MacBook Pro Retina Battery

Yeah, I regret not just getting an iMac and a cheap Windows portable - would've been cheaper and faster all together, and I wouldn't have a practically useless 14 month old MBP 15" now...

Oh well, live and learn.

Good luck man.

@studyplent, Live and learn is perhaps more of a profound life lesson than we may all realize. If it's not fire or other natural disasters, crime, tech obsolence, twists and turns in computer's evolution, etc. it's something else.

I got a G5 Tower Mac Pro PowerPC as my big 'thrust' into max computing -- four months later, to everyone's total surprise and shock, Apple stopped using Motorola chips and went Intel and my big investiment was on a dead end evolutionary path.

On Topic: What I learned here is not to get a laptop. Don't like the sound of the battery limits and problems here discussed.

I read there is expected a 'silent upgrade' to iPad3, one of the reasons to imporove battery life; so I'm going to get that when it comes out, get portable keyboard, etc. -- And I'm going to boost up my desktop with new MacMini when that comes out.

Off Topic, but on theme of last post:

Because I had had the G5 Tower I had all the other 'bits and pieces,' (monitor, keyboard...) so the MacMini made sense and I've been quite satisfied with it (Late 2009, goes to two monitors) and one features is how if one thing breaks: screen, keyboard, computer it can be fixed or upgraded 'a la carte' so loss is less, upgrading one thing or the other easier.

Hopefully not to 'preachy' but I had a 'respone' to last post...

Like us all I hate to just lose or waste $$ - but one 'live and learn' lesson is how that is a regular part of life: Some businesses call it 'shrinkage' - projected and expected losses from waste, mismanagement, losing track of things, thieft, etc. so they factor it in, like 'budget' for it.

Sometimes being able to hold off till 2nd generation, 3rd generation allows getting a better product.

Good luck to you too. Don't get stuck in 'despair.' It happens to us all; the idea is to keep on keeping on despite losses or bad turns or unexpected wrinkles.

It seems 'wise,' to think it all balances out. In current Olympics some athletes gripe about bad calls of refs - other athletes realize sometimes the breaks come your way and sometimes they work against you. Presuming it's not organized cheating...it's the way the world turns, no? (And realizing that even sometimes there IS organized and deliberate cheating...another reality).

Life ain't as perfect as it appears in the adverts for New Products.

60wpm

This is not really bad batteries. It's the new OS. People running the old os weren't having the issue. I wouldn't not buy one based on this thread. It will get fixed, hopefully sooner than later.

Thanks for your perspective man, it is helpful indeed.

But in this case, I have no choice but to see it as you describe, "organized cheating" (fraud in my speak).

This is all fixable with a sufficient power supply.

There must be money to be made in not providing one, either on the front end, or in the "constant upgrade" culture they want to become pervasive.

Either way, they're the ones with $100b in cash sitting there and the stack of batteries.

I'm the guy with a hole in his wallet and a broken computer.

It doesn't balance out unless you make it, man.

And in this case, holding out has only harmed MacBook Pro owners.

This power supply was built for the MBP of 2006. We are in 2012. It hasn't changed. Everything else about the machine has.

Something's wrong here. It's too plainly obvious to avoid with my braincells! 😉

@MikezMac - The reported info in this thread about how you couldn't 'save' the battery by using regular plug-in power was the turn-off for me. It was reported the battery would need to be replaced in one year, no matter how it was used.

I was hoping that using it a lot plugged in at home would 'spare' the battery for when I really needed it on the road.

@studyplenty - Indeed it is a noted trend of businesses to 'lock people in,' or have them pay for extra or repair services, etc. but I figure Apple is no worse than any other. Although this doesn't help you now but you mentioned your MBP was 14 months old so an extended protection plan could have covered whatever your problem was -- I now consider such a plan a part of every purchase.

In Europe big arguments about how Apple should offer a 2-year warranty, as required by several Euro countries; it's in court now. So we can 'argue' about it...or we can get what we need however necessary.

My G5 Tower, btw, lasted 5.5 years and my Apple Cinema Display is now 8 years old and still perfect.

I just can't work myself up to be 'anti-Apple' -- If I felt that way I'd just buy another brand.

Some Apple products I like and want and some Apple products I don't like and won't buy.

But when I invest in a computer system I get the 3-year extended protection plan.

Of course I wish everything was cheaper, no accidents happen, all businesses were more than fair, etc.

but from Roman times consumers were warned: "Let the buyer beware," i.e. check out all the details.

I also think: What would Einstein pay for such a machine? I figure Einstein would pay about $100,000 or more just

for an iPhone, so I figure I'm getting a good deal. And if Apple products cost 10% more, or whatever, I don't care;

their OS is solid and slick, products are integrated, I don't have crashes, don't have 'spinning beach balls,' don't

have viruses and I do all the computer things I want.

I truly do appreciate your generous spirit in this sense, but I cannot at all understand it.

Apple makes obscene profits on every single device it sells, and then tries to increase those profits with additional bits of equipment (think adaptors for proprietary products, cases, Thunderbolt displays, Time Capsules, etc. all of which are far overpriced on a performance basis).

This is no doubt the job of a corporation.

However, when you expect your customers to purchase a product at a 40% premium over a similarly spec'd competitor's product, and then you don't make any effort whatsoever to take care of that customer when their device experiences a serious design flaw... well, you just don't deserve an extra $349 for extended warranties, an extra 40% for the Mac tax, an extra $20 a year for a software update that has clearly been overlooked for at least 5 years (OS X). It's just too much after a while.

I feel bad for myself for doling out all this cash on such a terrible company, but moreover, I just want to inform people that this WILL HAPPEN TO YOU.

