Should I remove the battery when using my laptop at home?

[viperguy]

So now i`m going to be doing lots of stuff on pages and it`s gonna take quite some time to finish
in order to keep the longevity of my battery, should i remove it and plug the macbook to the ac power? that would save at least one load cycle from the battery which i could use when i really don`t have an outlet nearby.
Is that a good thing to do?

 

[WildCowboy]

No, your MacBook will reduce processor speed and about all you'll do is expose the interior of your MacBook to dust and possible damage.

 

[MistaBungle]

Correct me if I'm wrong:

If your battery is at 100% it runs off of AC power only. The bad cycle you want to avoid is running the battery down for only like 20% or so and then charging it back up to 100%.

And no it isn't smart to remove the battery since removing the battery can just lead to other problems.

 

[iMacmatician]

If your battery is at 100% it runs off of AC power only.

This is also what I have heard, at least for early 2008 models and later.

 

[hmai18]

The bad cycle you want to avoid is running the battery down for only like 20% or so and then charging it back up to 100%.

There's nothing wrong with this.

 

[MistaBungle]

On my g4 powerbook rev e, once the battery hits 100% the icon changes and when you click on it, instead of charging it says ac power.

 

[JustOneQuickONe]

plus if you happen to bump the magsafe adapter and have it disconnect enough to stop energy flow then there goes all the work you were doing because the computer will completely shut off not having the battery in to run off of.

 

[viperguy]

Thanks for the help guys!
Very interesting answers here

 

[aluminumapple]

what?

some points that i should argue towards

1. how does it damage the processor and the inner part of the motherboard and or interior?

2. how does it possibly reduce the power rate and or cycle, unless the person follows correct instructions and places it in a cool area.

3. how does it affect the hard drive?

 

[jsw]

1. how does it damage the processor and the inner part of the motherboard and or interior?

Who said it did? Was this posted in the wrong thread?

2. how does it possibly reduce the power rate and or cycle, unless the person follows correct instructions and places it in a cool area.

As per the link, it reduces the processor speed if there is no battery installed.

3. how does it affect the hard drive?

I suspect it doesn't.

Did you actually intend to post in this thread? Just curious.

 

[DoFoT9]

i take mine out because:

• i hardly notice a power slowdown except for when im converting vids etc

• parallels runs FINE with it clocked down

• the heat issues are compeltely erased (at 100% CPU my CoreDuo sits around 65°C with the fans on 2000RPM, which is a feat in itself-as opposed to 90°C 6000RPM with the battery in)

• i feel safer saving my battery doing it that way.

There's nothing wrong with this.

of course there is something wrong with that. do that 5 times and you have 1 cycle.. either keep it recharged 100% or fully discharge it

 

[jsw]

of course there is something wrong with that. do that 5 times and you have 1 cycle.. either keep it recharged 100% or fully discharge it

You clearly haven't kept up with battery technology. Use any portion, recharge. There's no reason whatsoever, except on rare occasion for calibration, to fully discharge it.

It's why laptops have batteries - so they can be used. To remove the battery on the off chance you'll maybe save $129 years from now seems ridiculous. One false move and you lose what's not saved and likely you'll corrupt a few files.

 

[angemon89]

To remove the battery on the off chance you'll maybe save $129 years from now seems ridiculous.

Exactly. I'd rather not have to worry about a battery and have a battery 3 years later that can hold a charge of 50%, rather than CONSTANTLY have to worry about it and have a battery that can hold 70% charge 3 years later. *



*numbers are obviously made up but you get my point.

 

[DoFoT9]

You clearly haven't kept up with battery technology. Use any portion, recharge. There's no reason whatsoever, except on rare occasion for calibration, to fully discharge it.

It's why laptops have batteries - so they can be used. To remove the battery on the off chance you'll maybe save $129 years from now seems ridiculous. One false move and you lose what's not saved and likely you'll corrupt a few files.

it still counts as a cycle, it still reduces the longevity of the battery. if i take my battery out for 1 week straight every night i get home (once its fully charged) that is another 7 cycles i can get out of my battery in the future. if i do that for a year its another ~6months to a year i can get out of the battery.

as a poor uni student who can barely afford petrol traveling ~3hours a day i can justify doing what i do.

oh and if you had a CoreDuo intel CPU im sure youd understand aswell

 

[jsw]

it still counts as a cycle, it still reduces the longevity of the battery. if i take my battery out for 1 week straight every night i get home (once its fully charged) that is another 7 cycles i can get out of my battery in the future.

That's wrong. You seem to think that any part of a cycle is a cycle. No. 5% of a cycle, done 20 times, is a cycle... not 20 cycles. 20% of a cycle done five times is a cycle, not five cycles. And the batteries can go through a lot of cycles before losing much life.

If you take the battery out when it's fully charged, you're not saving any cycles because it's not using the battery when it's plugged in. You are adding fatigue to parts of the chassis, though.

 

[benlee]

it still counts as a cycle, it still reduces the longevity of the battery. if i take my battery out for 1 week straight every night i get home (once its fully charged) that is another 7 cycles i can get out of my battery in the future. if i do that for a year its another ~6months to a year i can get out of the battery.

as a poor uni student who can barely afford petrol traveling ~3hours a day i can justify doing what i do.

oh and if you had a CoreDuo intel CPU im sure youd understand aswell

Seems like you have put too much thought into this. In the long run I don't think it really matters. Also, like others have said. If the battery is charged you are not using a charge cycle. So what's the point?

