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Should you leave your laptop or iPod plugged in all the time? Hardly ever? Try these middle-of-the-road solutions. [more]
Mac 911 Weblog: Of laptops, iPods, and batteries
#1
Macworld.com 
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Posted 15 October 2007 - 12:20 PM
MultiQuote
#2
TheBum
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Posted 15 October 2007 - 03:47 PM
Quote:
If your laptop serves as your desktop computer and remains plugged in all of the time you may wish to charge its battery to about 50% and then remove the battery and store it.
If your laptop serves as your desktop computer and remains plugged in all of the time you may wish to charge its battery to about 50% and then remove the battery and store it.
This is not a good idea if you have a laptop with a MagSafe connector. If the connector happens to get bumped such that it so much as tilts, you could easily end up losing your work when the laptop powers off suddenly.
#3
Chris Breen
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Posted 15 October 2007 - 03:48 PM
That's a good point. Though I'd hope that if you were using your laptop as your desktop computer you'd take pains to be sure this didn't happen.
#4
slambert73
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Posted 15 October 2007 - 05:14 PM
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If your laptop serves as your desktop computer and remains plugged in all of the time ...
If your laptop serves as your desktop computer and remains plugged in all of the time ...
This is exactly what I am doing with an old G4 PowerBook. I am using it as a file server so it basically gets ignored most of the time. It seems like there should be a software solution that manages power settings for this kind of use i.e. maintains the batter at 50% power and cycles the battery one a month (or whatever is appropriate). Anybody know of such a solution?
-Scott
#5
igamogam
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Posted 15 October 2007 - 05:37 PM
Thanks for the helpful advice the- piece is concise and relevant but frankly "between 50 and 90 Fahrenheit" is a just plain baffling.
How about giving values in units that 92.7% of the world population use and understand [with Fahrenheit afterwards].
Just a thought...
How about giving values in units that 92.7% of the world population use and understand [with Fahrenheit afterwards].
Just a thought...
#6
nyip11
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Posted 15 October 2007 - 06:02 PM
Quote:
This is not a good idea if you have a laptop with a MagSafe connector. If the connector happens to get bumped such that it so much as tilts, you could easily end up losing your work when the laptop powers off suddenly.
Quote:
If your laptop serves as your desktop computer and remains plugged in all of the time you may wish to charge its battery to about 50% and then remove the battery and store it.
If your laptop serves as your desktop computer and remains plugged in all of the time you may wish to charge its battery to about 50% and then remove the battery and store it.
This is not a good idea if you have a laptop with a MagSafe connector. If the connector happens to get bumped such that it so much as tilts, you could easily end up losing your work when the laptop powers off suddenly.
Not only that, but the gaping hole where the battery was would let in dust and debris (depending on your environment.) To see what your environment is like, flip your keyboard upside down and shake it and see what comes out. /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
#7
Netizen_Kane
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Posted 15 October 2007 - 06:24 PM
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Dont leave laptops and iPods plugged in all the time. The electrons inside these batteries need to be banged around every so often, and they do that only when the device runs from battery power. Apple suggests that you charge and discharge the battery at least once a month.
Dont leave laptops and iPods plugged in all the time. The electrons inside these batteries need to be banged around every so often, and they do that only when the device runs from battery power. Apple suggests that you charge and discharge the battery at least once a month.
I don't believe that. I have a 1st gen PB G4 that's always plugged in when I'm not carrying it around. After nearly five years, it still has 3+ hours of battery life on the original pack.
#8
Be3G
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Posted 15 October 2007 - 06:38 PM
There is one show-stopping point to remember here if you consider leaving your Intel laptop plugged in most of the time, and as a result, remove the battery: you'll find your MacBook (Pro or not) underclocked - to, I believe, about half its normal speed. And no, I'm not making this up: http://docs.info.app...l?artnum=305336 (Plus I have noticed this happen first-hand.)
Which, of course, means there's conflicting information on Apple's website about what to do if you don't plan on running your laptop from battery power. On the one hand, on their webpages about correct use of batteries, they tell you to charge to 50% then remove it... but on the other hand, on the webpage I linked to above, they say you should always leave the battery in.
Make of that what you will...
