this is a good article summing up all the possiblities to improve battery life. I would want to suggest a software called smc fan control (http://mac.softpedia.com/get/System-Utilities/smcFanControl.shtml) that helps to increase the fan speed to dissapate the heat produced during CPU intensive processes, which later gets transferred over to the batteries in turn damaging its "charge retaining" properties. I like to keep it at higher RPM only when connected to AC adapter. I have seen drastic changes in my battery life going up from 3 hrs to 4.5 hrs with wireless on. ( i have a year old macbook )

Turning your screen brightness down to the last bar doesn't put the screen to sleep, it simply turns off the backlight. in bright lights, you can still see the windows and files present at this setting on your screen.

instead, users should get in the habit of using the sleep-screen key combination:

Control + Shift + Eject

Would like to complain about the battery with our MacBook ... as per our local Apple store, the battery only operates 300 times. Meaning - after you have used the battery 300 times, it dies ... yet, it dies. And, you can conveniently purchase a new one for $129. Cannot begin to tell you how frustrated we are with this. So, I am boycotting such a purchase and using the plug only - but, the joke is on my, isn't it? So, much for future Apple purchases ... they just lost this customer!

yes but if you get five hours out of each use that's 1500 hours. or two full years if you use the battery for 2 hours seven days a week. if you plug it in every other time that's four years.

It doesn't "just die".

Batteries slowly lose their ability to hold charge. Apple is guaranteeing that the maximum charge will not fall below 80% of the capacity it had when it was new - if it does before then, they'll give you a new battery for free.

In most cases it will last far longer than 300 cycles. My own MacBook Air (rev A) is at 247 cycles already and can still hold 90%. After 300 cycles it will most likely still hold a decent charge.

Oh, and he new MacBooks are much different - the latest Air is guaranteed for 750, and the latest Pro for 1000 cycles.

I was wondering what is the recommended way to charge my macbookpro battery considering that I use my laptop the whole day (08hr-17hr), everyday. This is what I have been doing, I use it till the battery runs completely flat, then I charge it (while I am using it), when its full not a minute more I unplug it from power and use it till the battery runs flat again and the cycle continues. Is this the right way of doing it or you recommend otherwise? Please advice.

Actually you are doing exactly the opposite thing Apple recommends.

You should keep your MacBook plugged in if you have a power socket nearby (in other words keep it plugged-in at home and at the office and feel free to let it run using the battery while you're on the go).

The most important part is to remember to calibrate the battery using Apple's guide (http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86284). If you calibrate your MacBook's battery each month everything should be fine.

Haha, I've been doing the same exact thing as Andrew.. I'm on my 10th cycle and I've had the laptop for 9 days.. I've never worried about battery life til I got my macbook pro. So you suggest I keep it plugged in even after the light is green? I know the calibration thing will prevent it from overcharging.. so to me that means I can use the power from the wall instead of power from my battery and that saves a cycle?! If so, then yay; I don't carry my laptop out of my dorm much so keeping it plugged into the wall sounds ideal and I can save those cycles for whenever I actually use the laptop outside of my room, right?

Exactly my point :) I have a 2 and a half years old MacBook and its battery capacity is at 91% (after 215 cycles).

Actually, the new MacBook Pro's have a different battery than in the past... Look it up. Better life!

Yeah, I know that. If I'm not mistaking they announced the new batteries at WWDC 2009 and this article was published on 31st of March 2008 :).

I own a MacBook Pro and I was only able to get just a few hours of battery life per charge and that is if I was lucky. I'm a professional photographer so this just didn't cut it for me so my eventual solution was to get an external laptop battery from Novuscell Batteries. So far, no regrets because I'm now getting an extra 12 hours of battery runtime per charge on my MBP.

so your saying i shouldn't leave my mac on the charger for a long period of time? new user

Actually, you should keep it plugged in whenever possible. This way you will reduce the number of charging cycles which, in return, means that you will be able to use the same battery over a longer time.
This is due to the fact that a higher number of charging cycles translates into a battery with a smaller capacity (smaller capacity = reduced running time for your MacBook on a single battery charge).

This is directly off the apple website
"Apple does not recommend leaving your portable plugged in all the time. An ideal use would be a commuter who uses her notebook on the train, then plugs it in at the office to charge. This keeps the battery juices flowing. If on the other hand, you use a desktop computer at work, and save a notebook for infrequent travel, Apple recommends charging and discharging its battery at least once per month."

I know they don't recommend it but, like I said in the article: "Therefore, don't completely discharge the battery each and every time, but, instead, do a monthly battery calibration and your battery will be happy and healthy as a kitten. If you will calibrate it each and every month, you can also keep your MacBook plugged in without worrying the battery will overcharge because the calibration should allow it to know not to do that."

This means that, although one keeps a MacBook always plugged in, if you remember to calibrate the battery once a month everything should be OK.

According to Apple's support site: "The battery needs to be recalibrated from time to time to keep the onscreen battery time and percent display accurate and to keep the battery operating at maximum efficiency. You should perform this procedure when you first use your computer and then every few months after that. If you normally leave your Apple portable computer connected to AC power and very rarely use it on battery power you may want to perform this process once a month. "

Conclusion? Remembering to calibrate your MacBook's battery once a month is the most important thing if you want to keep the battery working at peak performance.

I have 454 cycles on my battery, it still holds 89% of it's full power, I have had the machine for three years. I am pleased with this compared to my Compaq C500 and Toshiba Satellite I had prior.

How do you know how many cycles you have done?
Also, I have a macbook pro and it says that I don't need to calibrate...would you say different bat?

You can use this little app: http://mac.softpedia.com/get/Utilities/coconutBattery.shtml to find out how many loadcycles your battery went through since you bought your Macbook.

"Portables with built-in batteries
Current Apple portable computer batteries are pre-calibrated and do not require the calibration procedure outlined in this article. These computers use batteries that should be replaced only by an Apple Authorized Service Provider.

MacBook

MacBook (13-inch, Late 2009) and later
MacBook Air

MacBook Air, all versions
MacBook Pro

MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2009) and later
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2009) and later
MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2009) and later"

Does this means that don't need to do the calibration for my new macbook pro?