So, what kind of battery life are you all getting? The ArsTechnica review was pretty skeptical about it, so I'm looking for more data. Low battery life ulta portable...doesn't seem to add up. Anyways, numbers anyone?
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Macbook Air Battery Life (1.6 HDD)
- Thread starter TatsuTerror
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I just got one at the Apple store in Old Orchard (Skokie IL).
This is my first battery trial. I just unplugged the battery, dimmed screen all the way and I have Safari and Adium open. After a few minutes it has stabilized around 4 hours (ranges from 3:30-4:30 depending on usage). I also turned off the backlit keyboard option (I type without looking anyway).
I think with regular use and some brightness up no more than 3 hours.
Also, when I took it out of the box it said it had 5 charge cycles and battery was 97% health. I hope its a misread or something, but from what I have been hearing around here I am not the only one with that issue.
This is my first battery trial. I just unplugged the battery, dimmed screen all the way and I have Safari and Adium open. After a few minutes it has stabilized around 4 hours (ranges from 3:30-4:30 depending on usage). I also turned off the backlit keyboard option (I type without looking anyway).
I think with regular use and some brightness up no more than 3 hours.
Also, when I took it out of the box it said it had 5 charge cycles and battery was 97% health. I hope its a misread or something, but from what I have been hearing around here I am not the only one with that issue.
My 97% was also in iStat.
Hmm, as I keep looking at that meter it is fluctuating very widely. I will have to do a drain test tomorrow or the next day to get some accuracy. I think 4 hours should be doable with my current settings and 3 hours is realistic for brightness being about half way maybe.
It is kind of disappointing but its not horrible. If it was like 1.5-2 hours I'd be outright pissed.
Hmm, as I keep looking at that meter it is fluctuating very widely. I will have to do a drain test tomorrow or the next day to get some accuracy. I think 4 hours should be doable with my current settings and 3 hours is realistic for brightness being about half way maybe.
It is kind of disappointing but its not horrible. If it was like 1.5-2 hours I'd be outright pissed.
I was on for about 3 or so hours today with BT off, screen 1/3 brightnes, but doing very intensive internet stuff [using GoToMyPC to access my PC for about an hour or so]. Not too bad...and I know that the net used up a lotta battery. I am calibrating the battery now so maybe it will be bettery when I get done with it.
The MacBook will probably average ~4 hours on normal use. I'm surprised that you seem to be surprised with the ~3 hour battery life if you own a SR MBP. The battery life on that should average under 4 hours probably.
For me, the battery life of the MBA is one of the things that's keeping me from buying it. I do travel a lot and one of the main features I want a mobile machine to have is excellent battery life. Before the MBA was released I read the rumors that the new laptop wouldn't have an optical drive and I thought "amazing, this means spectacular battery life" because I thought the form factor would be similar to the current MacBook, perhaps a little smaller.
Imagine taking either a 13" MacBook or a 12" PowerBook, taking out the optical drive and replacing it with extra battery. This would at least double the battery life of the current MacBook from 4 hours to 8 hours of relatively hard use, probably over 10 max. This is the kind of functionality a truly mobile user would really appreciate.
mot that impressive. i have an old cluncker amd turion 1.6x2 2 inches thick and with a pc card on a 9 cell(6 cell is the stock( i can get 3 hours and 17 minutes with the brightness on 2/8 i would think that the worlds thinnest notebook could last a bit longer
My 2 week old Macbook gets 5+ hours of normal usage battery life easy. It suspect that macbook airs with under 4hrs of normal usage battery life may be faulty. No Macbook air in the world should be at 95% health yet. I would exchange it.
Under 4 hours for MBAs definitely seems to be the norm so far. I wouldn't say under 4 hours is faulty.
Ars Technica, which I think do pretty in-depth and honest reviews of technology in general, found the MBA's battery to last about 2 and half hours with normal use...
http://arstechnica.com/reviews/hardware/macbook-air-review.ars/4
Engadget report 2:25 watching a movie and 3:35 with light use...
http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/25/macbook-air-review/
Slashgear say 3.5 hours...
http://www.slashgear.com/macbook-air-review-0110023.php
Good links. 2.25 watching a movie is kind of lame. I guess these numbers are on par with how the Macbook and Macbook pro were looking when they first were introduced. The Macbook pro is still putting out a bit over 3.5 hours though.
I guess I have to wait until the next revision. Massaging the Air while out and about, to squeeze 3hrs of battery life out of it is a huge let down.
Does thinness equal longer battery life? Does a small Maglite get better battery life than a big Maglite?
Hate it
Im now, as i write, using my MBA, it's a june 2008 model, and ive used it hardly in that time (i.e. taking it everywhere, photoshoping pics, heavy internet usage, etc) so it would make about one cycle per day, in the beggining it lasted quite a lot, I once got a reported 6 hours battery life, at 100%, but that was when new, now, it has 257 cycles according to istat and 84% health... WTF? 84%???? a computer rhat is less than a year old??? it NOW has 98% (oh, went down to 97 as i wrote 98... damn), the display is at 1/16 bright, no keyboard light, bt off, nly airport is on, and i have itunes, pages and safari open... reported battery life? 2:34
... im buying a MB or MBP next time...
Im now, as i write, using my MBA, it's a june 2008 model, and ive used it hardly in that time (i.e. taking it everywhere, photoshoping pics, heavy internet usage, etc) so it would make about one cycle per day, in the beggining it lasted quite a lot, I once got a reported 6 hours battery life, at 100%, but that was when new, now, it has 257 cycles according to istat and 84% health... WTF? 84%???? a computer rhat is less than a year old??? it NOW has 98% (oh, went down to 97 as i wrote 98... damn), the display is at 1/16 bright, no keyboard light, bt off, nly airport is on, and i have itunes, pages and safari open... reported battery life? 2:34
... im buying a MB or MBP next time...
Health 98%
Cycles 7
I have conditioned once, and that got the life up from the original 97% to 98%.
My Jan'09 MBA battery lasts 3-4 hours, depending what I am doing.
Dimming the screen and keyboard helps a lot.
Cycles 7
I have conditioned once, and that got the life up from the original 97% to 98%.
My Jan'09 MBA battery lasts 3-4 hours, depending what I am doing.
Dimming the screen and keyboard helps a lot.
wow thats what I got revB 1.6 so its not even 4 hours? All i do is web,AIM n stuff...nothing more really...2.5 hours? thats HORRIBLE...how are some people getting way more?