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Taking care of battery
#45147 06/13/17 08:31 PM
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I've been reading about battery life on Macs. Supposedly, somewhere Apple said the battery problems were taken care of and you don't have to discharge them once a month to keep them going. But a Youtube mac teacher said that's not true.

Also, I've read where you should discharge once a month but never down to zero, just 20%.

I want to take the best care of my new battery when I get my new MBP. Anyone know the real answer?


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Re: Taking care of battery
plantsower #45148 06/13/17 10:06 PM
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I'll bet you wanted a nice simple one line answer, didn't you? smirk Sorry, battery life and optimizing it is complex and no simple answer could be considered particularly accurate. The issue is confused because over the years the recommendations have continually changed as battery technology has evolved. So it is critical you get the latest information. Going to the best source of knowledge about Apple and Apple products...

Last edited by joemikeb; 06/13/17 10:08 PM. Reason: Sometimes I stutter

If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

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Re: Taking care of battery
joemikeb #45149 06/13/17 10:52 PM
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Thanks so much. I will read this later tonight.


Originally Posted By: joemikeb
I'll bet you wanted a nice simple one line answer, didn't you? smirk Sorry, battery life and optimizing it is complex and no simple answer could be considered particularly accurate. The issue is confused because over the years the recommendations have continually changed as battery technology has evolved. So it is critical you get the latest information. Going to the best source of knowledge about Apple and Apple products...


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Re: Taking care of battery
plantsower #45251 06/19/17 09:45 AM
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Sorry for taking so long to post.

You didn't specify how much you actually use your battery, and if, as I suspect, your usage pattern is similar to mine - I virtually never use my battery. - you ought to read this thread.

The issue of battery non-use hasn't been addressed anywhere that I've been able to find in a number of years, so I've asked several AppleCare techs and Geniuses what to do and invariably been told to run my battery down once a month. (The last AC tech I spoke to was shocked to hear that there isn't an Apple doc that addresses the issue, and said that he was going to request that advice to run unused batteries down once a month be added to Apple's database, but the issue still hasn't been addressed. frown )

...your turn to call AppleCare if your issue is the same as mine. grin

As for running your battery down to 20%, I've always allowed my deuced Mac(hina)s to run until they shut down, but newer Macs, yours included, I imagine, don't actually shut down even though it looks like they have; they start up on their own - no need to hit the power button - a moment after you reconnect the MagSafe, i.e. it looks like current batteries are designed so they may be run down with no resultant damage.

To complete the picture, I'll say that I've had two batteries go bad on me over the years, but "Why?" is anybody's guess.

By the way, since your old MBP is about to become a seldom-used backup machine, I'll mention that there's advice on the matter in Batteries - Maximizing Performance (to which joemike has already linked and which you may have already read) and more in How to store Apple notebook computers and their batteries.


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Taking care of battery
artie505 #45252 06/19/17 03:28 PM
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You're right. I rarely use the battery. Lately I have because I have been using my Macs side by side transferring stuff, etc. But normally always plugged in. I'll read the links you gave me in a day or two. I have a packed schedule until then. Thanks for getting back to me.

Rita



Originally Posted By: artie505
Sorry for taking so long to post.

You didn't specify how much you actually use your battery, and if, as I suspect, your usage pattern is similar to mine - I virtually never use my battery. - you ought to read this thread.

The issue of battery non-use hasn't been addressed anywhere that I've been able to find in a number of years, so I've asked several AppleCare techs and Geniuses what to do and invariably been told to run my battery down once a month. (The last AC tech I spoke to was shocked to hear that there isn't an Apple doc that addresses the issue, and said that he was going to request that advice to run unused batteries down once a month be added to Apple's database, but the issue still hasn't been addressed. frown )

...your turn to call AppleCare if your issue is the same as mine. grin

As for running your battery down to 20%, I've always allowed my deuced Mac(hina)s to run until they shut down, but newer Macs, yours included, I imagine, don't actually shut down even though it looks like they have; they start up on their own - no need to hit the power button - a moment after you reconnect the MagSafe, i.e. it looks like current batteries are designed so they may be run down with no resultant damage.

To complete the picture, I'll say that I've had two batteries go bad on me over the years, but "Why?" is anybody's guess.

By the way, since your old MBP is about to become a seldom-used backup machine, I'll mention that there's advice on the matter in Batteries - Maximizing Performance (to which joemike has already linked and which you may have already read) and more in How to store Apple notebook computers and their batteries.


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Re: Taking care of battery
plantsower #45260 06/20/17 07:46 PM
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OK. Read the info. Thank you! What does deuced mean? I wasn't quite sure whether you ran down your battery on an unused Mac or a seldom used Mac or what.
Originally Posted By: plantsower
You're right. I rarely use the battery. Lately I have because I have been using my Macs side by side transferring stuff, etc. But normally always plugged in. I'll read the links you gave me in a day or two. I have a packed schedule until then. Thanks for getting back to me.

Rita



Originally Posted By: artie505
Sorry for taking so long to post.

You didn't specify how much you actually use your battery, and if, as I suspect, your usage pattern is similar to mine - I virtually never use my battery. - you ought to read this thread.