Which, of course, means there's conflicting information on Apple's website about what to do if you don't plan on running your laptop from battery power. On the one hand, on their webpages about correct use of batteries, they tell you to charge to 50% then remove it... but on the other hand, on the webpage I linked to above, they say you should always leave the battery in.
Make of that what you will...
#9
Chris Breen
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Posted 15 October 2007 - 06:53 PM
Quote:
How about giving values in units that 92.7% of the world population use and understand [with Fahrenheit afterwards].
How about giving values in units that 92.7% of the world population use and understand [with Fahrenheit afterwards].
I'm just trying to help you get some use out of your Unit Converter widget.
#10
nyip11
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Posted 15 October 2007 - 07:00 PM
Quote:
There is one show-stopping point to remember here if you consider leaving your Intel laptop plugged in most of the time, and as a result, remove the battery: you'll find your MacBook (Pro or not) underclocked - to, I believe, about half its normal speed. And no, I'm not making this up: http://docs.info.app...l?artnum=305336 (Plus I have noticed this happen first-hand.)
There is one show-stopping point to remember here if you consider leaving your Intel laptop plugged in most of the time, and as a result, remove the battery: you'll find your MacBook (Pro or not) underclocked - to, I believe, about half its normal speed. And no, I'm not making this up: http://docs.info.app...l?artnum=305336 (Plus I have noticed this happen first-hand.)
Apple is not being clear. Do they mean the MacBook will "automatically reduce the processor speed" only when "it demands more power than the A/C adaptor alone can provide" or will it reduce the processor speed all the time when there's no battery? Seems to me the former would be much more usable.
#11
leeze
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Posted 16 October 2007 - 02:03 AM
I have an OWC battery that is advertised to have 6000 mAh capacity. It is new, 30 cycles, and now it's measured capacity is 81%. I have followed the suggestions by Apple and the company to regain the "lost" capacity but with no luck. The company says there are no tools out there to properly measure "their" battery's capacity. Is anyone else seeing this same thing? Any suggestions?
#12
VidPro
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Posted 16 October 2007 - 02:07 AM
Quote:
Apple is not being clear. Do they mean the MacBook will "automatically reduce the processor speed" only when "it demands more power than the A/C adaptor alone can provide" or will it reduce the processor speed all the time when there's no battery? Seems to me the former would be much more usable.
Apple is not being clear. Do they mean the MacBook will "automatically reduce the processor speed" only when "it demands more power than the A/C adaptor alone can provide" or will it reduce the processor speed all the time when there's no battery? Seems to me the former would be much more usable.
Actually, if you kept the whole quote, it would have been quite clear:
"If the battery is removed from a MacBook or MacBook Pro, the computer will automatically reduce the processor speed. This prevents the computer from shutting down if it demands more power than the A/C adaptor alone can provide."
If you still don't see the meaning, it says that by reducing the processor speed as soon as the battery is removed, there is sufficient extra oomph (highly technical term) in the power supply so that if a sudden rise in power is needed it is there, whereas with the battery in place, the power would have been sourced from both the AC and the battery. With the battery out, that safety net is no longer there.
#13
romzburg
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Posted 16 October 2007 - 08:31 AM
Quote:
I'm just trying to help you get some use out of your Unit Converter widget.
Quote:
How about giving values in units that 92.7% of the world population use and understand [with Fahrenheit afterwards].
How about giving values in units that 92.7% of the world population use and understand [with Fahrenheit afterwards].
I'm just trying to help you get some use out of your Unit Converter widget.
Zing!
#14
Devlin
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Posted 16 October 2007 - 12:54 PM
Quote:
If your laptop serves as your desktop computer and remains plugged in all of the time you may wish to charge its battery to about 50% and then remove the battery and store it. Again, run the laptop from the battery once a month and then remove the battery at 50% charge.
If your laptop serves as your desktop computer and remains plugged in all of the time you may wish to charge its battery to about 50% and then remove the battery and store it. Again, run the laptop from the battery once a month and then remove the battery at 50% charge.
It's the second part I don't get. Does that mean I should run my laptop once a month from the 50% charge (or whatever's left of it) and drain it completely and do a full charge? Or, does it mean I plug in the battery and let it fill up to max capacity then fully drain and charge it up again to capacity?
