1st gen MacBook 2.75 hours of battery use...poor

[Cinch]

real life test: I'm using my 1st generation black MacBook (4 months old), and I'm getting ~2.75 hours of use when I see the red level in the battery indicator. Infact, I'm afraid that I won't be able to finish this new thread. Be that as it may, I running Safari, calculator, Excel and my screen at full brightness. This is pathetic, and I don't think Apple should be single out here but laptop in general. Why can't we get laptop that last longer?

IMHO, they should simplify laptop thus making them energy efficient e.g. standarize voltage on motherboard etc. making it 12 volts. Lets not blame the battery for poor design. Apple is the only company that can do this, because they control the hardware and software. I want to get 6 hours of actual use. Is this too much to ask? And don't tell me I have to dim the screen, because I like to see what I'm doing.

Cinch

 

[bearbo]

real life test: I'm using my 1st generation black MacBook (4 months old), and I'm getting ~2.75 hours of use when I see the red level in the battery indicator. Infact, I'm afraid that I won't be able to finish this new thread. Be that as it may, I running Safari, calculator, Excel and my screen at full brightness. This is pathetic, and I don't think Apple should be single out here but laptop in general. Why can't we get laptop that last longer?

IMHO, they should simplify laptop thus making them energy efficient e.g. standarize voltage on motherboard etc. making it 12 volts. Lets not blame the battery for poor design. Apple is the only company that can do this, because they control the hardware and software. I want to get 6 hours of actual use. Is this too much to ask? And don't tell me I have to dim the screen, because I like to see what I'm doing.

Cinch

i have few questions for you and i expect you to answer all of them.

1. what is your profession?
2. do you know who design, and supply the motherboard, the CPU, the harddrive, the optical drive, the display, the wireless components, and the speakers? surely not apple.
3. do you know that all of the above components require a quite a bit of electricity to run
4. can you live without the motherboard, the cpu, the harddrive, the optical drive, the display, the wireless components, or the speaker?

just because the laptop is branded apple, doesn't mean apple makes all the hardware in there... they hardly design anything aside from where those parts are situated and how the outside looks like.

if question number 4 is true, well, you can custom design your own computer (and it will not be apple branded), and buy the battery with the highest capacity, then i'm sure it can last more than 6 hrs.

 

[mmmcheese]

real life test: I'm using my 1st generation black MacBook (4 months old), and I'm getting ~2.75 hours of use when I see the red level in the battery indicator. Infact, I'm afraid that I won't be able to finish this new thread. Be that as it may, I running Safari, calculator, Excel and my screen at full brightness. This is pathetic, and I don't think Apple should be single out here but laptop in general. Why can't we get laptop that last longer?

IMHO, they should simplify laptop thus making them energy efficient e.g. standarize voltage on motherboard etc. making it 12 volts. Lets not blame the battery for poor design. Apple is the only company that can do this, because they control the hardware and software. I want to get 6 hours of actual use. Is this too much to ask? And don't tell me I have to dim the screen, because I like to see what I'm doing.

Cinch

The battery turns red when you have between 45 and 60 min remaining....

Try running it until the unit shuts off, and then tell us how long it was running for.

 

[misterspo]

Eject any disks in your optical drive you aren't using.

turn off bluetooth and airport when not in use.

allow the screen to dim / shutoff when you look away from the screen for a minute or 2.

watch what apps you are using! if you have the option to avoid rosetta apps do so! they force the CPU to work overtime. Excel is one of these apps. expect to see better battery life when MS releases a universal binary.

I hate to say it..but really...lower the screen brightness. not all the way, even halfway will help.

The new screens are so bright that running at half brightness is still brighter than full brightness on a model from a couple of years ago. If you used one back then and could still see, you should be able to on the new ones.

LED backlights will help with this, but they aren't in the current models. Solids state hard drives should help too.

alternately, get a second battery.

I usually get closer to 4.5 hours on my macbook. So you have a choice, change your usage habits, or buy a second battery.

 

[acoustics940]

Be glad you can use a computer on a battery at all. Think about it you are running a COMPUTER off of a battery that can be recharged and used again you cant expect 10 hours while running 4 applications and internet wirless. Some laptops only last 2 hours and are dead. Maybe you could find a gas powered computer and fill it up and it would never die

 

[ITASOR]

Turn your brightness down and your time will be a lot longer.

 

[CanadaRAM]

I want to get 6 hours of actual use. Is this too much to ask?

Yes

It's easy to get 6 hours out of a battery: just look at the Windows laptops that do it -- of course they all weigh 6.5 - 7.5 pounds as opposed to 5.2 pounds for the MacBook.

