MacBook Pro Life Span?

Question

Level 2

233 points

MacBook Pro Life Span?

The very new MacBook Pro has a built in battery that is to last 1000 charges at an 8 hour usage per charge.

If one is used and recharged everyday, that mean the computer is useless after about 125 days. With no way to replace the battery, there goes your computer.

One wonders about the AppleCare program or the so called warranty period.

G5, G4, G4 PB 15/17", G3 PB, Classic II, PB Pro 15/17", Mac OS X (10.5.6)

Posted on Jan 7, 2009 11:31 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Jan 7, 2009 11:52 AM in response to Bud Willner

Bud Willner wrote:
The very new MacBook Pro has a built in battery that is to last 1000 charges at an 8 hour usage per charge.

If one is used and recharged everyday, that mean the computer is useless after about 125 days. With no way to replace the battery, there goes your computer.

One wonders about the AppleCare program or the so called warranty period.

No offense intended, but "one wonders about" your math skills, too...

I'll admit that 1000/8 = 125, but what does that have to do with the price of rain in Spain? (Yes, that was a completely intentional non sequitur.)

1000 charges at 8 hours per charge = 8000 hours. Last time I checked, 125 days = 3000 hours.

Not to mention that if one were to put one charge cycle on the computer per day (8 hours of battery use) that would be 1000 days, or 2.75 years. Two charge cycles per day would still be almost 1.5 years. Given that the MBP must be put on AC power to recharge the battery, one really couldn't put more than two cycles/day on the MBP. Who would use their computer for 16 hours per day, every day, for a year and a half? If so, would that individual be sane? Perhaps the computer should then be sent to Apple for a battery replacement, giving that individual a few days of inactivity to check into an asylum...

Also, they did mention a battery replacement program, if you were paying attention. There's one for iPods and iPhones, neither of which has a user-replaceable battery.

Reply

Answer 2

Jan 7, 2009 12:56 PM in response to neuroanatomist

IT all depends on what the meaning of "is" is. What is a charge? And who is in charge?

If I keep my laptop plugged in all the time, except for one 24-hour period per month to recalibrate the battery, does that mean that I would have 1000 months of use out of the battery? That gives me 83 years of battery life, by which time the rest of the laptop will have become hopelessly outdated...

Reply

Answer 3

Bud Willner Author

Level 2

233 points

Jan 7, 2009 1:08 PM in response to neuroanatomist

If you were in Spain, you might get wet! Your skills wont keep you dry.

Have you ever tried to replace a permanently battery in a laptop? I believe the last one I saw soldered in was the desktop Lisa.

I don't own one but I would be surprised if iPods and iPhones have permanently install batteries. As for laptops, the recalls and replacements is extremely limited as is the power adapter.

As for using ones computer for more than 8 hours a day, one needs to be working in the scientific community. It's is a work and home computer.

Reply

Answer 4

JoeyR

Level 6

8,305 points

Jan 7, 2009 1:12 PM in response to Kenneth Gorelick

Unfortunately, Lithium Ion/Polymer batteries degrade due to two issues... one of which is the number of cycles... the other is age. They typically start to degrade after about three years regardless of the number of cycles. It is generally a slow degradation after that point, but I wouldn't expect useful performance beyond a few years after that. 83 years would probably be pushing it a bit. 🙂

Reply

Answer 5

demolasko

Level 2

390 points

Jan 7, 2009 1:24 PM in response to Bud Willner

im still lost here // why the complaint? the battery is replaceable by apple warranty// and what other notebook do you know that last 5 hours (other than a MBP) let alone 8? you should be happy about this extended life battery.

Reply

Answer 6

JoeyR

Level 6

8,305 points

Jan 7, 2009 1:38 PM in response to demolasko

I think the bigger issue that people "might" have is not being able to swap out the battery in real time. They may be away from an outlet for a while and carrying an extra battery to swap isn't an option. Generally though, I would say that people using a 17" notebook don't lug it around with them everywhere so chances are they'll never be away from an outlet often enough for it to be an issue.

Reply

Answer 7

eww

Level 9

53,052 points

Jan 7, 2009 1:46 PM in response to Bud Willner

Come on, Bud, get a grip!

No one who drains and recharges his or her computer battery twice a day is in a situation where he or she has to drain the battery twice a day. To be in that situation, you'd have to be away from AC power, and you'd have no way to recharge. If you're able to recharge at will, then you're able to run on AC power a lot of the time.

