I have just gotten my macbook pro three months prior and all of a sudden the battery won't last as long anymore. At 90% is says it is estimated to only last 2 hours and 30 minutes. Do I need to have my computer checked out?
Apple Menu > AboutThisMac > MoreInfo > Power
Please report the same data as I show:
Battry condition Normal. Not sure if your system is a 13 in system, but it show less capacity than my 15 in system battery so I hope it is a 13 in.
The estimate can vary wildly ... does not mean it will only last that long. Higher immediate loads such as flash-loaded internet streaming can make the estimate drop.
You have 45 cycles in 3 months, I have 35 cycles in 19 months. Do you leave it plugged in when nar an outlet, or only charge it occasionally?
I leave mine plugged in when near an outlet to reduce "cycles", running it on battery down to 40% at least once a month.
Yes my macbook is a 13 in. and I charge my laptop every night before I go to sleep and then bring it to school to use. At school I only use it for about 3 hours and by the end of the day the battery is really low. Would charging it during school hours reduce my "cycles"?
1 cycle is when you have pushed 100% battery charge. If you charge twice from 50% to 100%, that is 1 cycle.
But you seem to actually use your MBP during the day, so there is no "reduction" in cycles possible, just that if you charge it to keep it from dropping below 40% too often will extend its life. If it drops to 20% you are starting to dig deep into battery.
But ... 3 hours run and is low. 7 hours is a test under minimal load so that 7 hours is possible. Real-life usage could easily be less. If you have 30% left after 3 hours usage it is not exactly bad performance, especially if you are constantly on the school's wifi while at school.
Oh okay. Thank you so much for your help!
Download "coconut battery" fro macupdate.com. This is the display on my system:
It tells me that I currently have a few more mAh than designed capacity (that particular number will vary but has not dropped below 6950 yet).
It will be a good "health" indicator of your battery, in combination with the "Condition" indicator you found before.
I downloaded the app and this is what mine looks like
Max capacity is low for 42 cycles and 8 weeks. Genius Bar does not charge for an estimate, so you might want to use time this weekend at an Apple Store.
Is there something wrong with my Macbook Pro's battery?
