Won't be using macbook for awhile

[1974muff]

I'll be out of town for two weeks. Leaving macbook air at home. Need some advice. Should I keep my laptop plugged in and charging while I'm gone? Do I need to shut down completely or just put my laptop to sleep?

 

[DESNOS]

It would be best on the laptop to be shutdown and left unplugged.

 

[onthecouchagain]

Let the battery drain to about 50%, and then shut her down, unplugged. That's what Apple recommends.

 

[BreakGuy]

Turn it off and unplug it. There's no logical reason to leave it plugged in and/or running if you're not going to be able to use it.

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Let the battery drain to about 50%, and then shut her down, unplugged. That's what Apple recommends.

Only when you're not going to be using it for six months or more do you need to take precautions.

If you don’t plan on using your notebook for more than six months, Apple recommends that you store the battery with a 50% charge. If you store a battery when it’s fully discharged, it could fall into a deep discharge state, which renders it incapable of holding any charge. Conversely, if you store it fully charged for an extended period of time, the battery may experience some loss of battery capacity, meaning it will have a shorter life. Be sure to store your notebook and battery at the proper temperature.

 

[KPOM]

I'll be out of town for two weeks. Leaving macbook air at home. Need some advice. Should I keep my laptop plugged in and charging while I'm gone? Do I need to shut down completely or just put my laptop to sleep?

If it's a 2010 or 2011 model, just close the lid and unplug it. When you get back in 2 weeks, it should still have about half the battery left (assuming it was full when you closed it). It will drop down into "deep sleep," which preserves the battery for up to 30 days.

 

[onthecouchagain]

Only when you're not going to be using it for six months or more do you need to take precautions.

Oh wow, did not know that. Thanks for clarifying.

 

[lolwut89]

If you're going to be that paranoid, might as well put it in your refrigerator.

A battery will die eventually. Capacity drops 20% every year when stored at room temperature. It drops 5%-10% when in a cold environment.

But seriously I think you'll be fine I would say unplug it. Whenever I travel I always unplug/shutdown everything.

 

[GGJstudios]

I'll be out of town for two weeks. Leaving macbook air at home. Need some advice. Should I keep my laptop plugged in and charging while I'm gone? Do I need to shut down completely or just put my laptop to sleep?

It doesn't matter. You can sleep or shut down, leave plugged in or not. If it's unplugged and in sleep (hibernation) mode, it should last around 30 days on a battery charge. This should answer most, if not all, of your battery questions:

Apple Notebook Battery FAQ​