Leaving Apple

[neiltc13]

Well I won't pretend to know your exact habits, but running the MBP off mains (plugged in) all the time is a sure way to destroy your battery well before its time. This goes for *any* laptop/notebook.

Unsuspecting users think they are doing themselves a favour by having it plugged in all the time, but the reality is just the opposite. If you know that you are going to be plugged in for a long period of time (i.e., all day), then remove your battery and give it a rest. This will maintain the health of your laptop battery and save you money.

Again, I'm not sure what your exact habits are, but I get the sneaking suspicion that you killed your own batter(ies) through poor battery maintenance.

I'm saying this because it's also happened to me and I had to learn the hard way.

I would do this but Apple decided it was a good idea to seal the battery inside and not let me remove it. Do you think this was the right move?

 

[OllyW]

If you know that you are going to be plugged in for a long period of time (i.e., all day), then remove your battery and give it a rest. This will maintain the health of your laptop battery and save you money

Are you familiar with Apple's range of laptops?

 

[GoCubsGo]

A little update: the MBP is now saying "service battery" - and what are Apple and AppleCare doing?

Nada.

Well did you call them and tell them? It's not like a message is sent out to them when this happens.

 

[*LTD*]

I would do this but Apple decided it was a good idea to seal the battery inside and not let me remove it. Do you think this was the right move?

It doesn't make any difference. There is nothing wrong with Apple's design. Whether we're talking about my early '08 MBP or any of the newer models. Running an MBP plugged in all the time is asking for problems.

It says so right on Apple's site.

FYI:

http://www.apple.com/batteries/notebooks.html


Standard Maintenance

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 notebook 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. Need a reminder? Add an event to your desktop’s iCal. When your battery no longer holds sufficient charge to meet your needs, you may choose to replace it. If your notebook came with a built-in battery, you should have the battery replaced only by an Apple Authorized Service Provider.

 

[MacHiavelli]

Well I won't pretend to know your exact habits, but running the MBP off mains (plugged in) all the time is a sure way to destroy your battery well before its time. This goes for *any* laptop/notebook.

Unsuspecting users think they are doing themselves a favour by having it plugged in all the time, but the reality is just the opposite. If you know that you are going to be plugged in for a long period of time (i.e., all day), then remove your battery and give it a rest. This will maintain the health of your laptop battery and save you money.

Again, I'm not sure what your exact habits are, but I get the sneaking suspicion that you killed your own batter(ies) through poor battery maintenance.

I'm saying this because it's also happened to me and I had to learn the hard way.

I've been following Apple's advice:

Standard Maintenance

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 notebook on the train, then plugs it in at the office to charge. This keeps the battery juices flowing.

http://www.apple.com/batteries/notebooks.html

I charge it at the office and then use it unplugged each evening at home - until the battery runs out and I have to put it on charge again.

You can't remove the battery from a recent MBP, but for my 2008 model you can . . . but doing that, and running it from the AC cable only, also has problems as the processor speed drops by design - which impacts on performance and makes the MBP inefficient/insufficient for my needs.

If the battery is removed from a MacBook or MacBook Pro, the computer will automatically reduce the processor speed. This prevents the computer from shutting down if it demands more power than the A/C adaptor alone can provide.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2332

TBH, Apple sold the MBP and the 30" ACD to me as a desktop replacement and, unfortunately, experience has shown that the MBP battery just isn't up to the job for any one who uses their notebook all day, every day.

The battery (battery management) just doesn't have the build quality to do the job that Apple claims it can do.

Apple warrants batteries for 1 year:

What is the warranty for my MacBook Pro battery?
Apple warrants your battery against manufacturing defects for one year from the date of purchase.

http://www.apple.com/support/macbookpro/service/battery/

If the new battery fails again in that time, Apple will have to replace it again.

 

[PuckDaddy]

I would check your power sources for issues.
It sounds like you've had too many problems.

4 batteries
1 power supply
MBP logic board
1 Time Capsule

something's not right. I would invest in a good Power Conditioner / Surge Protector to plug your equipment in.

 

[PuckDaddy]

remember, for refreshing the battery, discharge the battery fully (hopefully this happens at the end of the day) allow 10-12 hours of power off.
in the morning, reconnect your charger.

 

[MacHiavelli]

I would check your power sources for issues.
It sounds like you've had too many problems.

4 batteries
1 power supply
MBP logic board
1 Time Capsule

something's not right. I would invest in a good Power Conditioner / Surge Protector to plug your equipment in.

The MBP logic board was a known issue, as was the TC. I was not alone with those problems. Both would have been covered by Apple (or Apple's suppliers) even if I didn't have AppleCare warranties.