And even if you were determined to run your battery down as fast as possible and recharge it as fast as possible as many times a week as possible, I doubt that you could fit in two complete cycles a day. It takes several hours to recharge the 5-hour battery in my 15" unibody MBP after a full discharge; how many do you think it would take to recharge an 8-hour battery?

As others have pointed out, the batteries in iPods, iPhones and the new MBP are all replaceable — just not by the user. Your experience with the Lisa is not pertinent at all.

Reply

Answer 8

Bud Willner Author

Level 2

233 points

Jan 7, 2009 2:17 PM in response to eww

At least I got your interest up. Being a rocket guy doesn't me the right to my view, I guess.

The 17" is a power consumer. I'm lucky to 3 hours. I really don't think the new one is going to be much better. Stats will show in less than a year.

I could not/would not purchase a product that had to be submitted to a authorized repair shop to replace a battery. I live 60 mile from such a shop so the cost of replacement is prohibitive. I sure hope you other are closer.

The point on the Lisa battery replacement and longevity/life span of the product. In a few years, second user citizens will not want to deal with a product that they can't repair.

Reply

Answer 9

Bud Willner Author

Level 2

233 points

Jan 7, 2009 3:24 PM in response to Bud Willner

Board is to insulting to continue.

Reply

Answer 10

Jan 7, 2009 6:45 PM in response to Bud Willner

Bud Willner wrote:
If you were in Spain, you might get wet! Your skills wont keep you dry.

Have you ever tried to replace a permanently battery in a laptop? I believe the last one I saw soldered in was the desktop Lisa.

I don't own one but I would be surprised if iPods and iPhones have permanently install batteries. As for laptops, the recalls and replacements is extremely limited as is the power adapter.

As for using ones computer for more than 8 hours a day, one needs to be working in the scientific community. It's is a work and home computer.

My skills? I am working in the scientific community, thank you very much. Personally, I may do 16 hours of computer time in a day, occasionally. But it's tough to do the kind of science that I do without electrical power handy - and with said electrical power, I can connect my laptop to an AC power source and not drain the battery. As it so happens, I have electricity in my home as well. Fancy that.

I would hazard a guess that you are not in the scientific community, or if you are, it's a branch of said community far removed from mathematics, a point of mine above which you seemed to conveniently ignore.

As aptly stated, iPods, iPhones, and the 17" unibody MBP have replaceable batteries, just not replaceable by the user.

Bud Willner wrote:
Board is to insulting to continue.

Sorry if you feel insulted - I will remind you that you set the tone for the thread. Personally, I will not continue in this thread.

Reply

Answer 11

nowa007

Level 1

0 points

Jan 11, 2009 6:04 AM in response to neuroanatomist

I second that. I work in the science field 2 and believe me there are periods where you would have to up to 16 hours of continous work on your laptop but obviously plugged in.

But just to make sure, if you plug in your laptop wich is my case cuz I have a 17" that doesnt kill the battery other then when it starts degrading by itself.
What would be the life span of a MBP 17" battery in that case

Reply

Answer 12

Bud Willner Author

Level 2

233 points

Jan 11, 2009 7:32 AM in response to nowa007

Insults not withstanding, and I do apologize for my part, conventional wisdom may be old fashioned but please consider following WAG:

New Laptop MBP

Cost: $2799 (starting price) 17"
Battery life: 1000 charges after 8 hours each charge (2.7397 years, worst case if the wife uses battery vise power cord)
Cost of new battery: $100+ (more if cost of life goes up)
Labor costs: $75+ (more if cost of life goes up) per replacement
Shipping, handling, & insurance: $35+ (more if cost of life goes up)
Loss of computer time: 30 days
Time spent backing up, wiping clean (securing) HD, and restoring HD: 8 hours

Present laptop MBP

Cost: $2000/17 "
Present battery life per charge: 5 hours (3 year life so far)
Cost of new Battery: $99 or less
S&H: $25 or less
Time loss: 0
Backing up at normal sequence,

Even though I would like one of the new MBP 17", costs and time loss is to relevant.

Admittedly, being retired after a long life in the missile/computer world does not make me smart but I do like to watch my dollars. My future dollars are going to be a lot less valuable than yours.

Hope you or anyone else is not offended by my approach.

Reply