MACBOOK - battery or power adapter???

Hi! Im new user of Mac, I use my laptop as a desktop. Do I run it on battery and just recharge after every discharge? or do I use AC power the whole time with my battery in the Mac? Or should I remove the battery while using under AC, with my old laptop I remove the battery and use AC plug always. Thanks

lochidaga wrote:
Hi! Im new user of Mac, I use my laptop as a desktop. Do I run it on battery and just recharge after every discharge? or do I use AC power the whole time with my battery in the Mac? Or should I remove the battery while using under AC, with my old laptop I remove the battery and use AC plug always. Thanks
The usual recommendation is to keep it running off the adapter power, but let it run off battery power maybe once a month or whenever you take it on the road and don't have an outlet. Running it periodically off the battery keeps it calibrated and is good for the ultimate life of the battery.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1490
Batteries slowly degrade after each charge. If you use it off the battery twice a day for a year, you're going to find that your battery life is noticebly degraded. I've heard the magic number is 300 cycles (this is recorded in the battery I believe), where Apple won't replace a battery under warranty if it the battery life is noticeably degraded. Laptop charging systems for lithium rechargeable batteries are designed to prevent overcharging by charging up to maximum, then only topping off when it drops below a certain amount (I thought it was 95%). There's no "trickle charge". Apple has a definition of "all the time" that excludes monthly use off of battery power. There's a difference between leaving it plugged in "most of the time" versus "all of the time".
http://www.apple.com/batteries/notebooks.html
*Standard Maintenance*
For proper maintenance of a lithium-based battery, it’s important to keep the electrons in it moving occasionally. Apple does not recommend leaving your portable plugged in all the time. An ideal use would be a commuter who uses her MacBook Pro on the train, then plugs it in at the office to charge. This keeps the battery juices flowing. If on the other hand, you use a desktop computer at work, and save a notebook for infrequent travel, Apple recommends charging and discharging its battery at least once per month. Need a reminder? Add an event to your desktop’s iCal.
That monthy iCal reminder link is in the above page on the right where it says "Remind me to charge and discharge my notebook battery".

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