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Batteries in old MacBooks

I

InfiniteLoopy

Cancelled
Original poster
Dec 14, 2010
366
5
I have two questions on the batteries in old (2008-09) Macbooks:

- When the battery says "service now", is this necessary if the MacBook is only used when plugged in, or if the battery life is sufficient? Is there a danger in using it in this state?
- It seems that Macbooks can run without batteries. Are there any risks in doing so, beyond the CPU running slower?

I ask as these MacBooks run fine with the existing batteries and the only ones available are thrid-party batteries from unreliable sources.
 
InfiniteLoopy said:
I have two questions on the batteries in old (2008-09) Macbooks:

- When the battery says "service now", is this necessary if the MacBook is only used when plugged in, or if the battery life is sufficient? Is there a danger in using it in this state?
- It seems that Macbooks can run without batteries. Are there any risks in doing so, beyond the CPU running slower?

I ask as these MacBooks run fine with the existing batteries and the only ones available are thrid-party batteries from unreliable sources.
Click to expand...
From my experience with a third-party battery on a 2008 MacBook Pro, I recommend you don't buy them (as you already seem to have decided).

The CPU will run slower without the battery (as you mentioned), so keep them installed.

There is no danger; however, if the battery starts to swell, that's a sign that you need to (safely) discard it.
 
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Reopening an old thread:

As I’m not that bothered by the CPU speed, and as I don’t always want to think about the battery’ state, is there any risk running in running the MacBook without the battery?
 
I would think it would be safer running it with no battery at all rather than with a failing battery. I removed a swollen battery from a 2009 white MacBook and used it for a couple of years with just the AC adapter with no problems. The only thing to watch out for is if you remove the battery it throws the balance off. The laptop is prone to tipping as there is nothing to counter the weight of the screen when it’s open.
 
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Longkeg said:
I would think it would be safer running it with no battery at all rather than with a failing battery. I removed a swollen battery from a 2009 white MacBook and used it for a couple of years with just the AC adapter with no problems. The only thing to watch out for is if you remove the battery it throws the balance off. The laptop is prone to tipping as there is nothing to counter the weight of the screen when it’s open.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your reply.
 
InfiniteLoopy said:
I have two questions on the batteries in old (2008-09) Macbooks:

- When the battery says "service now", is this necessary if the MacBook is only used when plugged in, or if the battery life is sufficient? Is there a danger in using it in this state?
- It seems that Macbooks can run without batteries. Are there any risks in doing so, beyond the CPU running slower?

I ask as these MacBooks run fine with the existing batteries and the only ones available are thrid-party batteries from unreliable sources.
Click to expand...
fwiw, I scoured eBay for original MacBook batteries, found one that looked legit for about $40, put it in, and it is a night and day difference. This was for a 2010 unibody MacBook. I have it plugged in all the time, I just unplug it bi-weekly to run the battery down, and then plug it back in. I now get 5+ hours again on a charge.
 
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