alyssax96

Q: I just got my first macbook air, and I have some questions?

I am trying to understand the battery cycles and the best way to charge and whatnot. I keep finding information that is different everywhere and I am not sure what the best way is.

-When using my macbook, should I leave it plugged in even at 100%? Or should I unplug it sometimes and leave it plugged in sometimes?

-Should I let the charge run all the way down or is there a good percentage to plug it in at?

-Should I shut it off or leave it in sleep mode when I am not using it for a few hours or overnight?

Also any general user tips to get used to my macbook and learn the tricks would be helpful! I did read the manual it came with by the way. I just want to take the best possible care of it because it was definitely an investment.

Posted on Jun 22, 2014 11:38 AM

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Q: I just got my first macbook air, and I have some questions?

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  • by FoxFifth,

    FoxFifth FoxFifth Jun 22, 2014 11:44 AM in response to alyssax96
    Level 7 (25,724 points)
    iPhone
    Jun 22, 2014 11:44 AM in response to alyssax96

    There is some good information at http://www.apple.com/batteries/notebooks.html

    The following quote is from there.

    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.
  • by FoxFifth,

    FoxFifth FoxFifth Jun 22, 2014 11:48 AM in response to alyssax96
    Level 7 (25,724 points)
    iPhone
    Jun 22, 2014 11:48 AM in response to alyssax96

    The following from the user tips section also has some good info about MacBook Air batteries: Considerations for the long life of your Macbook Air. Handling and environmental care tips

  • by OGELTHORPE,

    OGELTHORPE OGELTHORPE Jun 22, 2014 11:51 AM in response to alyssax96
    Level 9 (52,064 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jun 22, 2014 11:51 AM in response to alyssax96

    Here are a list of authoritative Apple support articles on batteries and their usage:

     

    https://www.apple.com/support/macbookpro/batteries_power/

     

    Ciao.

  • by John Galt,

    John Galt John Galt Jun 22, 2014 12:17 PM in response to alyssax96
    Level 8 (48,515 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jun 22, 2014 12:17 PM in response to alyssax96

    It really is best not to obsess about your Mac to this degree. Macs are designed to be used when you need them, and ignored when you don't.

     

    Apple doesn't sell products that need constant pampering.

     

    Batteries are wear items that will eventually require replacement. Budget 50¢ a week for battery depreciation and you will have more than enough saved to replace it when necessary.

  • by dwb,

    dwb dwb Jun 22, 2014 12:37 PM in response to alyssax96
    Level 7 (24,053 points)
    Notebooks
    Jun 22, 2014 12:37 PM in response to alyssax96

    You are obsessing over nothing. There are three rules to good battery life:

    1. when you get the warning that your computer is on reserve power it is time to plug it in. Don't run the battery dry
    2. don't keep it plugged in 24/7/365. At least once or twice unplug it and use it on battery power. I set up a monthly reminder just in case
    3. if you aren't going to use the computer for an extended period, make sure the battery is about 50% charged, turn it off, and unplug it.

     

    Following these rules I have a 2009 MBP that has just under 400 cycles and its battery life health is at 84% - Getting 5 years out of a battery is pretty darn impressive.

  • by PlotinusVeritas,

    PlotinusVeritas PlotinusVeritas Jun 22, 2014 1:02 PM in response to alyssax96
    Level 6 (14,806 points)
    Jun 22, 2014 1:02 PM in response to alyssax96

    Proper understanding of a battery charge cycle

    battery.jpg

    A charge cycle means using all of the battery’s power, whether that is at once, or over several shorter battery discharges and recharges.

     

    Two examples for clarification:

    As a first example, where one fully charged battery is discharged down to 10%, then fully recharged, then using 10% of that full charge, this counts as 1 cycle since the total of both discharges is 100% of a full charge of use.

     

    In the second example, where one fully charged battery is discharged down to 40%, then fully recharged, then using 40% of that full charge, this also counts as 1 cycle since the total of both discharges is 100% of a full charge of use.

