After I spend few days on Battery Saving, I found the answer. I decided to note this on my personal blog. This post will write about How to setting to maximize battery life, When you need to plug or disconnect charger, and How to Calibrating your computer's battery for best performance.
1- How to setting to maximize batter life.
Here is the table that show the maximum Cycle of battery of each model (Apple.com)
A charge cycle means using all of the battery’s power, but that doesn’t necessarily mean a single charge. For instance, you could use your notebook for an hour or more one day, using half its power, and then recharge it fully. If you did the same thing the next day, it would count as one charge cycle, not two, so it may take several days to complete a cycle.
By this information, I understand that, if we charge the battery to full (100%) we need to disconnect charger, because some people said that, they replace their battery in a year by the this reason (continue charge).
When the battery drop to below 85%, if I am at home or available place (Cafe, or meeting room) I need to connect charger again till it charge to full (100%), This will be prevent from load cycle increase 1 or 2.
But few time per month, I need to use my Mac for alone time, so I cannot plug charger or connect charger. But that is not a problem. Because we have 1000 load cycle = more than 3years. So that is not a unusual case.
3- How to Calibrating your computer's battery for best performance
This will help keep system calculate the battery correctly.
[UPDATE]
It is OK to leave your battery hooked to the charger most of the time. The only time I unhook mine from the charger is when I calibrate. You shouldcalibrate your battery once a month.
The following links have good information about the MacBook and the care of it's battery.
MacBook reduces processor speed when battery is removed while operating from an A/C adaptor
Apple portable computer's battery does not show a full charge in Mac OS X
Apple Notebook Batteries
Lithium-ion Batteries
MacBook: How to remove or install the battery
Determining Battery Cycle Count
Use and cleaning of MagSafe power connector
Look here for some good tips about battery care.
1- How to setting to maximize batter life.
- Setting light to confortable level, e.g.: 3 or 4 bars
- Turn off the keyboard back light, It is not important to turn on when you work on day light.
- Close all applications that you don't use it. Look on the dock bar, Secondary (Right) click , then choose Quit to unused application
- Turn off, Bluetooth, Disconnect or Reject DVD, Flash Drive.
Here is the table that show the maximum Cycle of battery of each model (Apple.com)
| Computer | Maximum Cycle Count |
| MacBook | |
| MacBook (13-inch, Mid 2010) MacBook (13-inch, Late 2009) | 1000 |
| MacBook (13-inch Aluminum, Late 2008) | 500 |
| MacBook (Mid 2009) MacBook (Early 2009) MacBook (Late 2008) MacBook (Early 2008) MacBook (Late 2007) MacBook (Mid 2007) MacBook (Late 2006) MacBook (13-inch) | 300 |
| MacBook Pro | |
| MacBook Pro (13-inch, Early 2011) MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2010) MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2009) MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2011) MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2010) MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2.53 GHz, Mid 2009) MacBook Pro (15-inch Mid 2009) MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2011) MacBook Pro (17-inch, Mid 2010) MacBook Pro (17-inch, Mid 2009) MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2009) | 1000 |
| MacBook Pro (15-inch Late 2008) | 500 |
| MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2008) MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2.4/2.2GHz) MacBook Pro (15-inch, Core 2 Duo) MacBook Pro (15-inch Glossy) 15-inch MacBook Pro MacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2008) MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2008) MacBook Pro (17-inch, 2.4GHz) MacBook Pro (17-inch Core 2 Duo) MacBook Pro (17-inch) | 300 |
| MacBook Air | |
| MacBook Air (11-inch, Late 2010) MacBook Air (13-inch, Late 2010) | 1000 |
| MacBook Air (Mid 2009) | 500 |
| MacBook Air (Late 2008) MacBook Air (Early 2008) | 300 |
| PowerBook | |
| All PowerBook G4 12" 15" and 17" computers | 300 |
| iBook | |
| All iBook G4 12" and 14" computers | 300 |
By this information, I understand that, if we charge the battery to full (100%) we need to disconnect charger, because some people said that, they replace their battery in a year by the this reason (continue charge).
When the battery drop to below 85%, if I am at home or available place (Cafe, or meeting room) I need to connect charger again till it charge to full (100%), This will be prevent from load cycle increase 1 or 2.
But few time per month, I need to use my Mac for alone time, so I cannot plug charger or connect charger. But that is not a problem. Because we have 1000 load cycle = more than 3years. So that is not a unusual case.
3- How to Calibrating your computer's battery for best performance
This will help keep system calculate the battery correctly.
- Plug in the power adapter and fully charge your PowerBook's battery until the light ring or LED on the power adapter plug changes to green and the onscreen meter in the menu bar indicates that the battery is fully charged.
- Allow the battery to rest in the fully charged state for at least two hours. You may use your computer during this time as long as the adapter is plugged in.
- Disconnect the power adapter while the computer still on and start running the computer off battery power. You may use your computer during this time. When your battery gets low, the low battery warning dialog appears on the screen.
- At this point, save your work. Continue to use your computer; when the battery gets very low, the computer will automatically go to sleep.
- Turn off the computer or allow it to sleep for five hours or more.
- Connect the power adapter and leave it connected until the battery is fully charged again.
[UPDATE]
It is OK to leave your battery hooked to the charger most of the time. The only time I unhook mine from the charger is when I calibrate. You shouldcalibrate your battery once a month.
The following links have good information about the MacBook and the care of it's battery.
MacBook reduces processor speed when battery is removed while operating from an A/C adaptor
Apple portable computer's battery does not show a full charge in Mac OS X
Apple Notebook Batteries
Lithium-ion Batteries
MacBook: How to remove or install the battery
Determining Battery Cycle Count
Use and cleaning of MagSafe power connector
Look here for some good tips about battery care.