It is a design flaw - and there is no fix in sight. Just give your money to someone else. Samsung, etc., anyone who at least stands behind their product.

I, for one, can't wait for the Microsoft Surface tablets, if only for the reason that APPLE NEEDS SOME REAL COMPETITION.

And soon.

How did Macbook Pro with Retina Display battery issues end up to Microsoft surface?!

Well I bought MBPR because it was time to buy a brand new machine for me. I bought it and I'm loving it. Not because of the screen or it's because it's "Apple". I mean yes the screen is beautiful but I'm not a photographer so I don't really care about that part. It's think, light-weight, and way faster of what I had and even have at the moment.

I'm always plugged in to the power because I'm either at home or at university sitting at the same place everyday. But I hope the battery can last for at least 2-3 years. I will buy an AppleCare after few months when I can save money again for that.

BTW, I'm not working for Apple so I don't mind at all if people say bad things about Apple. It's not my job to defend them. But are you sure the others stand by their products!? We all have been using these devices for years. I bought my first PC 12 years ago and my fist HP laptop 6 years ago. I've tried everything because I don't stuck in one brand or one product. I use the best at the moment. And I've never seen a support like Apple ever. They are the first company in after sell services and user support in almost all the rankings.

Bottom line, they have a lot of haters outside and that makes them to be careful about what they are doing more than anyone. But that doesn't mean the rest are angels 🙂

At the end, you are the one who pays the money. If it doesn't make you happy then don't do it. There is a variety of choices out there.

@studyplenty - This article was printed today; it's about many of the current mainstream criticisms of Apple. You might enjoy it: http://www.macworld.com/article/1168107/macalope_pointless_exercises.html

Enjoy your MS surface. I use a MS Keyboard and have MS Office; I like them both. But another ''cliché lesson' in life is not to judge a book by it's cover and it's uh....amusing to me how much MS and other companies seem to thrive on their press releases of yet-to-be-released products.

As Maziyar says: "At the end, you are the one who pays the money. If it doesn't make you happy then don't do it. There is a variety of choices out there." (And, Maziyar...I hope what I've seen in this thread about laptop batteries only good for about a year is not always the case...but it did make me pause in my purchase -- and, in fact, a portable iPad -- and boosted up desktop -- is all I need.)

I just want to second all those posts that suggest a PRAM/SMC reset.

Just did it and went from 5h23 minutes to 9h11 minutes.

For those who need a refresher on how (or who want to also try the Terminal command, if the reset doesn't work):

http://www.ijailbreak.com/how-to/improve-battery-life-macbook-pro-retina-display /

What do I do when I paid the money for an unknowingly flawed piece of machinery?

I get it that you guys are fans and stuff, I am only relating personal experience. My personal experience with Apple is absolutely indefensible, I own an MBP, a TB Display, an iPad 3, and a iPhone 4S. I bought them because I surveyed the market, learned about the products in detail, and decided they were worth the cost.

Had I known I was buying a flawed centerpiece (the MBP), I would not have done so (obviously).

Apple has the information about the engineering flaw, see this: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2332 - but does not relate it to customers upon sale. Apple's computers also function in a manner totally different from all other portable computers on the market - meaning they draw on the battery even when plugged into the wall - no matter what. This is not "expected behavior" for any laptop in the world, and is not mentioned to customers or easily available anywhere when purchasing an MBP.

They hold back the info, we spend our money "wisely" (as possible), and they win 14 months later when everything goes to **** and you didn't spend an additional 25% of purchase price on an "extended warranty".

It's a plain, simple, joke.

I don't care about surveys, I care about experience. And mine has been sickening. Disgusting.

[edit] As for the MS Surface mention - big apologies bros, no need to bring it into this topic. I was merely highlighting one simple thing I'm looking forward to: the "tablet market" becoming something besides just the iPad market. Back to the topic - apologies again.

[edit 2] "(And, Maziyar...I hope what I've seen in this thread about laptop batteries only good for about a year is not always the case...but it did make me pause in my purchase -- and, in fact, a portable iPad -- and boosted up desktop -- is all I need.)"

All I can say to this is: Thank goodness. I'm not here to toot my horn (at all, seriously... this is my least favourite website to log into, but I feel like it's my only recourse at this point - and I don't want others to fall into this trap). I now use my iPad + Bluetooth keyboard as my portable and you're right, it is very workable.

People write on these forums mostly because they have an issue. It's not the full measure of all the laptops, mine is fine.

If you don't like it return it. If it's out of the 14 days you can sell it on an ecommerce site. I'm not being mean or sarcastic, if you feel irreconsiably cheated get a different machine.

If only I could return it...

I'm not taking a financial hit on selling a 1 year old, now replaced product because it is faulty. I can't morally pass this problem on to someone else, either.

What is wrong with you people? Like Evangelical Christians or something, except at the throne of Jobs.

Weird.

I didn't read all the thread, I'm assuming you went to the genius bar for help? (It does suck to spend a lot of money on something you are not happy with, my previous reply wan't meant to be "holy'r than .." ) I only mentioned that mine is fine so you know your can get fixed hopefully... Some issues are corrected with software updates, the battery should be. Just trying to lend you hope.

Thanks man.

Unfortunately the Apple store/Genius bar won't even acknowledge the existence of the knowledgebase article I just linked to - at least they don't do it when I'm in their presence.

Kinda exasperated at this point, as you can certainly tell.

I'll get it straightened out someday, but I'll never buy another product again (and it'll be tough!).

That is typical of apple. non-admission.

Be patient and I'm 99% sure the next update will have a fix, there is a lot of posts, they can't and won't ignore this. (The silence is indication of a problem based on how apple behaves when they have an issue. 🙂 )