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Do you continuously plug your MBP?

Do you continuously plug your MB/MBP (operating or sleeping)?

  • Total voters
    128
Y

yudilks

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 30, 2006
227
15
Will it degrade the battery? Since it's fully charged and enclosed in a relatively high temperature?
 
http://www.apple.com/batteries/notebooks.html

For proper maintenance of a lithium-based battery, it’s important to keep the electrons in it moving occasionally. Apple does not recommend leaving your portable plugged in all the time. An ideal use would be a commuter who uses her MacBook Pro on the train, then plugs it in at the office to charge. This keeps the battery juices flowing. If on the other hand, you use a desktop computer at work, and save a notebook for infrequent travel, Apple recommends charging and discharging its battery at least once per month.
Click to expand...

So that would be a no for me, I take my MBP with me use it through the day occasionally without a plug and then when I get home I charge it up.
 
Remember to calibrate your battery. Otherwise, it won't hurt your battery too much in the long run. If your computer goes for long periods without being unplugged, why not remove it? Also, get a good stand so that your notebook has good heat flow.
 
That's a no for me also... I only plug mine in when the battery is almost completely used up after working with it. I've found the battery lasts longer and does not build up a memory of not using it fully.
 
I leave it plugged in at home and over night but I don't bring the adapter with me to class. I do bring the adapter when I have two 3 hour lecture classes though.
 
I plug in at my normal desk,

but I spend time in various labs and meetings throughout the day,and usually let it discharge a bit at these times. I didn't think Li-Ion was supposed to be prone to "memory effects". Good practice to discharge at least 50% once a week though.

JF
 
CalBoy said:
Remember to calibrate your battery. Otherwise, it won't hurt your battery too much in the long run. If your computer goes for long periods without being unplugged, why not remove it? Also, get a good stand so that your notebook has good heat flow.
Click to expand...

The computer doesn't operate as fast without the battery being plugged in - remember the A.C. adapter is a charger, not a PSU. It isn't designed to run the computer at full speed, it is designed to charge the battery.
 
Apple says...

Having been a "consumer of most types of Rechargeable batteries" since the beginning... Lithium Ion batts are so much better than others!! I do believe they like to be "Used" by Cycling thru some times, but U don't have to do this every time... a few times a month maybe?? I cannot say for sure but mine seem to last longer between charges if I do this....

Apple says this: http://www.apple.com/ca/batteries/

Hope it Enlightens All!! ;)
 
Kilamite said:
The computer doesn't operate as fast without the battery being plugged in - remember the A.C. adapter is a charger, not a PSU. It isn't designed to run the computer at full speed, it is designed to charge the battery.
Click to expand...

Still, running your notebook without the battery is possible. There are many who do it. Personally, I don't because I never know when I want to pick up and go. Plus, there's the advantage of being safe in a power outage.
 
I will soon purchase a new MBP that I will probably leave plugged all day long and mostly use as a desktop replacement, with an external screen attached to it.

I will remove the battery but I don't want the battery bay to be empty. Is it possible to replace the battery with a dummy in its place?
 
It's good idea to remove the battery when plugged in, but the thing is with a magsafe thingy, I'm afraid it'll just shut down when someone accidentally snapped the cable.. :p
 
nope, I take it with me to classes and lectures. plug it in to charge when theres about 10-20% battery life left.
 
Just left it plug'd in. Four Mac/Powerbooks later; all kept solid battery life.
 
Don't take the battery out if you are going to run it while plugged in.

A) You run a HIGH risk of knocking the magsafe out and loosing all power

B) Your processor will underclock to 1.0 GHz instead of the 2.16/2.2/2.4/etc. so you loose almost all computing power
 
Mine is constantly plugged in when I'm at home, but it goes to class with me every week day so I'd say it definitely is getting it's work out.
 
Seriously, when I continously plugged my Macbook Pro and used it for a month, when I checked Battery Monitor afterwards, the health was still at 100%.

But when I started getting worried about this calibration crap, I began intentionally draining my battery even though I was next to an outlet and only charged it when it was low on battery.

I checked the Battery Monitor again, and the health went down more in 3 days than it did in 1 month.

My advice is to leave it plugged in whenever possible, even if it is at 100%, that's what I'm doing anyways
 
I plug it in when I'm at home but it gets used when I'm in class or I'm out so I guess it gets quite a healthy workout. My last battery was faulty (I think). The battery health was like 60% after only 100 cycles. But Apple came through, they replaced it for me. So now I don't really know what to do about it.
 
creator2456 said:
Don't take the battery out if you are going to run it while plugged in.

B) Your processor will underclock to 1.0 GHz instead of the 2.16/2.2/2.4/etc. so you loose almost all computing power
Click to expand...

Co-sign on this, when you remove the battery the laptop underclocks itself to about 50%, so it's not ideal at all to run the laptop without a battery installed.
 
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