MacBookPro 24/7 as home server

[dimme]

I have a older (late 2007) MacBook Pro that we no longer use. It still works but the screen is getting dim and the newer machine we replaced it with is so much faster. I set it up as a sever for our home network of 4 macs and one PC. I servers our itunes, downloads torrents & the attached firewire drives works great as central files storage. Running 24/7 it draws very little power. I am just wondering if I should pull the battery? It is pretty much dead. I think it last about 20 minutes. I like having it in there, it serves as a built in UPS. But I was thinking is there and danger of overheating the battery since it is being charged 24/7. Also any comment on how robust/safe the powersupply is running 24/7. If the system dies in a year or two that OK it has already paid for itself. It merely a safety concern.

 

[thundersteele]

The battery is not being charged 24/7. Once it is full, the laptop stops charging it. So there should be no danger of overheating the battery.

 

[lamboman]

There shouldn't be any safety issues. As thundersteele has said, the battery will not get overcharged.

The issue with removing the battery is that the MBP will automatically throttle to avoid exceeding the capabilities of the charger.

 

[dimme]

Thanks, so I guess then there is no problem keeping in plugged in using the magesafe power supply, all the time.

 

[alphaod]

That's not a problem. The battery will act as a UPS when your power dies or whatnot. Just be sure to use a surge protector as well.

 

[Ccrew]

Don't expect a huge lifespan from the battery though if it's always hooked to AC. They do like being cycled down and back up.

 

[NickZac]

You are good to go. The MBP has sensors that even monitor the battery's temp and so if it gets too hot, the system will prevent any safety issue in most cases by shutting down. If something else happens to it, the system often catches that as well. You can download iStatPro or iStatMenus, which will actually let you see the temp of the battery (and other parts of the computer as well). An app called 'Coconut' also lets you see your battery's specs and health, if you ever become curious as to how many cycles it has been used for.