Leaving MacBook Pro Plugged In

The majority of the time I use my MacBook Pro, it is near an outlet (about 50% time on my desk at work, and 50% on couch at home). I want to make my battery last as long as possible, but I do not know if that will be accomplished by leaving it plugged in whenever I can, or by letting it run off the battery whenever I can. I do run it all the way down at least once a month (more like once a week), per apple's advice. Does anyone know the best solution? Thank you.

There is nothing wrong with using the computer on AC power or on battery. If the battery is charged above 95 percent, the charging circuitry is shut off to prevent constant battery charging. If the charge level drops below 95 percent then the battery will recharge.
You do not need to run the battery down purposefully more than once every couple of months. This is only for the purpose of maintaining calibration of the battery circuitry that measures the amount of charge remaining. If the battery is not used much or is rarely run down then the measurement circuitry can be off leading to incorrect readings of remaining battery life.
If you frequently use the computer on battery such that the battery is being substantially depleted then there is no need for the periodic calibration ritual suggested in the Apple documentation.
Lithium-Polymer batteries have an average life of around 500 full discharge/recharge cycles. If you put your laptop in storage for an extended period of time you should discharge the battery to about a 30-40 percent charge level. That's the recommended storage level.

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    bradleyjmiles21 wrote:
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  • Is Leaving MacBook Pro Turned On 24 Hours Bad?

    Hello. I'm just wondering whether it is okay to leave my MacBook Pro turned on all day.
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    Lion 2012 wrote:
    Hello. I'm just wondering whether it is okay to leave my MacBook Pro turned on all day.
    I often forget to turn off my laptop and I'm a bit worried whether not tunrining it off can
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  • Leaving Macbook Air plugged into ac adaptor?

    When using the Air at home, is it ok to always leave the computer plugged into the AC adaptor, whether in sleep mode or in shut down mode? The magsafe plug on the computer stays green because the battery is charged. If I unplug the ac adaptor, even for a day without using the computer, the plug is first amber as some charging takes place.
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    Some other users already hit on the main points...
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  • OK to leave MacBook Pro open?

    My MacBook Pro is getting hot when I close it.  Is it better to leave it open and let it sleep?

    Hi Melanie ..
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  • TS1365 macbook pro plugged in not charging

    my macbook pro complains plugged in not charging, i have changed different chargers and battery and still no solution to the problem

    Blair,
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  • What if i leave macbook pro for 15 days without charging?

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    It won't affect to the MacBook Pro's battery life. I recommend you to leave the battery at about 50% or a bit less, but as you aren't going to use the Mac for only 15 days, it's not as important, but you should do it.
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  • Leaving Macbook Pro unused for about 10 months

    I'm going on an extended trip for at least 10 months and will not be bringing my laptop. Is there anything I need to do or know about before leaving? I just plan on keeping it in its case, in a dark room with average temperature fluctuation.
    A friend of mine told me that her mac battery died after not using her laptop for 3 weeks because the battery drained completely and she had to get the battery replaced.

    By all means do as Apple recommends, but you aren't likely to have a usable battery when you come back, particularly if the battery is well along in age already.

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    I had this problem when plugged in to a 3rd party power adapter but when plugged into my original apple one or on battery power seems to work just fine.

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