on the power adapter plug changes to green and the onscreen meter in the menu bar indicates that the battery is fully charged.
2. Allow the battery to rest in the fully charged state for at least two hours. You may use your computer during this time as long as the adapter is plugged in.
3. Disconnect the power adapter with the computer still on and start running the computer off battery power. You may use your computer during this time. When your battery gets low, you will see the low battery warning dialog on the screen.
4. Continue to keep your computer on until it goes to sleep. Save all your work and close all applications when the battery gets very low, before the computer goes to sleep.
5. Turn off the computer or allow it to sleep for five hours or more.
6. Connect the power adapter and leave it connected until the battery is fully charged again.

Tip: When the battery reaches "empty", the computer is forced into sleep mode. The battery actually keeps back a reserve beyond "empty", to maintain the computer in sleep for a period of time. Once the battery is truly exhausted, the computer is forced to shut down. At this point, with the safe sleep function introduced in the PowerBook G4 (15-inch Double-Layer SD) computers, the computer's memory contents have been saved to the hard drive. When power is restored, the computer returns itself to its pre-sleep state using the safe sleep image on the hard drive.
Click to expand...

It'd be interesting to see what coconutBattery reports after your battery has been recalibrated.

There is also some worthwhile reading in the links provided in post #2 of this thread. (discussions.apple.com)
 
After the mainteneince, coconutBattery and iStat report me at 77% after 66 cycles - a 2% increase...lame.

Gonna contact AC and see if they will hook me up with a new battery.
 
my battery was never 100, even when I unpacked. Right now it has 63 cycles and is at 93% 5166mAh
 
My battery status:
Now: 4.608 mAh
Original 4.600 mAh
125 cycles
4 months old

Pretty happy with that :)

I have a UMBP
 
Just to follow-up: I ended up going into an Apple Sotre - they looked at it for about a minute, then gave me a new battery right then and there.
 
phooi said:
How did you get that? Luck or do you have a routine that you keep?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Probably a bit of luck. As for a routine. I typically take it off the charger each day then use it until it dies and then plug it back in. This is nearly a daily occurrence so maybe you need to run them down regularly not just once and a while. The rest of the time it sits open plugged in running the Folding@Home project. It doesn't fold when it's on battery power however.
 
enklined said:
Wow, I just got owned.

Code: 
Battery Information:

  Model Information:
  Serial Number:	Sony-ASMB012-3727-9ccb
  Manufacturer:	Sony
  Device name:	ASMB012
  Pack Lot Code:	0003
  PCB Lot Code:	0000
  Firmware Version:	102a
  Hardware Revision:	0500
  Cell Revision:	0303
  Charge Information:
  Charge remaining (mAh):	4189
  Fully charged:	Yes
  Charging:	No
  Full charge capacity (mAh):	4219
  Health Information:
  Cycle count:	61
  Condition:	Check battery
  Battery Installed:	Yes
  Amperage (mA):	0
  Voltage (mV):	12431

17 Month old MBP with 61 cycles running at 75% health according to iStat and Coconutbattery.
Click to expand...

My battery stats are nearly identical to yours. Mine's a 12 month old MBP with 112 cycles, 75% health. I do run it on battery a couple of times a week, and do calibrate it every couple of months or so.
Code: 
Battery Information:

  Model Information:
  Serial Number:	Sony-ASMB012-3831-7593
  Manufacturer:	Sony
  Device name:	ASMB012
  Pack Lot Code:	0001
  PCB Lot Code:	0000
  Firmware Version:	0110
  Hardware Revision:	0500
  Cell Revision:	0303
  Charge Information:
  Charge remaining (mAh):	4172
  Fully charged:	Yes
  Charging:	No
  Full charge capacity (mAh):	4223
  Health Information:
  Cycle count:	112
  Condition:	Check battery
  Battery Installed:	Yes
  Amperage (mA):	-1253
  Voltage (mV):	12253
 
Everytime I check my battery stats via the system profiler, it keeps giving me different numbers. Is this normal??
 
askengi said:
Everytime I check my battery stats via the system profiler, it keeps giving me different numbers. Is this normal??
Click to expand...

Yes. My battery life varies depending on how I used it the last time. For example did I used it for 30 minutes then plug it back in. If I do that then it will say that my battery health is at 50% or less. If I use it until it sleeps and then plug it in it tells me it's 90% plus. If I use it without draining it multiple times in a row then it takes a couple times of completely draining it before it recovers.
 
macbook pro

mine is 18 months old and i have 808 loads cycles on it and its still 88% remaining on the battery mine has been very good to me and even though the bezel on the screen is broken and i have put mine through hell
 

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Zilla said:
mine is 18 months old and i have 808 loads cycles on it and its still 88% remaining on the battery mine has been very good to me and even though the bezel on the screen is broken and i have put mine through hell
Click to expand...

Whenever I see numbers like that I need to ask what you do with your computer? You have almost 1.5 cycles per day for a year and a half! I am on my 3rd battery in just under three years and probably have a total of 300-350 cycles between them.
 
Battery

It all depends how you charge your battery, I never plug in the charger unless the laptop has actually died and so, 502 cycles, 100% health!
 

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brewerdan said:
It all depends how you charge your battery, I never plug in the charger unless the laptop has actually died and so, 502 cycles, 100% health!
Click to expand...

WTF that cannot possibly be right. Your battery should be dead if you only charge it when it dies.

Cycles: 7
Age of Mac: 2 Months
Health: 100%
 
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