5 pound laptops get up to 4 hours of runtime, when new, and with power saving features enabled, including screen dimming - but many of them are $1500 - $2000. In a 5.6 lb, $1450 notebook, the Gateway is listed as "Good Battery Life" at 3:41 The comparable Toshiba barely broke 2 hours. The Dell made 5 hours, but that was with the optional high capacity battery and that bumped the weight to (surprise surprise) 6.8 pounds. (PC Magazine)

If you don't mind the extra weight, just carry an external battery.

 

[oceanmonster]

Turn down the brightness and make sure you are in energy saver mode when the batter is in.

 

[flopticalcube]

real life test: I'm using my 1st generation black MacBook (4 months old), and I'm getting ~2.75 hours of use when I see the red level in the battery indicator. Infact, I'm afraid that I won't be able to finish this new thread. Be that as it may, I running Safari, calculator, Excel and my screen at full brightness. This is pathetic, and I don't think Apple should be single out here but laptop in general. Why can't we get laptop that last longer?

IMHO, they should simplify laptop thus making them energy efficient e.g. standarize voltage on motherboard etc. making it 12 volts. Lets not blame the battery for poor design. Apple is the only company that can do this, because they control the hardware and software. I want to get 6 hours of actual use. Is this too much to ask? And don't tell me I have to dim the screen, because I like to see what I'm doing.

Cinch

My Compaq laptop (c. 2004) used to get 2 hours at best. It was slow, heavy and noisy. My MB C2D gets 4+ hours. Its fast, light and quiet. I think the Apple laptops represent top value for money.

Perhaps you need to recalibrate the battery? Try adjusting some of the power saving settings, they make a big difference.

 

[bearbo]

My Compaq laptop (c. 2004) used to get 2 hours at best. It was slow, heavy and noisy. My MB C2D gets 4+ hours. Its fast, light and quiet. I think the Apple laptops represent top value for money.

Perhaps you need to recalibrate the battery? Try adjusting some of the power saving settings, they make a big difference.

these are great advice, but i doubt the OP cares...

as far as i can see, he just wanted to rant (like a number of ppl on MR) they want to complain about their problem, but they don't want to do anything to correct it. he wants to run many many applications at once, including some utilize Rosetta, wireless internet, as well as at full brightness.

he doesn't want to extend battery life, he wants to troll, for whatever reason.

 

[phungy]

Bring the adapter with you next time.

 

[Cinch]

3:10

I start using my MacBook at 9:20AM and the computer asked me to shutdown at 12:30, so I had time to write the message and the MacBook lasted just over 3 hours.

i have few questions for you and i expect you to answer all of them.

1. what is your profession?
2. do you know who design, and supply the motherboard, the CPU, the harddrive, the optical drive, the display, the wireless components, and the speakers? surely not apple.
3. do you know that all of the above components require a quite a bit of electricity to run
4. can you live without the motherboard, the cpu, the harddrive, the optical drive, the display, the wireless components, or the speaker?

just because the laptop is branded apple, doesn't mean apple makes all the hardware in there... they hardly design anything aside from where those parts are situated and how the outside looks like.

if question number 4 is true, well, you can custom design your own computer (and it will not be apple branded), and buy the battery with the highest capacity, then i'm sure it can last more than 6 hrs.

Yes almighty bearbo, I will head your command and try to answer all your questions

1. I do resarch, and don't use the MacBook for work (software is windows only). Basically, I use my MacBook for personal things.

2. Like Dell, Apple use other manufacture components e.g. Toshiba harddrive. Can you list all manufacture of compenent that goest into my MacBook, please pretty please

3. yes, and they all run at different voltage which is very inefficient!

4. yes, but please don't take my parallel port 100B zip drive away from me

Cinch

 

[jono_3]

if you're unhappy with the battery life list your macbook in the marketplace and im sure somebody will be more than happy to take it off your hands

 

[Cinch]

The ad hominin attack is unjustified

these are great advice, but i doubt the OP cares...

as far as i can see, he just wanted to rant (like a number of ppl on MR) they want to complain about their problem, but they don't want to do anything to correct it. he wants to run many many applications at once, including some utilize Rosetta, wireless internet, as well as at full brightness.

he doesn't want to extend battery life, he wants to troll, for whatever reason.

I was and I am sincere

 

[e12a]

Have you even checked the battery health?

 

[phungy]

Hope this hasn't been said yet but have you tried recalibrating the battery?

 

[Cinch]

Hope this hasn't been said yet but have you tried recalibrating the battery?

No, this hasn't come to mind. I suppose it is worth checking.

I don't mean to sound like I'm ranting here, like some may have suggested. I just think a portable should function like a portable device that is, leaving the power cord at home unless it is on a business trip.

Cinch

 

[whateverandever]

No, this hasn't come to mind. I suppose it is worth checking.

I don't mean to sound like I'm ranting here, like some may have suggested. I just think a portable should function like a portable device that is, leaving the power cord at home unless it is on a business trip.

