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From: David Empson on 29 Jul 2010 02:59 isw <isw(a)witzend.com> wrote: > In article <CZ54o.42655$dx7.9216(a)newsfe21.iad>, > russotto(a)grace.speakeasy.net (Matthew Russotto) wrote: > > --snippety-snip -- > > > Typical lifetime of a lithium-ion battery is about 2 years > > I don't believe that for an instant, and my personal experience tells me > it's wrong, too -- more like four or five years, minimum (of course, > capacity declines over that time). > > Got any references to back up your claim? My Titanium PowerBook G4's original battery (mid 2002) lasted a little over 2 years before it retained so little charge it needed to be replaced. A third party replacement (mid 2004) lasted almost 3 years and was still working well, but then the computer died so I never got to test its limits. My MacBook Pro (mid 2007) was still going strong on its original battery when I sold the computer almost three years later, despite the battery having over 400 cycles. Had about half its original capacity. Some people I know have batteries that lasted less than two years. Apple only guarantees them for one year (even if you have AppleCare). Given the anecdotal evidence, I'd expect "at least two years" to be reasonable for a lithium-ion battery, but you are lucky if it lasts much beyond three years. Lifetime is largely influenced by the usage pattern. Apple's new integrated batteries can survive more charge cycles. Only time will tell but it wouldn't surprise me if they typically last five years before needing to be replaced. -- David Empson dempson(a)actrix.gen.nz
From: dorayme on 29 Jul 2010 03:57 In article <1jmege8.c0jy2z128uwn8N%dempson(a)actrix.gen.nz>, dempson(a)actrix.gen.nz (David Empson) wrote: > Apple's new integrated batteries can survive more charge cycles. Only > time will tell but it wouldn't surprise me if they typically last five > years before needing to be replaced. Is there a comprehensive best practice guide on this stuff anywhere. I have been wondering a while: my late 2009 Macbook is not used a great deal but is useful nevertheless. I tend to keep it on, it sleeps when the lid is shut etc. I use it a bit with power still attached. But I grab it now and then to take it elsewhere, almost never draining the battery much for the short sessions and plonk it back on the desk with power to it. The green light is on it most of the time. To sum up, my machine is tending to be fully charged most of the time. Is this a good thing for the battery? Is fully draining and charging back up the most wearing activity for the battery? -- dorayme
From: Jochem Huhmann on 29 Jul 2010 05:50 dorayme <dorayme(a)optusnet.com.au> writes: > I use it a bit with power still attached. But I grab it now and > then to take it elsewhere, almost never draining the battery much > for the short sessions and plonk it back on the desk with power > to it. The green light is on it most of the time. > > To sum up, my machine is tending to be fully charged most of the > time. Is this a good thing for the battery? Is fully draining and > charging back up the most wearing activity for the battery? You should fully drain and recharge the battery about once a month to calibrate it. If you never do this the charging circuitry may over- or undercharge the battery. Jochem -- "A designer knows he has arrived at perfection not when there is no longer anything to add, but when there is no longer anything to take away." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery
From: George Kerby on 29 Jul 2010 11:20 On 7/29/10 1:59 AM, in article 1jmege8.c0jy2z128uwn8N%dempson(a)actrix.gen.nz, "David Empson" <dempson(a)actrix.gen.nz> wrote: > isw <isw(a)witzend.com> wrote: > >> In article <CZ54o.42655$dx7.9216(a)newsfe21.iad>, >> russotto(a)grace.speakeasy.net (Matthew Russotto) wrote: >> >> --snippety-snip -- >> >>> Typical lifetime of a lithium-ion battery is about 2 years >> >> I don't believe that for an instant, and my personal experience tells me >> it's wrong, too -- more like four or five years, minimum (of course, >> capacity declines over that time). >> >> Got any references to back up your claim? > > My Titanium PowerBook G4's original battery (mid 2002) lasted a little > over 2 years before it retained so little charge it needed to be > replaced. A third party replacement (mid 2004) lasted almost 3 years and > was still working well, but then the computer died so I never got to > test its limits. > > My MacBook Pro (mid 2007) was still going strong on its original battery > when I sold the computer almost three years later, despite the battery > having over 400 cycles. Had about half its original capacity. > > Some people I know have batteries that lasted less than two years. > Apple only guarantees them for one year (even if you have AppleCare). > A lot of people believe that Apple does warranty the battery for three years with AppleCare. But, as you indicate, the battery does NOT come under AppleCare. My store told me 18 months - not a year, but that may not be the case, or difference between the NZ and USA policy? In any case, one of the many reasons that I have invested in Apple so much (product and financial) is because of the award-winning Customer Support. The 15" MacBook Pro that I am writing this on is currently on it's third battery and it has two months to go before AppleCare expires. Both the second and current battery were after 18 months had passed. I was told by the "Genius" that the reason the second went so fast was that it was NOT cycled enough, causing a premature decline. The tech said that he didn't have to, but he went ahead and replaced it no charge. Don't think that would happen at a Dell store, or HP.
From: George Kerby on 29 Jul 2010 11:21
On 7/29/10 4:50 AM, in article m2mxtaiplu.fsf(a)revier.com, "Jochem Huhmann" <joh(a)gmx.net> wrote: > dorayme <dorayme(a)optusnet.com.au> writes: > >> I use it a bit with power still attached. But I grab it now and >> then to take it elsewhere, almost never draining the battery much >> for the short sessions and plonk it back on the desk with power >> to it. The green light is on it most of the time. >> >> To sum up, my machine is tending to be fully charged most of the >> time. Is this a good thing for the battery? Is fully draining and >> charging back up the most wearing activity for the battery? > > You should fully drain and recharge the battery about once a month to > calibrate it. If you never do this the charging circuitry may over- or > undercharge the battery. > > > Jochem Ahem, brother. |