macbook battery preservation off long term

[dtra]

hello

i just got my macbook in may this year, did the calibration of the battery thing
only run/charge it on ac power when the battery meter has dropped to 1% or less (unless running stuff over night)

but now i will be going away for several months, and won't be able to take my macbook with me
i was just wondering if there was anything i could/need to do to keep the battery in good condition? or should i just not worry about it, and get a new battery when i get back (if necessary)?

thanks
dave

[DeltaMac]

Your battery is not that fragile!
It's not a good way to treat the battery, if you always wait until the battery is almost discharged before plugging the charger in. There's nothing wrong with that occasionally but I would not recommend always using your battery in that way. Just plug it in when you are near a power plug, and don't pay so much attention to how much charge is left.

In answer to your trip question - Just charge the battery, and when you leave on your trip, leaving it stored in the MacBook will be fine. It might be completely discharged over period of several weeks or months, so you just plug it in when you get back. The battery is not likely to destroy itself just by disuse (but still possible). You _could_ remove the battery, put in a zip-lock bag, and leave the battery in your fridge while you are gone.

[dtra]

haha, thanks for your reply
i guess i was just used to fully discharging the battery (as that's what i do with my camera), it does save power as well

all good to know

dave

[ElDiabloConCaca]

Apple recommends discharging (or charging) the battery to approximately 50% capacity before storing it for extended periods.

If you don’t plan on using your notebook for more than six months, Apple recommends that you remove and store the battery with a 50% charge. If you store a battery when it’s fully discharged, it could fall into a deep discharge state, which renders it incapable of holding any charge. Conversely, if you store it fully charged for an extended period of time, the battery may experience some loss of battery capacity, meaning it will have a shorter life. Be sure to store the ejected battery at the proper temperature. (See “Notebook Temperate Zone.”)

http://www.apple.com/batteries/notebooks.html

[dtra]

ahh thanks
that's exactly what i was looking for