     

    While both examples are that of a single charge cycle, the first example is more aggressive against the lithium battery chemistry than is the second example. In short, collective overall gentle shallow or mid-range draining of your lithium battery is a better use condition than is the first example of deep-draining of the battery.  While both are quantitatively identical as a single charging cycle, they are wholly different qualitatively on the battery chemistry, which is directly related to its ultimate longevity and health.

     

    In short, it is the near and mid-term life of the battery as relates to its proper care (or lack thereof) that is to be looked after.

     

    Priorities in order of decreasing importance for battery care are:

    1. Avoiding deep discharges of the battery.

    2. Avoiding having your battery constantly on charge or on charge and in sleep mode.

    3. When playing graphics intense games, use your notebook plugged in when possible.

    4. Reduction of battery cycles by plugging into power when on the go, or when accessible.

     

    A person who has, for example, 300 charge cycles on their battery and is recharging at say 40% remaining of a 100% charge has a better battery condition state than, say, another person who has 300 charge cycles on their battery and is recharging at say 10-15% remaining on a 100% charge. DoD (depth of discharge) is vitally important on the wear and tear on your Macbook’s battery, much more so than is the counting of charge cycles. There is no set “mile” or wear from a charge cycle in specific. Frequent high depth of discharge rates (draining the battery very low) on a Lithium battery will greatly hasten the lowering of maximum battery capacity.

     

    Understand that a charge cycle is a general parameter of use, but is not directly related to the short-term or mid-term abuse of the battery, which can rapidly hasten a shorter lifespan, regardless of what the actual cycle count on the battery indicates.


    Proper considerations for near-term care of the battery is of utmost importance. Abuse of the battery is entirely avoidable, long-term eventual old age deterioration of the battery is entirely unavoidable.


    Apple’s adaptive charging system mitigates much potential for accidental battery misuse or abuse; however it is still readily possible to abuse the battery and thereby affect battery health.

     

    General consideration of your MacBook battery

    batts.jpg

    Contrary to popular myths about notebook batteries, there is protection circuitry in your Macbook and therefore you cannot ‘overcharge’ your notebook when plugged in and already fully charged.


    However if you do not plan on using your notebook for several hours, turn it off (plugged in or otherwise), since you do not want your Macbook ‘both always plugged in and in sleep mode’.

     

    Do not perform “battery calibration” on your current Macbook. There is no calibration of current Apple portable Macbooks with built-in batteries.


    A lot of battery experts call the use of Lithium-Ion cells the "80% Rule", meaning use 80% of the full charge or so, then recharge them for longer overall life. The main quantified damage done in the use of Lithium Ion batteries are instances where the internal notebook battery is “often drained very low”, this is bad general use of your notebook battery.


    All batteries in any device are a consumable meant to be replaced eventually after much time, even under perfect use conditions.

     

    If the massive amount of data that exists on lithium batteries were to be condensed into a simplex, helpful, and memorable bit of information it would be:

     

    1. While realistically a bit impractical during normal everyday use, a lithium battery's longevity and its chemistry's health is most happy swinging back and forth between 20% and 85% charge roughly.

     

    2. Do not purposefully drain your battery very low (10% and less), and do not keep them charged often or always high (100%).

     

    3. Lithium batteries do not like the following:

    A: Deep discharges, as meaning roughly 10% or less. Avoid this in all instances if you can. This is hard on your battery.

    B: Rapid discharges as referring to energy intensive gaming on battery on a frequent basis (in which case while gaming, if possible, do same on power rather than battery).

    C: Constant inflation, as meaning always or most often on charge, and certainly not both in sleep mode and on charge always or often.

     

    From Apple on batteries:

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

    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1446

    "Apple does not recommend leaving your portable plugged in all the time."

     

     

    Careful with your charger and its cable

    Do not make any hard bends or folds in your charging cable, or wind it tightly, always make either circles or loose loops when winding your cord up for storage. Also do not, as many people have seen, unroll your charger block from the magsafe end by letting the charger drop and unroll itself like a yo-yo, this is both hard on the charger and its connection points at both ends.

    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1630