Using ac power adapter vs. battery on MacBook Pro

I purchased a 15 inch MacBook Pro with retina display a couple months ago. Most of the time I use it with the ac power adapter. Is there any harm to the battery life if I never left the battery drain down some and then recharge it? I have come to understand that when the battery is fully charged and plugged in to an outlet the battery is basically on standby.
Thanks

If you use it mostly on AC, then once every one or two months you should use it on the battery until the battery runs down to about 20%. Then reconnect the AC so the battery can recharge.
About Batteries in Modern Apple Laptops
Battery University
Apple - Batteries - Notebooks
Apple - Batteries
Extending the Life of Your Laptop Battery
MacBook and MacBook Pro- Mac reduces processor speed when battery is removed while operating from an A-C adaptor
Apple Portables- Calibrating your computer's battery for best performance
Mac notebooks- Determining battery cycle count

Similar Messages

Does a usb cab to 60 Watt L-Tip Power Adapter charger for Apple MacBook Pro Laptop Charger exist

does a usb cable
does a Usb cable to60 Watt L-Tip Power Adapter charger for Apple MacBook Pro Laptop Charger exist? i have an external battery pack i would like to use to charge my iphone and macbook pro.

Not that I am aware of. An Internet search on your part will be required. If you should find something to that effect, note it will not be endorsed by Apple and the magnetic connector will probably be in violation of Apple patents.
Ciao.

I'm traveling to London for the summer, does anyone know a good power adapter/converter for my MacBook Pro?

I'm traveling to London for the summer, does anyone know a good power adapter/converter for my MacBook Pro? I know there's the Travel Adapter Kit but it's only for iPhones, iPods, iPad, etc.

Apple World Travel Adapter Kit
The World Travel Adapter Kit includes the Apple USB Power Adapter, USB Cable and six interchangeable AC adapter plugs for use with iPod, iPhone, and iPad. The adapter plugs can also be used with Apple MagSafe Power Adapters, Portable Power Adapters, and AirPort Express, so you can plug your power adapter into most electrical outlets around the world.
Copied from the Apple Store: http://store.apple.com/uk/product/MB974ZM/B?fnode=MTY1NDEwMQ&mco=MTA4NDE3MDQ

After a year of no use and a fully discharged battery, my MacBook Pro refuses to accept the administrator name and the password. How can I reset these?

After a year of no use and a resulting fully discharged battery, the MacBook Pro refuses to recognize the administrator name and password (both). It has system OS X 10.6 which can not be upgraded without the information. How can I reset or reistall the administrator name and password?

Thanks to all who responded. You are all absolutely correct. However, this Ipad was a gift to my wife who was dying of cancer in the hospital and wanted some entertainment. So I started it out with her Apple ID. After she passed away I moved from Sacramento to Austin and eventually proceeded to get the Apple ID changed from my wife's to mine. Meanwhile when she was in the hospital I opened an Itunes account in my name to buy movies for her. That was the first mistake.
Then during the move to Austin I lost track of the IPAD and later found it and tried to use support but could not remember the proper ID. Later the folks at the Apple store helped me create a new and novel Apple ID that was unfortunately unlike any other.
The botom line is that I am stuck with three Apple IDs and three passwords. I am told by Apple there is nothing they can do about this as IDs cannot be changed or destroyed. I can quit using them or start a new account but when I try to do that the system keeps remembering too many things from the past and resists.
Even if I sold this Ipad and bought a new one, the system memory is still there.
I think the real problem is that destop and laptop computers are totally owned by an individual and that individual can control logins and passwords to his liking. IPADs and similar Apple products are different in that the corporation has built in their own intrusion detection schemes because of the relation to Itunes.
One thing I thought about is to open a new Itunes account pretendding to be a new customer with my regular Apple ID. Perhaps I could do the same with Apple Support.
Thanks for your comments.
RAZ

Compatibility of new apple 85W MagSafe Power Adapter L-style and Macbook Pro, mid 2007

My old Magsafe (T-style) is broken and I need new one, but I have dilemma: Is new Magsafe L-style adapter compatible with my Macbook Pro, mid 2007 15.4-inch: 2.2GHz (MA895LL).
Please reply.

jbrider11 wrote:
I believe that only works with the computer itself, not the accessories that come with it.
Just looked at the warranty information with an earlier version power adapter (one for PowerBooks) and it is one year. That seems to still be the standard Apple warranty for Apple branded accessories.
Call Apple, go to an Apple store or go online and get it replaced.
Message was edited by: old comm guy to add link to warranty.

