Q: Battery life dropped considerably on Mountain Lion.

http://www.macrumors.com/2012/08/10/apple-seeds-first-seed-of-os-x-10-8-1-to-dev elopers/

No mention of battery life. To those talking to Apple, is this supposed to help? Any developers, please let us know how you get on (or is this an NDA thing?).

No developers are going to be able to comment just now. It would be a violation of the Mac Developer Program License Agreement.

Sorry,

Clinton

Yeah, real severe NDA. Heard they can't even admit being there. Hope they finally get their act together and contribute to getting this issue solved, cause they really missed the boat on 10.8.0.

There's a lot we can't conclude at this point, that's for certain.

One thing I'm wondering about, though, concerns the users who have just purchased new MBP's. I think we can agree that the number of people having this problem, while not overwhelming, is indeed significant.

I'm wondering if any users of brand new machines exchanged them, and received MBP's that were okay. That would certainly help to eliminate the "user error" factor, and make the problem less app-specific, wouldn't it?

Recently bought a new (mid 2012) MBA 13" which would last up to 8 hours of light use (MS Outlook and Chrome running). After updating to ML I can literally see the battery drain at a rate of about a percentage each minute or two. With only a few programs running I won't even get half the time I used to have. Very unpleased, needless to say. Even more concerning is that battery health has decreased by a few percentages in just a few days.

What I'm hoping is that if after the update is released and the problem has been solved, that it would not have done permanent damage. If it did damage and Apple is monitoring this discussion, I hope they read this and are willing to replace either my battery or macbook pro free of charge because they caused the issue.

i know shutdown my mb pro (mid12) and use my old macmini with lion....

(just to reduce the damage to the battery) hope the bug fix comes fast

def not the way i like apple these days ;(

maik

Having recently upgrade my mb pro to mountain lion.  Like many others have seen the battery life degrade.  Was 7 hours now down to 4. Tried everything to see what the problem is without any luck.

Could get a day's work from it without charging now have to recharge.

Hope Apple note all these comments.

Thinman

hello, let's reassure some folks on the issue.

- Ref questions I have : DO NOT GO BACK TO LION. You risk having additional problems, including backup system errors, permission issues, itunes locked (and NO file library I tried worked) so on... plus FIRMWARE ALREADY MODIFIED YOUR HARDWARE Modus Operandi.

First, what Apple told me:

1. 2 senior managers "This is news to me. Never heard of it and we have internal updates on current issues." OK, I was not fishing for an admission. BUT how about general basic news search??? That could have been handled better
2. "if the problem persists across three OSes, then it is hardware. More specifically, the SMC controller may be defective." OK so AFTER ML WAS MY REPLY... In the end, if the battery looses health rapidly, does not hold charge or how the system uses or regulates power/time (e.g 4:10 remaining) is way off, then the SMC is in trouble.
3. IF the SMC is in trouble, that is a logic board replacement. IE new macbook. Shock, I know..
4. Unknown if a firmware may fix the issue (though we hope). It may fix the software. but unknown about hardware.

My take below. Have you ever fried a MB or messed something (TV, burner) fiddling with firmware? I know I had near calls but never did so, although am aware it does happen to people. Umm, I think an iPhone once became erratic after an iOS update, coul dnot be fixed and Apple Store just replaced it for me. Lesson? Updates do kill some units at times..

ML was both a software AND firmware update. So to everyone, sadly, hardware may have been affected. In some cases, possibly permanently.

Now here are the good news and what to do!!

- Many of us follow technology and trends. Including myself, a PC tech (former). Then all of you know that Apple is the #1 Customer Service computer / mobile device company in the world. They do come through. Remember the defective NVIDIA chip fiasco? NVIDIA paid $ 200 million to Apple and every single Macbook Pro had a 4 yr default Apple warranty. i had used that once on the macbook pro when the GPU just died in the third year. Conclusion? IF your hardware would have been affected, keep in mind that Apple will, eventually, adress it.

WHAT TO DO

1. Most people posting here have recent machine (1yr or less). I strongly recommend BUYING Apple Care for the additional 2 years. I really cannot urge this enough. Apple's coverage shines even more when your machine has warranty.
2. Backup all your data- and not just in Time Machine. Individual folder backups.
3. Call Apple to OPEN A CASE. This is your proof that you are bringing an issue at their attention. They will escalate, send you Data Capture 9. and so on..
4. USE your batteries. Let them cycle down and up. Let them die. If you get 20-150 cycles and below 80%, youmay qualify for a free Apple battery replacement (or whatever the Apple health bottom line is). If you are outside a  replacement warranty, go an buy a new one. You still have a few days to find if problem gone.
5. DO not leave the system plugged. Apple Lithium batteries were not designed to be kept fully charged, but cycled. Their health will drop even faster! Hoping the problem is not there by keeping the mag adapter plugged, and seeing that 100% charge, it is like burying one's head in the sand. You WANT TO FIND if there is a problem. So use your batteries, even if, in some cases, it may kill them.
6. Then- if problems are obvious ( and 7 to 3.5 hrs is a catastrophic drop to me) let Apple take care of it. Customer Service. Tech Support. Wait. Maybe full unit recall. Full logic board replacement. I guarantee you, if you get two fried bateries in 4 months, or even 1 warranty year, they will consider the faulty SMC and replace it.
7. Do NOT FIDDLE WITH TERMINAL and other options that Apple staff did not recommend. none of them work (see the board). You will amplify problems (I did and ended up with non responsive dock lol) but I had the time to just experiment with configurations and installs. SO use the machine and ML as it was supposed to. Is there any other way to prove a battery problem unless using it as designed? If it says 7 hours but actually get 3 hrs practive, call 1-800 Apple.
8. If brand new unit, and it has these problems - RETURN IT!!!! Especially in the return window,. Apple would tell you that themselves...

