Apple asdf, iBlarg. Options

[theIncredibleEdi...]

i've had a apple laptop for 5 years and never once even thought about having to replace the battery.
keep the damn thing charged.

Well, I know some folks who travel a lot may keep a spare charged for during trips/flights in case they cant get to an outlet.

If they're shipping now, they are probably in stores, or arriving VERY soon.

[cmac]

they're at the denver store.

[pebkac]

I thought that was already stated earlier? Anyone know if the MB Air is stores yet? I'd like to see one up close.

Oh, and as far as 3G for the iPhone, look for it 3Q this year.

I've had to replace my battery on my MacBook Pro. Keeping the battery constantly charged is actually bad for laptop batteries. It should cycle.

That used to be the case with laptop batteries.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_ion_b...on_battery_life

Nowadays, you want to charge it as often as possible UNLESS you don't plan on using it for a few days then it's best to discharge it to 50% before leaving it. It's also a bad idea to leave it on the charger all the time as the heat is bad for the battery.

[Hartmann]

That used to be the case with laptop batteries.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_ion_b...on_battery_life

Nowadays, you want to charge it as often as possible UNLESS you don't plan on using it for a few days then it's best to discharge it to 50% before leaving it. It's also a bad idea to leave it on the charger all the time as the heat is bad for the battery.

But by charging it as often as possible do you mean even if it hasn't lost a lot of charge?

[theIncredibleEdi...]

I think he means not running the battery dead every single time....but, if you have a laptop that you use as your main PC and it stays plugged in all the time, it's best to remove the battery.

[impala454]

That used to be the case with laptop batteries.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium_ion_b...on_battery_life

Nowadays, you want to charge it as often as possible UNLESS you don't plan on using it for a few days then it's best to discharge it to 50% before leaving it. It's also a bad idea to leave it on the charger all the time as the heat is bad for the battery.

I'm not sure I understand completely. If a battery is not being charged or discharged, there is no heat. Personally I leave my laptop in sleep mode and plugged in 24/7 and have never had problems. When I want to use it I just hit the power button which brings it up very quickly, and when I'm done hit the same power button to put it back into sleep mode.

[pebkac]

I think he means not running the battery dead every single time....but, if you have a laptop that you use as your main PC and it stays plugged in all the time, it's best to remove the battery.

This. The main thing is to plug it in and charge it as often as possible without leaving it plugged in all the time. But really Lithium Ion batteries don't require as much care as older batteries do, so it's not a big deal if you don't adhere to that very strictly.

[pebkac]

I'm not sure I understand completely. If a battery is not being charged or discharged, there is no heat.

Well yeah. For example, I usually charge my laptop daily (if I can't do it a few times a day). The computers we have at work (Circuit City) we usually take the batteries out of because they're on the power line every day.

Now if I was planning on not using my computer a few days, I would want to discharge the battery down to 50-60% for it to be stored.

[impala454]

Now if I was planning on not using my computer a few days, I would want to discharge the battery down to 50-60% for it to be stored.

Well that's what I don't understand... What difference does it make how much charge is in the battery if it's not going to be on? When you turn off the laptop the battery is no longer being charged or discharged, there is no heat at all. I'm not trying to argue, just trying to understand the thinking behind the idea.

[Hartmann]

Well that's what I don't understand... What difference does it make how much charge is in the battery if it's not going to be on? When you turn off the laptop the battery is no longer being charged or discharged, there is no heat at all. I'm not trying to argue, just trying to understand the thinking behind the idea.

It has to do with battery life I believe.

This explains (sorta): http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?sto...030314081843218

[zetec]

just fyi, apple's already announced a MBAir battery replacement program with a flat fee. I think it was something like $75 or $100, I forget, I'm not very interested. It's like buying a smart car. It's tiny and will turn some heads, but just doesn't have the power to do what I really want, nevermind the unexpandability. You tell me if you ever see a smart car with a turbocharger, though, i think it'd be worth a laugh.

[Hartmann]

just fyi, apple's already announced a MBAir battery replacement program with a flat fee. I think it was something like $75 or $100, I forget, I'm not very interested. It's like buying a smart car. It's tiny and will turn some heads, but just doesn't have the power to do what I really want, nevermind the unexpandability. You tell me if you ever see a smart car with a turbocharger, though, i think it'd be worth a laugh.

A laptop with as much power as a desktop is just as stupid as a smart car with a turbocharger. I think Impala agrees with me on this point.

[theIncredibleEdi...]

I think Apple bombed when it comes to the MB Air.

[impala454]

A laptop with as much power as a desktop is just as stupid as a smart car with a turbocharger. I think Impala agrees with me on this point.

Yeah for sure. IMHO the point of a laptop is to be portable. This wafer thin notebook from apple seems like it will be pretty nice to that point. I just personally do not care for the lack of an optical drive. In practicality, they probably could have made the thing 1/8-1/4" thicker and had one. But they removed it so they could make it even thinner and make a statement. I don't mind when companies try to make a statemnet in their new products, I just hate to see it come at the expense of practicality. It's not like this thing would have been any less portable if it was 1/4" thicker.

edit: and btw, I think the smart car + turbo analogy is a pretty dumb one. I for one would definitely have some nice electronics gear in a fast car. I'm going to start an old car project some time after I get my house down here (prob 65-70 Impala or 66-71 Chevelle, with a big block), and I will for sure have a newer stereo with possibly a custom built computer+touchscreen, etc.

[Spectatrix]

The only good thing about the Macbook Air is the touchpad gestures. And couldn't that be added to other macs via a software update?

Speaking of which, when the heck is 10.5.2 coming out?!?!? I need my airport/keychain problem fixed because now it doesn't work right on my boyfriend's network.