Noise on audio output when using the power adapter

I'm a musician and use my mid-2007 MBP 15" in my live rig. When I use the power adapter, I hear a buzz, sometimes accompanied by a slightly louder buzz that cycles on & off about 1x/second. There are a few weird things going on here:
1. The buzz does not happen all the time. That leads me to think it may be noise in the AC line that the adapter is plugged into.
2. The noise is heard when I use both the built-in audio output AND an external USB audio interface.
In any case, when I disconnect the power adapter and run my MBP on battery, the noise goes away completely. I can probably do this on most gigs, but I'm a little nervous since I run a FW drive, an external USB audio interface, and my midi keyboard (powered by USB) so I am putting a little heavier than usual load on the MBP's battery.
As I said, this may be a noisy AC line. Another guess is that it's the PMU inducing noise into the audio circuitry. I'm hoping a simple AC line filter can help me but I thought I would ask here first in case anyone else has dealt with this. TIA for any help!

I had a similar problem and fixed it with a $5 universal travel adapter. Yours might be different but here's my situation. Try it for little cost and see if it works.
I'm also a muso with an iMac running external KRK speakers via USB Mbox2. Previously I had a Macbook Pro and the same audio problem. I've been putting up with a very low volume, high pitch noise until now. I simply plugged the Mac power cord into a universal travel adapter which then goes into the wall. For Aussie users there is an adapter on ebay that will allow a 3 pin Aussie plug to go into female side and has a two pin Aussie male on the other. For US users you can probably get the same although there is a 59c product that will do the trick called a ground lift adapter. Applecare actually agreed this was the best fix and confirmed there would be no problems with power supply or Mac performance. What a gem ! God knows I've looked into all kinds of alternatives that could have cost hundreds instead of $5.

When using my power adapter, the light is green for a two seconds and turns red.

When using the power adapter for my MacBook 2.1, the little light on the connector is green for 2 or 3 seconds and then turns red. I bought a new adapter, but it is the same thing. It looks like the computer is charging. What's wrong with it.

Nothing wrong. Here is what Macbook manual has to say:
When you first connect the power adapter to your computer, an indicator light on the
power adapter plug starts to glow. An amber light indicates that power is going to the
battery. A green light indicates that no power is going to the battery, which can mean
the battery is fully charged, is not installed, or has a problem. If you don’t see a light,
your plug probably isn’t seated correctly. Check for any debris and remove it. You can
monitor the battery level using the Battery status menu in the menu bar or by
checking the battery level indicator lights on the bottom of the battery (see page 74).

When should I use the power adapter?

I just installed a wireless router. Should I use the power adapter when I'm not going to use the Macbook for several hours? Does the Macbook drain the battery when it is shut down or sleeping?

When should I use the power adapter?
Whenever you are near a power outlet. Not 100% of the time, of course (you have to flex the battery sometimes) but as often as possible.
Should I use the power adapter when I'm not going to use the Macbook for several hours?
If you are near an outlet, yes.
Does the Macbook drain the battery when it is shut down or sleeping?
When sleeping, it drains a negligible amount.
Further reading:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1446
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1490

I am in Greece, do i need a power converter or can i just use a plug adaptor to charge my macbook pro?

I am in Greece, do i need a power converter or can i just use a plug adaptor to charge my macbook pro?

If you are using the included Apple charger, you will simply need a plug adapter.

How to set "Energy Saver"- Setting for Power Adapter or Battery?

Under the System preference, how do I need to set the Energy Saver? There are options of Power Adapter or Battery for the Setting for. What is difference?

Here's how I have my energy saver settings set, first, click 'show details':
Power adaptor (when plugged into a power outlet):
Under Sleep: Put the computer to sleep: never (I close the display when I want to put it to sleep)
Put display to sleep: 5 minutes
Put the hard disk to sleep whenever possible is checked.
Under options, reduce brightness before sleep and show battery status on menu bar are checked.
Processor Performance: Automatic
Battery (when disconnected from a power outlet)
Under Sleep: Put the computer to sleep: never (I close the display when I want to put it to sleep)
Put display to sleep: 3 minutes
Put the hard disk to sleep whenever possible is checked.
Under options, reduce brightness of this display when using this power source, reduce the brightness before sleep, and show battery status on menu bar are checked.
Processor Performance: Reduced

OK to use iPod Power Adapter to charge iPhone?