Good ideas for things to check. We run Belkin power protectors on all the equipment and the power supply/cabling/wall sockets, etc are checked every 2 years by electricians. They've never found a problem.

remember, for refreshing the battery, discharge the battery fully (hopefully this happens at the end of the day) allow 10-12 hours of power off.
in the morning, reconnect your charger.

I do leave it discharged when possible.

If I get home by 8, a GOOD battery is dead by 11 and I have to plug in again to finish my work.

Normally finish around midnight and start around 6 in the morning, so the MBP doesn't get many hours to rest.

When I bought the MBP I was told heavy usage like mine wouldn't be a problem. That appears not to have been correct.

 

[gnasher729]

I've been following Apple's advice:

I charge it at the office and then use it unplugged each evening at home - until the battery runs out and I have to put it on charge again.

I think you have been badly misreading what Apple is saying, and what you are doing is actually a sure way to destroy your batteries rather quickly. Every time the battery is completely discharged and charged again is one charge cycle. The batteries on the older MacBooks were good for maybe 300-400 charge cycles. So the way you are using the MacBook means every 300-400 days you will need a new battery.

What Apple is saying is that from time to time, maybe once a month, you should run the MacBook on battery because being permanently plugged over long periods in is not good for it. And of course if you use the MacBook on the road, you can't plug it in. But when you use it near power, you should use it with a charger, except _occasionally_. New MacBooks have better batteries that will survive this longer, but they will still die a lot quicker than necessary.

Unsuspecting users think they are doing themselves a favour by having it plugged in all the time, but the reality is just the opposite. If you know that you are going to be plugged in for a long period of time (i.e., all day), then remove your battery and give it a rest. This will maintain the health of your laptop battery and save you money.

Excuse me, but that is quite bad advice. You should _not_ use a MacBook with the battery removed (the old ones that let you remove the battery). All you have to do is unplug it and use it unplugged _once a month_. One effect of removing the battery is that your MacBook will run at much reduced clock speed because there is no battery to supply a bit of extra power if it is needed, and it won't help the battery life.

To the OP: A MacBook with a totally worn out battery that only holds its charge for two minutes still works absolutely fine as a desktop machine. Obviously you can't use it on the road in that state, and it would be better to shut it down instead of putting it to sleep when you transport it, but it sounded like you never used it much on the road.

 

[MacHiavelli]

I think you have been badly misreading what Apple is saying, and what you are doing is actually a sure way to destroy your batteries rather quickly. Every time the battery is completely discharged and charged again is one charge cycle. The batteries on the older MacBooks were good for maybe 300-400 charge cycles. So the way you are using the MacBook means every 300-400 days you will need a new battery.

What Apple is saying is that from time to time, maybe once a month, you should run the MacBook on battery because being permanently plugged over long periods in is not good for it. And of course if you use the MacBook on the road, you can't plug it in. But when you use it near power, you should use it with a charger, except _occasionally_. New MacBooks have better batteries that will survive this longer, but they will still die a lot quicker than necessary.

Thanks for that, Gnasher729.

That's what I did with the first battery which failed about about 9 months.

I had it on charge most of the time and discharged it every 2/3 weeks.

Only had about 15 cycles, but got to a point where it would only last about 45 mins.

I was told to power it during the day on the mains and to run it off the battery in the evening by the Apple Store Geniuses.

That upped the cycle count on the subsequent batteries, but they all had the same failure pattern: working okay (2 to 3 hours at a time) for months and then suddenly dropping performance off in just a few days to an hour or less.

The batteries have been manufactured by different suppliers, but they have all followed the same pattern.

Maybe the particular MBP unit I have just has an underlying problem.

 

[MacBH928]

noooo
you are making a huge mistake.
Whatever problems I faced with Apple I faced worse with Windows.

I honestly would buy windows machine for games or if I am being cheap(some windows laptops are for a really cheap price! I remember laptops used to be $3000 machines not TOO long ago)

For everything else, I find Apple wins!
This kind of thing usually happen when you get a bad device and you think the whole company sucks, especially if it is your first experience with the company

 

[imahawki]

I didn't read the whole thread but I'm curious... the OP had multiple issues with one machine but what was the track record for the other over $80k worth of machines he claims his business runs? Were they all duds?

Just got an approach from a company offering a discount of 22 percent on orders over GBP 50,000 (about 80,000 Can dollars). Nice to know someone wants our business and is proactive in trying to get it.

 

[Apple OC]

When I bought the MBP and a 30 inch monitor 3 years ago, it had a problem connecting. I called Apple but they couldn't help. They promised to find a solution and call back within 24 hours. 3 years later, they still haven't called.

That must be a record ... waiting by the phone for 3 years.