Macbook Pro Battery Life Abnormally Short?

[exsanguinate]

I have a Macbook Pro 2.16 Core Duo. The battery has been through 42 cycles and is showing as 98% health. I have also recently calibrated it.

My problem is that even with only a web browser open and the display brightness on the lowest setting, the OS always reports the battery life as 3 hours or less. I have checked for abnornal cpu usage, and there doesn't seem to be anything happening there of note.

Is 3 hours with the display that low normal? I'm aware that battery life is nowhere near the five hours advertised, but I would have expected a bit more from it than 3 hours at very dim display brightness.

Can anyone help? What should I do?

 

[TWEO]

Battery life is plain sad. I've never even seen > 3 hours, let alone used it for 3 hours. It's all just marketing

 

[ChickenSwartz]

How about other things?
--USB devices?
--Wireless?
--Bluetooth?
--CD/DVD drive?

When I unplug everything, leaving wireless on, and brightness down to the lowest and not touch it, I get 4:19, when I start to type I get 3:48. I am at 27 cycles, 98%.

This is just an estimate, try starting a stopwatch and draining the battery, may the estimate is just wrong.

 

[NJuul]

I get about three hours as well...
Think its normal, unfortunately.
I have 94% life after 73 cycles over 6 months.

 

[Cybergypsy]

Had mine replace ny Apple the second was much better

 

[ToastMaster]

I just got my battery replaced and I get about 3.5 hours from it so far - about the same that I got with my previous battery. But if I ever see the life drop below 3 hours at 100% charge, I'll get it replaced.

 

[Nermal]

I watched a 2-hour DVD on mine today, and accidentally left AirPort turned on. I didn't actually check the battery level afterwards, but it hadn't turned red.

 

[Anonymous Freak]

I have two batteries, one with 47 cycles, one with 43. (Both now, hrm, exactly 6 months old today,) I regularly get 4 hours of life, with minimum brightness, AirPort on, sound and Bluetooth off, doing light word processing and spreadsheet work. If I turn off wireless at the beginning, I can get close to 5 hours.

At one time, I did manage to get 5 hours, 19 minutes of measured battery life.

This is with an original MacBook Pro, 15", 2.0 GHz, 2 GB RAM, 7200 RPM 100 GB drive.

 

[exsanguinate]

Thanks for the replies. The only thing I have on is the Airport. USB ports are empty, Bluetooth is off. I may give Apple a call and see what they say since some of you seem to be getting a fair amount more from it.

 

[prior]

I just got my MBP and after 28 cycles my battery health went down to 91%.
Is this normal and is there anything i can do tou get it back up to 100%?.
I tried calibrating when i do it just gets worse. help anyone!

 

[melman101]

I just got my MBP and after 28 cycles my battery health went down to 91%.
Is this normal and is there anything i can do tou get it back up to 100%?.
I tried calibrating when i do it just gets worse. help anyone!

Honestly, I wouldn't worry about it. It goes between 90% - 99% for me all the time. It keeps fluctuating. If it keeps going down, then I'd get worried. Just check it periodically. Mine was at 91% now it's at 95%.

Mel