How often should I charge my MBP 13"

[act1980]

Hi guys, I have just switched to a Mac and am loving it so far!

I keep reading about battery cycles and lifespan? I would just like to know if I treat my Mac as I would treat another laptop buy running it on the battery and charging it only when it runs down. Is this right, or should I keep it on charge most of the time and only run it down once a month?

Also, how do I find out how many battery cycles my machine has?

Thanks for your help!

 

[Pax]

Just use it. Your battery should last a long, long time. But it seems that its performance will degrade whether you use it or not. There's more or less nothing you can do about it.

Lots of people will come on here with suggestions about how & when to charge, when to calibrate, etc etc. IMHO they are largely voodoo - they won't materially affect the life of your battery.

Apple has a good page on batteries, but you need to read it CAREFULLY. It seems like an exercise in reading comprehension skills since it's not very clearly written, particularly about why calibrate? and how often to calibrate?

batteryuniversity.com gives some good information on Li-ion batteries, charging & discharging.

 

[Ann P]

Yes, just use it really. You might have the urge to baby your brand new Mac but if you need to use it, use it. Its fine to keep the battery plugged in but be sure to deplete it occasionally. As far as checking the remaining cycles, heres how: Click logo on the top > About This Mac > More Info > Power

 

[whiteking]

Battery life is determined by the number of full charges. More the number of full charges, battery life shorter. But the Apple original battery is high-quality. Usually, it can be using for a long time.

 

[Eleventeen]

As a guy who's done a lot of work with lithium ion and lithium polymer batteries, especially in laptops (I've been through 6 in the last 10 years), the best advice I can offer you is not to worry about it. Following Apple's advice is never a bad thing, they're the ones who built it. Chances are you'll be looking at new laptops by the time your capacity is seriously impaired.

 

[GGJstudios]

About Apple Notebook batteries

Calibrating a portable computer battery

To check battery status, use iStat Pro or coconutBattery or
 > About This Mac > More Info... > Hardware > Power > Charge Information:

Determining Battery Cycle Count

A charge cycle means using all of the battery’s power, but that doesn’t necessarily mean a single charge. For instance, you could use your notebook for an hour or more one day, using half its power, and then recharge it fully. If you did the same thing the next day, it would count as one charge cycle, not two, so you may take several days to complete a cycle.

Apple does not recommend leaving your portable plugged in all the time.

http://www.apple.com/batteries/notebooks.html

 

[Agnel]

Just put it and use it on power charger when you can.

Allow it to completely drain atleast once/twice a month. Should be good enough.

TO check cycles:

Open System profiler (Hit space bar and apple button to open spotlight and search for it)
There you should check the power option for charge cycles. Coconut battery app also can give some info(needs to be downloaded)