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From: David Empson on 29 Jul 2010 20:26 dorayme <dorayme(a)optusnet.com.au> wrote: > In article <isw-71A8C8.09535629072010@[216.168.3.50]>, > isw <isw(a)witzend.com> wrote: > > > In article <m2mxtaiplu.fsf(a)revier.com>, Jochem Huhmann <joh(a)gmx.net> > > wrote: > > > > > dorayme <dorayme(a)optusnet.com.au> writes: > > > > > > > I use it a bit with power still attached. But I grab it now and > > > > then to take it elsewhere, almost never draining the battery much > > > > for the short sessions and plonk it back on the desk with power > > > > to it. The green light is on it most of the time. > > > > > > > > To sum up, my machine is tending to be fully charged most of the > > > > time. Is this a good thing for the battery? Is fully draining and > > > > charging back up the most wearing activity for the battery? > > > > > > You should fully drain and recharge the battery about once a month to > > > calibrate it. If you never do this the charging circuitry may over- or > > > undercharge the battery. > > > > I think that information is wretchedly out of date. It may have been > > true for some battery chemistries at some time, but not with > > contemporary lithium-based chemistries or chargers. > > What is a poor visitor to earth like me to believe? Don't say I > have to make my own mind up! I hate doing that. My advise is generally to do a full battery calibration at least once every few months. I wouldn't bother doing it every month unless you never run the computer from battery in normal operation. Create a recurring iCal event with alarm to remind yourself. A full calibration is drain to empty AND leave it empty overnight, then charge fully AND leave it plugged in overnight. See <http://www.apple.com/batteries> with links on the right side to specifics for each class of device. -- David Empson dempson(a)actrix.gen.nz
From: Jochem Huhmann on 29 Jul 2010 20:59 isw <isw(a)witzend.com> writes: >> You should fully drain and recharge the battery about once a month to >> calibrate it. If you never do this the charging circuitry may over- or >> undercharge the battery. > > I think that information is wretchedly out of date. It may have been > true for some battery chemistries at some time, but not with > contemporary lithium-based chemistries or chargers. Exercise Your Machine Lithium-ion polymer batteries need to be used for maximum performance. If you don't use your device often, be sure to complete a charge cycle at least once a month. (This is from http://www.apple.com/batteries/) Jochem -- "A designer knows he has arrived at perfection not when there is no longer anything to add, but when there is no longer anything to take away." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery
From: David Empson on 29 Jul 2010 21:23 dorayme <dorayme(a)optusnet.com.au> wrote: > In article <i2scig$b70$2(a)news.eternal-september.org>, > Phillip Jones <pjones1(a)kimbanet.com> wrote: > > > I am still using the same Battery in my PowerPC Powerbook 17" bought > > about 5-6 years ago and it still shows as 97-99% on the Battery meter. > > 99% of what though? Is it really of the original charge of the > battery when it was new and fully charged? Definitely not. Lithium-ion batteries lose capacity as they are used and due to aging. The charge level indication which appears in the menu bar is the percentage of its current capacity. An almost dead battery can go from 100% to 0% in a few minutes. System Profiler will tell you the maximum charge the battery can currently hold (in mAh), but if you didn't note its value shortly after getting the computer you have to rely on other references to establish how much capacity it has now compared to when it was new. The iStat Pro widget has a "Battery Health" percentage, but I'm not sure where it is getting that information as it is not shown in System Profiler. -- David Empson dempson(a)actrix.gen.nz
From: Phillip Jones on 29 Jul 2010 21:50 dorayme wrote: > In article<i2scig$b70$2(a)news.eternal-september.org>, > Phillip Jones<pjones1(a)kimbanet.com> wrote: > >> I am still using the same Battery in my PowerPC Powerbook 17" bought >> about 5-6 years ago and it still shows as 97-99% on the Battery meter. > > 99% of what though? Is it really of the original charge of the > battery when it was new and fully charged? Does it last as long > as i used to when new? Is it the battery equivalent of The Magic > Pudding? > 99% of the staying power when new. Based on the battery Technology then it last approximately the same amount of time. Maybe 1/2 hour shorter now than then. -- Phillip M. Jones, C.E.T. "If it's Fixed, Don't Break it" http://www.phillipmjones.net mailto:pjones1(a)kimbanet.com
From: dorayme on 29 Jul 2010 22:30
In article <1jmfz99.1ix73ni6lom0wN%dempson(a)actrix.gen.nz>, dempson(a)actrix.gen.nz (David Empson) wrote: > dorayme <dorayme(a)optusnet.com.au> wrote: > > > In article <isw-71A8C8.09535629072010@[216.168.3.50]>, > > isw <isw(a)witzend.com> wrote: > > > > > In article <m2mxtaiplu.fsf(a)revier.com>, Jochem Huhmann <joh(a)gmx.net> > > > wrote: > > > > > > > dorayme <dorayme(a)optusnet.com.au> writes: > > > > > > > > > I use it a bit with power still attached. But I grab it now and > > > > > then to take it elsewhere, almost never draining the battery much > > > > > for the short sessions and plonk it back on the desk with power > > > > > to it. The green light is on it most of the time. > > > > > > > > > > To sum up, my machine is tending to be fully charged most of the > > > > > time. Is this a good thing for the battery? Is fully draining and > > > > > charging back up the most wearing activity for the battery? > > > > > > > > You should fully drain and recharge the battery about once a month to > > > > calibrate it. If you never do this the charging circuitry may over- or > > > > undercharge the battery. > > > > > > I think that information is wretchedly out of date. It may have been > > > true for some battery chemistries at some time, but not with > > > contemporary lithium-based chemistries or chargers. > > > > What is a poor visitor to earth like me to believe? Don't say I > > have to make my own mind up! I hate doing that. > > My advise is generally to do a full battery calibration at least once > every few months. I wouldn't bother doing it every month unless you > never run the computer from battery in normal operation. Create a > recurring iCal event with alarm to remind yourself. > > A full calibration is drain to empty AND leave it empty overnight, then > charge fully AND leave it plugged in overnight. > > See <http://www.apple.com/batteries> with links on the right side to > specifics for each class of device. Thanks for this. I am draining right now. Is it good bad or neutral or marginal in respect to battery life, to be leaving the laptop on for days on end (sleep) with power attached and it be green (fully charged) even though I might only use it a few minutes in that period (it is unpredictable). -- dorayme |