Macbook Pro users

[Mantasis]

Hey I've had my macbook pro for just under a month now, and I've got so many questions but don't feel the need to post all of them. Instead I was hoping some of you would post a sort of mbp profile of yourselves. I'd just like to know what accessories you might have bought, and if they're really worth looking into. Software, problems with it, and any apps you think are worth supporting. Also I'd love to know how long you guys use your notebooks on a daily basis, and what you use it for. I sometimes worry about stressing my mbp or too much. I hear so much talk about boot camp wearing out the hardware and continuous chraging wearing out the battery real fast....

Just a concerned mac user, who's begun loving his mac so much he fears for it's health.😛

 

[CalBoy]

I like SMC Fan Control for controlling fans and temps.

Coconut Battery is nice too, but you might have problems with it under Leopard. This app basically tells you how 'healthy' your battery is. Very useful.

iStat Pro is nice too because it gives you tons of other info (it's a Dashboard Widget).

I keep my mbp "on" most of the time and let it sleep when I'm not using it. Software updates that force a restart are basically the only times my mbp is ever rebooted.

If you're worried about wearing out your battery, check out our guide on this and Apple's page on batteries. 🙂

 

[richard.mac]

...I hear so much talk about boot camp wearing out the hardware and continuous chraging wearing out the battery real fast.

boot camp wearing out the hardware is absolute rubbish. as soon as you install windows and the apple drivers the notebook acts just like any other windows notebook. the problem you may be seeing is how hot it gets after prolonged usage. this will not hurt the macbook pro at all. its just the fans operate a lot better in Mac OS X.

i leave my macbook pro plugged in all the time when im at my desk at home and sometimes unplug it to use it around the house. when im at uni i either have it plugged in or running on battery. you dont have to worry about how long you should have it plugged in if you should i leave it plugged in overnight. the only thing you have to keep in mind is calibrating it every 1-2 months. this will keep your battery in top notch. also try to keep you macbook elevated if your using it at the desk to keep the battery a little cooler and also install a fan app such as SMC fan control. the ultimate deciders that kill batteries are heat and the number of cycles. if you keep your battery a little cooler and dont use the battery till it runs out every time you should be fine.

i just got my battery replaced as its health dropped below 40% after 40 cycles. my new battery has had 2 cycles since i got it christmas eve and its at 99% health. also a healthy battery should have 80% of its health after 300 cycles.