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Powerbook battery woes

prof_rockwellprof_rockwell 2,867 Posts
edited March 2006 in Strut Central
So after just over a year, the battery on my powerbook is weaksauce. It only goes for about 45minutes max when charged, and even then sometimes only gets charged up to 96%. Anyone else have this? How soon did others have to replace or get an extra battery, and are there any 3rd party folks that make good replacements? G4 Power PC fyi.

  Comments

  • mandrewmandrew 2,720 Posts
    i just want to go on record here:
    your thread "somebody asked for more boobies" is better that this one.
    that's all for now.
  • SwayzeSwayze 14,705 Posts
    it sounds like you never calibrated the battery before you first used the PB. Did you calibrate it?
  • AserAser 2,351 Posts
    you really should use the ac adapter as much as possible. I only use the battery if I'm out somewhere w/ no outlet in sight.

    also cashless is right, you need to calibrate your battery, not just your powerbook but any lithium ion battery. It is recommened to do a full discharge/recharge for every 30 cycles used. The reason is the indicator is not an absolute, it is just an approximation. It will get thrown off over time, especially if you recharge after slight usage over and over. This applies to your ipod too.
  • SwayzeSwayze 14,705 Posts
    you really should use the ac adapter as much as possible. I only use the battery if I'm out somewhere w/ no outlet in sight.

    same here.
  • prof_rockwellprof_rockwell 2,867 Posts
    it sounds like you never calibrated the battery before you first used the PB. Did you calibrate it?

    yeah, I calibrated it. And I mostly use the adapter. And I usually let it discharge/recharge at least once a month or so. I guess it's just getting close to time to replace it. uff.
  • DelayDelay 4,530 Posts
    it's actually advisable to only plug in the computer if the battery is completely dead or completely full. otherwise it becomes dependant and is unable to hold a complete charge. same w/ cell phones, ipods ect.
  • AserAser 2,351 Posts
    wrong

    that is a common misconception. It was true back in the nickel cadmium battery days, but that was a long long time ago. Most high end electronics use lithium ion now, and it doesn't suffer from the nickel cadmium "memory" issue.

    http://www.batteryuniversity.com

    http://www.ipodbatteryfaq.com
  • ariel_calmerariel_calmer 3,762 Posts
    it sounds like you never calibrated the battery before you first used the PB. Did you calibrate it?

    yeah, I calibrated it. And I mostly use the adapter. And I usually let it discharge/recharge at least once a month or so. I guess it's just getting close to time to replace it. uff.

    Yup, I've had mine for 2 yeras and I'm in the same boat. Time to replace. I believe there are 3rd party companies who make decent replacements, let me dig up the info.

    No way around it, this is the same for all brands of portable devices. (iPods, dell laptops, portable DVD players, etc...)
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