Determining Who Needs Battery Update 1.4

As you may have heard, Apple has released a new battery update for users of a 13-inch MacBook, ranging from the original model to the Late 2008 unibody SKU and the NVIDIA-equipped polycarbonate MacBook.

The new update is available solely as a standalone installer package which users need to determine whether or not they need for their respective systems. According to Apple Support documentation, MacBook models that may need this update are:


MacBook (13-inch)
MacBook (13-inch, Mid 2007)
MacBook (13-inch, Late 2006)
MacBook (13-inch, Late 2007)
MacBook (13-inch, Early 2008)
MacBook (13-inch, Early 2009)
MacBook (13-inch, Late 2008).

The Mac maker claims that Battery Update 1.4 “improves the ability of MacBook batteries to maintain a charge if you shut the system down and do not use it for an extended period of time.” However, some systems may need the update, while others don't. So here's what you need to do in order to find out if your notebook needs the new software.

From the Apple menu, choose About this Mac and click More Info to start the System Profiler. Locate the Hardware section and select Power. Three types of battery information may be listed. If any of these three listings appears in your Battery Information section, you need this update:

· A device name ASMB016 or ASMB013 in the serial number;
· A Pack Lot Code is 0002;
· A battery firmware version of 0110.

However, if the Pack Lot Code is 0003, then you do not need Battery Update 1.4, Apple says. The update is either not necessary, or has already been applied. Now, if you do need the update, there are additional steps to be followed.

· Download Battery Update 1.4 - a disk image named "Battery Update 1.4" will appear on your Desktop;
· Double-click the BatteryUpdate1.4.pkg - installation will start;
· Follow the onscreen instructions - the firmware update will activate when you restart your MacBook, while the updater will check the battery and update it if necessary.

Furthermore, users looking to update more than one battery can shut down or put their MacBook to sleep, replace the battery and start up / wake the computer. This time, the update will be applied automatically.