So I guess the message i:  work with Apple. Stuff happens. Cars get recalls, laptops do, so on. But the only way to help it, is to use and let the system tell you what is wrong. And engage the Apple/Geniuses as soon as you have some proof. They may ask you to do a re-install. It will take time- true, very inconvenient, but follow the motions customer service dictate, and you might end up with a fixed or new machine.

Yes, am extremely dissapointed this gave me flashbacks of PC frustration (and why I left mobile PCs). ALso, my portable GoFlex Seagte HD died just as I updated to ML, so I had also lost some data. Stuff happends... But what can we do? We can post asking for suggestions, but nothing changes the reality of the steps I recommended above. Apple would vouch for them. And we cannot shortcut steps.

For those out of warranty, just hope that maybe APPLE issues an extension similar to the NVIDIA issue. If a new battery does not solve it (say an early 2011 machine), wait for Apple's updates. If none fix it, call Apple and wait. Maybe you may still get coverage once the issue is officially recognized... Apple has accustomed us with such level of fair Customer Service. But call and open a case.

Am also dissapointed with Apple''s non-existant advisory to its techs. For them to not be aware of MacWorld or ArsTechnica red flags, is really not I expect from that # 1 company.

Not what everyone wants to hear, but I can assure you: this forum will not repair anyone's MB or MBP, only Apple can. What we can do is prepare the groundwork for a fluid solution, working with them.

Chris

Beisarius wrote:

 

USE your batteries. Let them cycle down and up. Let them die. If you get 20-150 cycles and below 80%, you will automatically get a full Apple replacement (or whatever the Apple health bottom line is). If you are outside a  replacement warranty, go an buy a new one. You stil have a few days to find if problem gone.

Terrible advice, exactly how NOT to handle a Lithium Ion battery

Beisarius wrote:

 

DO not leave the system plugged. Those batteries were not designed to be full charged, but cycled. Hoping the problem is nto there is like burying one's head inthe sand. You WANT TO FIND if there is a proble. So use your batteries, even if, in some cases, it will kill them.

Again, terrible advice, you should connect to the power supply whenever possible, leave them connected when fully charged, they don't overcharge

Go to the Battery University and study, you advice is catastrophically bad!

My advice is straight from Apple geniuses and Apple staff. they indicated Apple mobile devices were meant to be cycled. Are you talking about batteries in general, or SMC controlled Apple Lithium Ion batteries? Panasonic batteries on a mobile home are not the same thing as your chip controlled Apple battery. Each battery also has a chip inside it and that chip works with the SMC to regulate the battery power consumption, life, and health. My first two ever Apple batteries I killed- and true- was leaving them plugged. My best battery performance from any Apple machine was when cycling batteries. Period.

People that got macbook pros for mobility reasons and battery life- got it for that very reason. Some people get MBP as desktop replacement, I stopped doing that as I found myself with poor battery health. Apple units are meant to be cycled. Tested as such. Batteries meant to be calibrated once a month, full discharge and charge. That is how Apple operates and very much states it so.

Do you remmeber on older Apple, machines, when removing the batteries, the system performance dropped 30%? Apple designed its hardware to self protect if plugged directly, ie reduce voltages. This was not a Dell or Acer thing, but Apple. So I recommend following Apple's design philosophy when using an Apple machine. Yes, if you plug an external monitor, etc etc, you may need constant power. Or when on sleep. But most MBP users are on the go professionals or students. They need a properly working battery and SMC.

By PLUGGED i mean 24/7 3 months minus the occasional couch snack. Plugged does not meant on or off days. Some people jus thave them plugged all the same.

In this forum we are discussing poorely perfoming or dying batteries. Apple replaced NVIDIA logicboards when they 'died.' In the tech world it means "no longer functions' or can no longer conduct electricity. Important to not regard statements as litteral.

Beisarius wrote:

 

My advice is straight from Apple geniuses and Apple staff.

Don't believe that, show me an Apple Document that supports "Let them die" or "DO not leave the system plugged'

Your advice is dangerous, do some research, and if you must treat batteries this badly, do it with your own.

Dangerous were the Sony batteries that caught fire. Letting a malfunctioning battery die (ie wear out prematurely) in order to expose a major problem and get a full warranty fix is actually, sound advice!

As Apple staf would say "if it still is a problem contact us." By problem it means anything for unstable to just... dies...

Beisarius wrote:

 

Dangerous were the Sony batteries that caught fire. Letting a malfunctioning battery die (ie wear out prematurely) in order to expose a major problem and get a full warranty fix is actually, sound advice!

Stick to the subject at hand, we are not stupid.

I have been using the Mountain Lion OS for 14 days. And the battery life is of major concern.

This has been one of the worst upgrades/updates for the apple OS (ML). The reduction in battery life is atrocious.
What have you done, Apple?

The point of using this device (MBP13) is for simplicity not headaches, my machine battery life has been reduced to the performance of a (Windows Box). Poor! and these ridiculous explanations/suggestions about battery dischanging is not what I expect from Apple.

Mobile power users want battery life improvements not degradation on laptops. My brother is at univeristy and he is thinking about making the upgrade and I have advised him to wait until there is an update on this power issue.
As an engineering student, extended battery life is important (ipads can only do so much in the field). Thus the reduction to sub 5 hours on battery has negatively affected our decision to upgrade his OS.

Come on Apple, no one cares about improvements in platform unity if there is productivity reduction?