 

[DoFoT9]

That's wrong. You seem to think that any part of a cycle is a cycle. No. 5% of a cycle, done 20 times, is a cycle... not 20 cycles. 20% of a cycle done five times is a cycle, not five cycles.

i dont recall saying that using 20% then recharging uses it as part of a cycle.. i said if i use it 20% then recharge it five times over it counts as a cycle. i understand how the cycles work.

If you take the battery out when it's fully charged, you're not saving any cycles because it's not using the battery when it's plugged in. You are adding fatigue to parts of the chassis, though.

yes but if i charge it up then im more inclined to pull the power out and move the laptop around the house. i have two batteries aswell, so i have to pull one battery out when its charged to charge the other.. so they are used to it

 

[jsw]

i dont recall saying that using 20% then recharging uses it as part of a cycle.. i said if i use it 20% then recharge it five times over it counts as a cycle. i understand how the cycles work.

Well, then, surely you understand that using it while plugged in and charged doesn't add cycles.

yes but if i charge it up then im more inclined to pull the power out and move the laptop around the house.

Oh no, say it isn't so - you mean use your portable Mac as a portable Mac?

Just stay by a power outlet. You're obviously already used to it.

i have two batteries aswell, so i have to pull one battery out when its charged to charge the other.. so they are used to it

You're not ever near outlets at school, are you? No chance of using your charger there? Just curious if there's a way to make it on one battery.

 

[DoFoT9]

Well, then, surely you understand that using it while plugged in and charged doesn't add cycles.

nope, but as i stated....it saves heat! therefore other hardware lasts longer (fans, cpu other components). surely you can understand where im coming from?

Oh no, say it isn't so - you mean use your portable Mac as a portable Mac?

oh my, just because i say i use it at home in the night time doesnt mean it stays there in the day! yes i may have a nice setup at home that lets me multitask and do things easier but you know...

i leave for uni at 8am and get home around 6pm. it gets used randomly throughout the day. in our lecture rooms there are no powerpoints, and its often quite hard to get a powerpoint in the tutorials.

Just stay by a power outlet. You're obviously already used to it.
You're not ever near outlets at school, are you? No chance of using your charger there? Just curious if there's a way to make it on one battery.

nope, there isnt the smallest chance of making the WHOLE DAY off one battery. i get 2hours as it is (per battery of course), which is enough for one lecture. when you have 2 lectures in a row then 2 tutes in a row its hardly enough battery life to be using it constantly.

 

[DannySmurf]

as a poor uni student who can barely afford petrol traveling ~3hours a day i can justify doing what i do.

A bit off-topic, but at the end of the 3 year life of the battery (at the time when you're going to "benefit" from this extra six months you believe you've saved yourself), I would hope you'd either be starting your new career, or in the midst of a semi-lucrative internship somewhere, and could afford a new battery.

If that $1000 computer you bought did you any good, that is.

 

[Dybbuk]

Just use the damn thing.

 

[sn00pie]

At first I was quite anal about my battery. But now as long as it gives me a good 3-4 hours, I'm perfectly fine.

 

[Scottsdale]

I actually have read many contradictory statements when it comes to this. What I can say, is I owned a Dell Precision M70 Notebook for nearly five years. It was basically used like a desktop and was super powerful for the time. I removed the batter, and I only charged it right before the day I was going on a trip or vacation.

After selling it nearly five years later, the battery would still hold a nearly 3 hour charge. I probably took it away from desk 50 times over four plus years. I think that is what made it last so long. It got nearly same life nearly five years later as did at beginning.

It was a big heavy notebook and really more like a "pro" computer and not one that most would want to take away from desk. I took it on vacations. Eventually, bought a MacBook and installed Windows on it and quit using it for personal use. I only used it for business for last two years.

So, a long time ago, I read to remove the battery and I had great results. The battery technology may have changed. The charging technology may have changed where it really doesn't recharge or use battery now. So, I just don't know how relevant it is now.

Anyways, that was my experience with one notebook and was not a Mac. It never seemed to make sense to remove from my old MB, my MBP, my MBA was impossible, nor my new MBA. However, I actually considered it with my unibody MB.

Since the unibody MBs still have a cover, maybe something someone could test out to ensure Apple is feeding the right information...???

I use my rev B MBA now, and geez would that be a pain. Take the whole thing apart to remove the battery every time putting it at desk. Will pass.

Hopefully the batteries and charging technologies really do not use the battery at all while plugged in... if that is what's best for battery.

Good luck everyone. I guess I will keep my batteries in on everything, as that is the easiest for sure.

 

[DoFoT9]

A bit off-topic, but at the end of the 3 year life of the battery (at the time when you're going to "benefit" from this extra six months you believe you've saved yourself), I would hope you'd either be starting your new career, or in the midst of a semi-lucrative internship somewhere, and could afford a new battery.

yes thats the basic idea. get as long as you can out of it. its exactly like not putting your foot on the pedal (or "gas" as you might say) as hard as you can so you can save that little bit of extra petrol..

or like saying that you put your display on a lower brightness to use less battery. in this case its more of a long term investment

If that $1000 computer you bought did you any good, that is.

well seeing as though my computer cost $4,500 ($2,885 of your US dollars) it has done me very nicely. has lasted me nearly 3 years and will most likely last me another 3 years. yes it is WAY to underpowered for my uses but thats why we have an iMac and a hackintosh.

oh and dont mock me please, its demeaning.

 

[DannySmurf]

oh and dont mock me please, its demeaning.

I wasn't mocking you. Just stating the obvious.