Cinch

I think you bought the wrong portable, sir.
You purchased a dual-core performance machine, not a long-life machine.

If you were interested in 6+ hours battery life at full brightness you should have bought a computer that runs on a Core Solo ULV chip instead of a normal Core Duo.

It isn't too much to ask for 6 hours of battery life. It is too much to ask for a slim design, good battery life, and the latest performance chip. You've gotta sacrifice one of those.

 

[breakfastcrew]

turn the brightness down go to a brightly lit area. That should brg it back up to 4 hrs easy.

 

[flopticalcube]

No, this hasn't come to mind.

Then you should reread post #9.

 

[bearbo]

I start using my MacBook at 9:20AM and the computer asked me to shutdown at 12:30, so I had time to write the message and the MacBook lasted just over 3 hours.



Yes almighty bearbo, I will head your command and try to answer all your questions

1. I do resarch, and don't use the MacBook for work (software is windows only). Basically, I use my MacBook for personal things.

2. Like Dell, Apple use other manufacture components e.g. Toshiba harddrive. Can you list all manufacture of compenent that goest into my MacBook, please pretty please

3. yes, and they all run at different voltage which is very inefficient!

4. yes, but please don't take my parallel port 100B zip drive away from me

Cinch

1. research.. ha.. some liberal arts majors can call themselves researchers, but i'm sorry, the term researcher is as abused as "artist" and "freelancer" (no offend to real artists and freelancer and researcher, i'm just saying when ppl say they do research, but not give a actual field of profession, you wonder what their field is)

2. i cannot list all the component of your macbook, because i dont have your laptop, but i can list all the manufactures of my mbp.

3. run on different voltage does not indicate inefficiency, actually, if you force everything to run on same voltage, that would be inefficient, esp in complicated systems.

4. -_-

 

[Cybergypsy]

I had a week 19 macbook (first week) always had 4 hours of batt... no matter what

 

[whateverandever]

I had a week 19 macbook (first week) always had 4 hours of batt... no matter what

Even while playing World of Warcraft?

 

[breakfastcrew]

Even while playing World of Warcraft?

no......they didn't advertise 4 hr of battery life under stressful load. Normal usage means half brightness, half volume, safari, itunes, adium and maybe word.

 

[Cinch]

1. research.. ha.. some liberal arts majors can call themselves researchers, but i'm sorry, the term researcher is as abused as "artist" and "freelancer" (no offend to real artists and freelancer and researcher, i'm just saying when ppl say they do research, but not give a actual field of profession, you wonder what their field is)

2. i cannot list all the component of your macbook, because i dont have your laptop, but i can list all the manufactures of my mbp.

3. run on different voltage does not indicate inefficiency, actually, if you force everything to run on same voltage, that would be inefficient, esp in complicated systems.

4. -_-

1. I was courteous to tell you my line of work, which I assume everyone knows that it is either in basic science or engineering (FYI, genetics). However, I can see the confusion. Again I say, I use the MacBook for personnal tasks (budget, iTunes, shopping etc.), which doesn't even include games.

2. You don't have to list all the components in my MacBook, hence the smile face in my previous comment. However, it is good to know that you can name all the components and there makers in your MacBook Pro. Humanity is thus reassure

3. A few weeks back I read that engineers at Google is trying to push a standard where many components in a computer (desktop/laptop/handheld etc.) is on a constant voltage. Stepping up or down voltage is inefficient.

Going back to your earlier post, you indirectly suggest that I should avoid using application e.g. Microsoft Excel which runs in emulation mode i.e. Rossetta which is power intensive(?). Okay, I will stop and refrain from using Microsoft Office apps to conserve battery life, sir. Then the point of owning a MacBook is what? Don't get me wrong, I think Safari and iTunes are important.

A lot of people here have continue to suggest that I need to turn my screen brightness and Wi-Fi off and use it wisely. I also mistakenly said that I used full brightness screen to get 3:10 hours of use yesterday, when infact OSX automatically dims it down which i didn't notice. So, at 60% brightness, I still get only 3:10 hours of use with Wi-Fi on, Safari and Excel running.

Maybe I'm unrealistic with MacBook battery performance. On-the-other-hand, I know that a Dell (HP or Gateway) will not perform any better and they look atrocious. I brought the MacBook for its aesthetics and OSX, in addition, I've been using Apple computer for a long time from the G3 beige box desktop to the G4 TiBook and now a MacBook.

So we are back to where we started. Okay, it is fair to suggest that i rant, but I perfer to think that I was raising a fairly common problem in todays laptop. I must admit that there are people here who are very defensive of Apple i.e. Apple can do no wrong. I own Apple stock when it was at $15 and unload a few share yesterday @ $86, but my blinders are off. I want them to continue to innovate and produce compelling product that will change the technological landscape. But at the end of the day, to me, Apple is still a company however cool or hip they maybe.