How long should a battery last on a macbook air and why is my trackpad behaving strangely?

The trackpad is attached to the computer with several screws. It is possible that all that's needed is an adjustment to get the tension right. It might also mean that the trackpad needs to be repaired. In either case you should either contact AppleCare or make the trip. There's nothing any of us can do for you here.

If you treat the battery right and use it everyday you can expect 2-3 years of use.

If you mistreat it and drain it low often, you can expect much less.

The only quantified abuse seen to LiPo cells is instances when often the cells are repeatedly drained very low.

*Also, if youre going to store your macbook away for a few weeks or more,... make sure it has at least a 50% or so charge.

*Cycle count / use/ lifespan is one thing that cant be countered.

Proper treatment is another thing. Just because LiPo batteries dont need conditioning in general,.. does NOT mean they dont have an ideal use / recharge environment. Anything can be abused even if it doesnt need conditioning.

Just use and enjoy your new macbook,

From Apple on batteries:

http://www.apple.com/batteries/notebooks.html

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1446

😊

Lindymac

I have been told that I should 1. drain it low at least once a month, and if it is 2. kept plugged in it will have a shorter life,

Yeah, whoever told you that told you the wrong thing.

You NEVER want to do a full discharge 😊

Keep it plugged in when near a socket so you keep the charging cycles DOWN on your LiPo (lithium polymer) cells / battery.

*Contrary to some myths out there, there is protection circuitry in your macbook and therefore you cannot 'overcharge' it when plugged in and already fully charged

You certainly CAN leave your macbook plugged in all the time, take it off charge and drain the battery down to 15 or 20% every couple of weeks or so.

*However if you dont plan on using it for a few hours, turn it OFF (plugged in or otherwise), ...*you dont want it both always plugged in AND in sleep mode

LiPo (lithium polymer, same as in your macbook) batteries do not need conditioning. However...

LiPo batteries do NOT like to be dropped down to 15% or so often,....key word being "often"

A lot of battery experts call the use of LiPo cells the "80% Rule" ....meaning use 80% of the charge or so,.. then recharge them for longer overall life.

Never let your Macbook die from power, you can corrupt files that way, and the batteries do not like it.

The only quantified abuse seen to LiPo cells is instances when often the cells are repeatedly drained very low.

*Also, if youre going to store your macbook away for a few weeks or more,... make sure it has at least a 50% or so charge.

*Cycle count / use/ lifespan is one thing that cant be countered.

Proper treatment is another thing. Just because LiPo batteries dont need conditioning in general,.. does NOT mean they dont have an ideal use / recharge environment. Anything can be abused even if it doesnt need conditioning.

Just use and enjoy your new macbook,

From Apple on batteries:

http://www.apple.com/batteries/notebooks.html

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1446

but really all you would keep in mind is --"consider 15-20% is the same as 0% and recharge it"

and best "tip" is if its near a socket, .....plug it in as long as you can (especially at home) since cycle count on the battery are the "miles that wear out the tires (battery)"

Lindymac

just to the red warnings. .... it doesn't like being plugged in too much.

I understood you, red warning = LOW charge (10% , red warning roungly, 8-10%)

Both those statements, whoever made them are wrong. Opinions are one thing, empirical facts are another.

Others on this board have perfect condition on 2 year+ old batteries that are plugged in ALL the time, they just:

A: dont leave it in sleep mode all the time plugged in and

B: remove it ever couple / few weeks and drain it down to 20,30 etc. %

Its ok, if you're busy at school etc here and there, to use it away from a socket and use it down to a low battery warning, ....just not OFTEN

As stated already...

The only quantified abuse seen to LiPo cells is instances when often the cells are repeatedly drained very low.

Whoever told you that is just not fully informed about batteries. 😊