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reddevil0728

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 19, 2010
246
33
Anybody using this mac as a desktop? I got it as a gift so I didn't have a choice of getting iMac. I primarily using it as a desktop so neither do I shut it off or disconnect it from the charger.

Heard that doing this is extremely bad for the battery. Just wondering if anybody who use laptops as desktop got any suggestions on how to overcome this issue of not wanting to shut it off hence not disconnecting it from the charger, but at the same time maintain the battery?

Cause seems like the battery is getting bloated and making the underside of the mac uneven.
 

T5BRICK

macrumors G3
Aug 3, 2006
8,313
2,387
Oregon
Anybody using this mac as a desktop? I got it as a gift so I didn't have a choice of getting iMac. I primarily using it as a desktop so neither do I shut it off or disconnect it from the charger.

Heard that doing this is extremely bad for the battery. Just wondering if anybody who use laptops as desktop got any suggestions on how to overcome this issue of not wanting to shut it off hence not disconnecting it from the charger, but at the same time maintain the battery?

Cause seems like the battery is getting bloated and making the underside of the mac uneven.

I wouldn't worry about it. The battery will last 3-5 years regardless of how you use it.
 
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reddevil0728

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 19, 2010
246
33
I wouldn't worry about it. The battery will last 3-5 years regardless of how you use it.

So you wouldn't be concern about the uneven underside which might suggest possible bloated battery which might be a potential safety hazard?
 

T5BRICK

macrumors G3
Aug 3, 2006
8,313
2,387
Oregon
So you wouldn't be concern about the uneven underside which might suggest possible bloated battery which might be a potential safety hazard?

I may have misread your original post. :eek:

If your battery is already swelling, take it in to Apple.
 

reddevil0728

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 19, 2010
246
33
Yeah that's not normal. Take it in to the Apple Store as batteries would only do that if they're really old and haven't been used in a long time. So yours must be defective.
This mac ain't that old, probably a year and a half to 2 years max. so ya probably gotta get it checked.

I may have misread your original post. :eek:

If your battery is already swelling, take it in to Apple.
oh right...

That issue aside, anybody who use ur macbook pro as a desktop, do you guys constantly keep it charged all the time?
 

deany

macrumors 68030
Sep 16, 2012
2,873
2,086
North Wales
This mac ain't that old, probably a year and a half to 2 years max. so ya probably gotta get it checked.

oh right...

That issue aside, anybody who use ur macbook pro as a desktop, do you guys constantly keep it charged all the time?

I would get apple to look at the battery ASAP

I dont leave my rMBP 13" 2015 on charger I charge it and then disconnect.

Apparantly its okay to keep on charge though - but advisable to disconnect every so often.
 

reddevil0728

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 19, 2010
246
33
I would get apple to look at the battery ASAP

I dont leave my rMBP 13" 2015 on charger I charge it and then disconnect.

Apparantly its okay to keep on charge though - but advisable to disconnect every so often.
Do you use it like a desktop where u don't shut it down and keep using it at home without moving it around that kind?
 

ssmed

macrumors 6502a
Sep 28, 2009
885
423
UK
I have done this for a long time without problems with several generations of MBP. If you close the lid and use a second screen as I do, they have to be plugged in!
 

deany

macrumors 68030
Sep 16, 2012
2,873
2,086
North Wales
Do you use it like a desktop where u don't shut it down and keep using it at home without moving it around that kind?

I don't shut it down except for updates.
I dont move it around too much.
If you are worried about leaving it charged why not do what I do?
Love the rMBP 13"
cheers
 

T5BRICK

macrumors G3
Aug 3, 2006
8,313
2,387
Oregon
That issue aside, anybody who use ur macbook pro as a desktop, do you guys constantly keep it charged all the time?

My 2015 13" rMBP is plugged in most of the time and I never shut it down. I do close the lid occasionally.

I'll have to check, but I'd guess I have less than 50 cycles on the battery.
 

HBOC

macrumors 68020
Oct 14, 2008
2,497
234
SLC
i used my 2008 MBP for a desktops for years, and now have a new MBP that i am using in place of my iMac i sold recently. no problems yet to report
 

ljjycss

macrumors member
Apr 2, 2016
66
83
I use my mac as a desktop, having it hooked to charger for the past five years. I do shut it down when I go to sleep. Battery did die months ago with less than 100 cycles, but that's a whole five years of charging.
 

iPaintCode

macrumors regular
Jun 24, 2012
142
38
Metro Detroit
I wasn't aware that the newer glued in batteries had bloating issues like the older removable batteries.

I have a late 2015 15" rMBP (2499 model) and it's connected to a 27" Thunderbolt Display most of the time unless I get cabin fever and head to a coffee shop (I never use my charger in my backpack). I work remote so I just keep it like that but I do move around the house a few times a week also, so it gets close to 0% time to time. I've never had any issues, FWIW here is a screenshot of my battery health.

battery.png
 

reddevil0728

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 19, 2010
246
33
I wasn't aware that the newer glued in batteries had bloating issues like the older removable batteries.

I have a late 2015 15" rMBP (2499 model) and it's connected to a 27" Thunderbolt Display most of the time unless I get cabin fever and head to a coffee shop (I never use my charger in my backpack). I work remote so I just keep it like that but I do move around the house a few times a week also, so it gets close to 0% time to time. I've never had any issues, FWIW here is a screenshot of my battery health.