At the Apple Store, they told me that I could use a power adapter and cable for an iPod with my iPhone. Seems to work fine, charges the battery fine. But I notice that in the tiny print on the side of the iPod power adapter it says, "Output 12V -- .67A". The print on the side of the adapter that came with the iPhone says "Output 5V -- 1A".
Wouldn't want to fry my phone battery with those extra volts.

It's not $29.99 + $19.99. They include with the iPhone both a dock/charger and a power adapter/wall plug charger. But only one cable between either of them and your iPhone. So, if you have a computer in one room and you charge your phone overnight in another room, you need another cable.
One solution is to to use some cable you already have, that fits, such as I did once, from an iPod 2 or 3 years old. But I had to use the power adapter that came with that cable/iPod, since the USB cable end was different. It said output: 12V. the iphone power adapter said output: 5V.
So, although the cable fit and the iPhone charged seemingly fine, I was not comfortable charging my $600 iphone with a 12v charger when the one that came with it was a 5v charger. I paid just $19.99 for a duplicate cable to the one that came with the iPhone, used the 5v power adapter that also came with it. Just in case. The apple guy at the "genius bar" agreed: it "ought to work" but, yeah...it's disconcerting...
So, that's the story. I now have a dock on my iMac and a power-adapter from the wall in my bedroom. Both supplied with the iPhone. Both using identicl cables.
What I would like to know, from some tech person, is YEA or NAY. The 5v and 12v iphone and ipod adapters are interchangeable OR they are not and WHY. Otherwise, we are all just speculating.
8gb iPhone Mac OS X (10.4.6)
Mac OS X (10.4.6)

Use of an Older Power Cable with a New MacBook Pro

I have purchased a new MacBook Pro 15". It comes with the power cord with the silver "L-shaped" magnetic end.
My old laptop, which is a MacBook from around 2006, came with the white squarish magnetic end. It fits just fine on the new MacBook pro and seems to work fine.
Is it safe to also use this as an additional power cord for my new MacBook Pro? (I know, it seems like a silly question, but when dealing with electricity issues, it's always good to double check. I'd hate to find out that for some reason something about the old cord fries something on the new system.)

The older Macbook's power adapter has a maximum output of 65 watts, while the 15" McBook Pro comes with an 85 watt adapter. The 65W adapter will work, but with certain caveats — see this post of mine from the day before yesterday for a fuller explanation:
http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=12625011#12625011

Using Alu Power Adapter with The new MBP Unibody 2009 ? (Both 85 Watts)

Hi,
Can i use the Power Adapter off my Aluminium MBP 2.5 GHz,15" intel core 2 Duo (MacBookPro4,1), with the new Unibody 15" 2.66 GHz(MacBookPro5,1)?
They are both 85 Watts.
The Power adapter for Aluminium is :
Input : 100-240V - 1,5A 50-60Hz
Output : 16,5-18,5V, 4,6 A Max
Delta Eletronic
The Power Adapter for Unibody is :
Input : 100-240V - 1,5A 50-60Hz
Output : 18,5V 4,6A, 16,5V, 3,6A
LiteOn Technology
Thanks for The Lights.

That's correct, I meant to type 85W.
Can anyone advise what the impact will be of using older 85W adapters with the new MBP's that come with a 60W adapter?
Is there a shorter battery life in the long-term, or is the new battery designed to cope the same with either of these power adapters?

Can I use a mini display port to VGA adapter and then a VGA to av adapter to connect my MacBook pro to my standard definition tv?

Can I use a mini display port to VGA adapter and then a VGA to av adapter to connect my MacBook pro to my standard definition tv?

No. You need a converter box like this to go with your MDP-VGA adapter:
http://www.amazon.com/PC-To-TV-Video-Converter/dp/B001CJOLBW/ref=pd_cp_e_2

What adapter to use to hook up CINTIQ 21UX to MACBOOK PRO ?

What adapter to use to hook up CINTIQ 21UX to MACBOOK PRO ? Where can i get a good quality one and which dvi model

if you have the latest MBP with miniDisplayPort or Thunderbolt, you will need to get this adapter in addition to one of these dvi or vga cords (I would go dvi) DVI-I, VGA, DVI-D (dvi-i being the optimal one)
http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB570Z/A

Using ac power adapter vs. battery on MacBook Pro

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for