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How does one power an external monitor using the battery of the MacBook Pro?
MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 10.15
If this is the monitor scroll down to the specs/power.
I too have not seen a monitor that does not require external power.
This is what I fear, dialabrain. If all monitors require AC, then there seems to be a design flaw in what Apple sold me, namely a MacBook Pro with LG4000 monitor. My work requires me to have the monitor on all the time, and this is continual powering degrades the MacBook battery.
Apple is right now replacing the battery at its cost, but it means I don’t have the computer for 1 to 3 days.
This is also environmentally irresponsible of Apple. How many hundreds of millions of Apple lithium batteries are being prematurely degraded because Apple hasn’t built in a way to power its MacBooks with monitors in an optimal manner?
Thank you, BobTheFisherman, this is a worry for the environment, since my work requires me to have the monitor as well as the MacBook much of the time, and this constant powering degrades the MB battery prematurely.
Not sure what your concern is. Leaving the computer plugged in reduces the rate of accumulation of battery cycles. Find a different line of business if your current job requires you to use power and you are not happy with that. What else can we say? Some activities require the use of power.
I accept that my work requires power, BobTheFisherman. I see I will have to get a different computer system. This is not my main concern.
My concern is that Apple should not have sold me —and perhaps millions of others — a MB with monitor that it knew or should have known would prematurely degrade millions (?) of lithium batteries.
Archeowater wrote:
I accept that my work requires power, BobTheFisherman. I see I will have to get a different computer system. This is not my main concern.
My concern is that Apple should not have sold me —and perhaps millions of others — a MB with monitor that it knew or should have known would prematurely degrade millions (?) of lithium batteries.
I'm sorry but I may not be understanding your setup or concern. I apologize for that.
Regardless of system you decide to get if you are using an external monitor it will need external power. Using an ac powered monitor has no impact on the computer's battery. Leaving the computer also plugged in will reduce the rate of accumulation of battery cycles so you are not depleting the battery as often.
Once again sorry if I'm not understanding the situation.
I'm posting this from a Windows laptop but with an external monitor there is no impact on my battery just as there is no impact on your Mac battery.
Monitors require AC
What monitor do you have in mind, exactly? Most won't work that way, they draw far too much power to be powered over USB.
Never heard of a monitor that can be powered through a laptop's battery. You need to plug it into a power outlet.
Thank you, Luis. I have an LG4000, bought from Apple.
Powering the external monitor