View attachment 642623
may I know what app is that?
 

Clix Pix

macrumors Core
I bought my 15" mid-2015 rMBP in December 2015 and immediately put it on a sturdy Twelve South stand which gives it plenty of air under the machine, breathing space, and supplied it with the newest versions of the Magic Trackpad, keyboard and mouse. Bingo -- instant desktop replacement! :) I had intended at some point to buy a monitor to connect to it if I felt I needed more screen landscape and space, but so far I've been very happy with the 15" screen on its own. I keep the machine plugged in most of the time and then every now-and-then when I think of it, unplug it for a while and let the battery run down. I do shut the machine completely down at night or when I am going to be away from it for more than a couple of hours. Also, of course, when there is thunder and lightning going on!

For me this is a much better and more flexible solution than buying a 21.5" retina iMac would have been; back in late November/early December I spent quite a bit of time analyzing which would be the best purchase. This works for me and I have been more than happy with it. When I've needed portability, easy enough to unplug, tuck the machine into a protective case and go. I have a couple of external drives that are used for backup which I only plug in when I'm ready to do a backup, and of course everything else is wireless, including my BT headphones. I also have an external SSD that I use as a supplementary drive so that I don't fill up my internal 512 GB SSD in the machine, and this works well; it's interesting how many folders and files one really doesn't need to have permanently stashed on a computer's hard drive! When I need a file or folder, I simply plug in that external drive, look at or retrieve the item, and I'm done. Again, I don't leave that device plugged into the machine all the time.
 
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deany

macrumors 68030
Sep 16, 2012
2,873
2,086
North Wales
I bought my 15" mid-2015 rMBP in December 2015 and immediately put it on a sturdy Twelve South stand which gives it plenty of air under the machine, breathing space, and supplied it with the newest versions of the Magic Trackpad, keyboard and mouse. Bingo -- instant desktop replacement! :) I had intended at some point to buy a monitor to connect to it if I felt I needed more screen landscape and space, but so far I've been very happy with the 15" screen on its own. I keep the machine plugged in most of the time and then every now-and-then when I think of it, unplug it for a while and let the battery run down. I do shut the machine completely down at night or when I am going to be away from it for more than a couple of hours. Also, of course, when there is thunder and lightning going on!

For me this is a much better and more flexible solution than buying a 21.5" retina iMac would have been; back in late November/early December I spent quite a bit of time analyzing which would be the best purchase. This works for me and I have been more than happy with it. When I've needed portability, easy enough to unplug, tuck the machine into a protective case and go. I have a couple of external drives that are used for backup which I only plug in when I'm ready to do a backup, and of course everything else is wireless, including my BT headphones. I also have an external SSD that I use as a supplementary drive so that I don't fill up my internal 512 GB SSD in the machine, and this works well; it's interesting how many folders and files one really doesn't need to have permanently stashed on a computer's hard drive! When I need a file or folder, I simply plug in that external drive, look at or retrieve the item, and I'm done. Again, I don't leave that device plugged into the machine all the time.

Those twelve south stands are very cool - I can't quite work out the two screens together it looks great, I'd love to know how you went from one screen to the other. and apart from 'effect' - looks great what the point is
lovely site they have too.
 
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reddevil0728

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 19, 2010
246
33
I bought my 15" mid-2015 rMBP in December 2015 and immediately put it on a sturdy Twelve South stand which gives it plenty of air under the machine, breathing space, and supplied it with the newest versions of the Magic Trackpad, keyboard and mouse. Bingo -- instant desktop replacement! :) I had intended at some point to buy a monitor to connect to it if I felt I needed more screen landscape and space, but so far I've been very happy with the 15" screen on its own. I keep the machine plugged in most of the time and then every now-and-then when I think of it, unplug it for a while and let the battery run down. I do shut the machine completely down at night or when I am going to be away from it for more than a couple of hours. Also, of course, when there is thunder and lightning going on!

For me this is a much better and more flexible solution than buying a 21.5" retina iMac would have been; back in late November/early December I spent quite a bit of time analyzing which would be the best purchase. This works for me and I have been more than happy with it. When I've needed portability, easy enough to unplug, tuck the machine into a protective case and go. I have a couple of external drives that are used for backup which I only plug in when I'm ready to do a backup, and of course everything else is wireless, including my BT headphones. I also have an external SSD that I use as a supplementary drive so that I don't fill up my internal 512 GB SSD in the machine, and this works well; it's interesting how many folders and files one really doesn't need to have permanently stashed on a computer's hard drive! When I need a file or folder, I simply plug in that external drive, look at or retrieve the item, and I'm done. Again, I don't leave that device plugged into the machine all the time.
have a picture of the stand?
 

Clix Pix

macrumors Core
Those twelve south stands are very cool - I can't quite work out the two screens together it looks great, I'd love to know how you went from one screen to the other. and apart from 'effect' - looks great what the point is
lovely site they have too.
Sorry.....you've lost me. Maybe you misinterpreted something I wrote? I have just the rMBP15" on the Twelve South stand.....no additional monitor. One screen -- the one that's on the rMBP15. A lot of people do use two or even three monitors, but that's not anything I've tried.
[doublepost=1469921867][/doublepost]
have a picture of the stand?

It is the Hi Rise:

https://www.twelvesouth.com/store/product/hirise-for-macbook

41iuBDyob3L._AC_US320_QL65_.jpg
 
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