The issue of battery non-use hasn't been addressed anywhere that I've been able to find in a number of years, so I've asked several AppleCare techs and Geniuses what to do and invariably been told to run my battery down once a month. (The last AC tech I spoke to was shocked to hear that there isn't an Apple doc that addresses the issue, and said that he was going to request that advice to run unused batteries down once a month be added to Apple's database, but the issue still hasn't been addressed. frown )

...your turn to call AppleCare if your issue is the same as mine. grin

As for running your battery down to 20%, I've always allowed my deuced Mac(hina)s to run until they shut down, but newer Macs, yours included, I imagine, don't actually shut down even though it looks like they have; they start up on their own - no need to hit the power button - a moment after you reconnect the MagSafe, i.e. it looks like current batteries are designed so they may be run down with no resultant damage.

To complete the picture, I'll say that I've had two batteries go bad on me over the years, but "Why?" is anybody's guess.

By the way, since your old MBP is about to become a seldom-used backup machine, I'll mention that there's advice on the matter in Batteries - Maximizing Performance (to which joemike has already linked and which you may have already read) and more in How to store Apple notebook computers and their batteries.


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Re: Taking care of battery
plantsower #45270 06/21/17 08:12 AM
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Originally Posted By: plantsower
What does deuced mean? I wasn't quite sure whether you ran down your battery on an unused Mac or a seldom used Mac or what.

"Deuced" means "devilish". (deuced Mac(hina) is a play on "deus ex machina", which means "God from a machine".)

I run down the battery in the only Mac I"ve got. (The only other time it's ever unplugged is when it needs to visit a "Genius".)


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Taking care of battery
artie505 #45273 06/21/17 12:37 PM
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Originally Posted By: artie505
I run down the battery in the only Mac I"ve got. (The only other time it's ever unplugged is when it needs to visit a "Genius".)

I have to ask with all of your complaints about the new MacBooks and their design trajectory, if you never unplug your computer, why do you have a MacBook? An iMac or Mac mini would neatly solve your gripes about the MacBook and eliminate both the cost and concern about batteries, battery life, etc. confused


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

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Re: Taking care of battery
artie505 #45279 06/21/17 05:45 PM
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Oh, so you don't have a backup? Or maybe you have a pc backup?


Originally Posted By: artie505
Originally Posted By: plantsower
What does deuced mean? I wasn't quite sure whether you ran down your battery on an unused Mac or a seldom used Mac or what.

"Deuced" means "devilish". (deuced Mac(hina) is a play on "deus ex machina", which means "God from a machine".)

I run down the battery in the only Mac I"ve got. (The only other time it's ever unplugged is when it needs to visit a "Genius".)


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Re: Taking care of battery
joemikeb #45320 06/23/17 09:11 AM
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Originally Posted By: joemikeb
I have to ask with all of your complaints about the new MacBooks and their design trajectory, if you never unplug your computer, why do you have a MacBook? An iMac or Mac mini would neatly solve your gripes about the MacBook and eliminate both the cost and concern about batteries, battery life, etc. confused

Well, my MBP has got one critical area of functionality that neither an iMac nor a Mac mini has got: it can disappear. cool smile laugh grin (Even if I had space for an iMac or Mac mini - I've got one room and an altogether unsuitable roll-top desk. - I'd still opt for a laptop for that reason.)

And therein lies the Catch-22: as much as I hate Apple's design trajectory, it's a wonderful thing in my context, because as my deuced Mac(hina) has gotten thinner (Its smaller footprint is inconsequential.), it's gotten prettier...which, unfortunately, has made it an uglier road-warrior machine.


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Taking care of battery
plantsower #45321 06/23/17 09:33 AM
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Originally Posted By: plantsower
Oh, so you don't have a backup? Or maybe you have a pc backup?

Nope, no backup, and, as a matter of fact, you're the only poster I can think of who's ever mentioned maintaining a machine specifically for backup.


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Taking care of battery
artie505 #45325 06/23/17 01:49 PM
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Originally Posted By: artie505
Nope, no backup, and, as a matter of fact, you're the only poster I can think of who's ever mentioned maintaining a machine specifically for backup.

I have a friend who cannot tolerate the thought of getting rid of an old Mac and has at this time three no longer supported Macs of various types he retains as "backups". Of course none of them can run todays OS or most of applications and would be essentially useless if he had to use one as a backup. In truth his functional computing backup is not even a Mac — it is his iPad Pro.


If we knew what it was we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

— Albert Einstein
Re: Taking care of battery
artie505 #45327 06/23/17 03:30 PM
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I've had to be without a computer for two weeks once when it went haywire. I vowed since then to have a backup from then on just to pay bills and do the things I need to do online. I don't need to surf or shop (maybe) for awhile, but that's it. Luckily my husband has a PC ad I can use that if I have to. But I'd rather have one in the wings. We always have a second vehicle for transportation, too. No rapid transit in this part of the woods.

Originally Posted By: artie505
Originally Posted By: plantsower
Oh, so you don't have a backup? Or maybe you have a pc backup?

Nope, no backup, and, as a matter of fact, you're the only poster I can think of who's ever mentioned maintaining a machine specifically for backup.


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