“I did my first real test of the controversial MacBook Pro battery today… When I first got to a desktop the battery menu bar item was estimating that I had 3 hours and 7 minutes of run time available, but the actual results were less impressive. I got the first low battery warning after exactly 2 hours and 30 minutes of run time and the involuntary sleep after 2 hours and 38 minutes,” Jason O’Grady reports for O’Grady’s PowerPage.
“This test was not exactly a scientific test as I wasn’t actively using the machine (which should help battery life) yet I had both wireless technologies on and the monitor set not to dim (which should hurt battery life),” O’Grady reports. “Next I will do a test of the battery running on the minimal settings to playback a DVD. (50% brightness, Airport and Bluetooth off). Then I will probably do a more real world test, where I use the machine the entire time.”
Full article here.
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Hopefully the MacBook’s next week will have decent battery life.
MacBook Pro Dissected!!!
http://eshop.macsales.com/Reviews/Framework.cfm?page=hardwareandnews/mbp1520/mbp1520.html
lol…. did Intel screwed up the MBP battery life….?
Maybe use a 15 inch powerbook bat.
Eithanius –
No, the power consumption of the display is largely to blame.
Remember, intel move was for performance for watt, not less watts… Battery life will not be better.
To get an idea of how the MacBook Pro stands up against the PowerBook’s 5-6 hours claimed battery life, you’ll have to do the following:
– Properly condition and calibrate the battery by fully discharging and fully charging once or twice.
– turn off AirPort and BlueTooth
– set the brightness to 50%
– turn off keyboard backlighting
– make sure the iSight camera isn’t on
– turn off IR port (if possible, not sure how you’d do that)
– eject any optical disc
– unplug any FireWire and USB devices
– Use the system under light loads
– Processor set to low performance (if this option is available)
– Hard drive allowed to sleep when possible
Once I’ve had a chance to do the above with my own MacBook Pro, then I’ll have a good idea of how long the system lasts on battery compared to the older PowerBook. I have a PowerBook 12″ (5 hour claimed battery life) and with all of the above, my battery would last 4.5 hours at most.
If the MacBook Pro can last that long under those conditions, then I’ll be happy. I think it should be able to come close given the info from O’Grady’s PowerPage. BlueTooth and AirPort suck up A LOT of juice.
I’m curious to see how Apple rates it, assuming they use the same methodology as they used for the 15″ PowerBook.
That is pretty bad. I can use my powerbook g4 15″ 1.67 ghz for about 3 hours if i’m actually using it. That number is even less scientific than ogrady’s, because I haven’t actually timed it in months and forget the exact value but since my 3 hour estimate includes active use I think it’s safe to say that the old powerbooks get better battery life. Odd considering the other article on MDN about how the iMac core duo is the most energy effecient desktop the author can find.
Let’s all post non-scientific tests and then make them out to be of supreme importance!
“Odd considering the other article on MDN about how the iMac core duo is the most energy effecient DESKTOP the author can find.”
Emphasis on the word ‘desktop’. You can’t compare the power consumption of a laptop to a desktop. With a desktop, power is cheap, and the only power consideration is heat dissipation.
battery shmattery — get over it — check back after some REAL tests have been performed.
you laptop losers — i mean users — sound like a bunch of junkies
2.5 hours at maximum brightness is really good news!
My old 17″ PowerBook 1.67Ghz got 2 hours at max brightness, and over 3 hours at half brightness, with minimal use. My girlfriend’s 12″ PowerBook 1.5Ghz gets 4 hours with the screen dimmed a bit.
Battery life is all about screen size and brightness.
If this is one of the first times the battery has been discharged it isn’t surprising to see low battery life. Li ion batteries need to be fully charged and drained a few times to calibrate and break in the battery. That’s what happened for my iPod. The first couple times i used it I had really short battery life (around 4 hours). After charging and discharging a couple times it lasts pretty much the advertised time (I haven’t checked exactly how long though)
anyway….
I wish Apple would bring back the little Pro laptop,
I don’t like laptops as my main machine, but it’s nice to be able to take something with me on a trip and a 17″ or 15″ box is just too big and expensive.
Why this article? It’s admittedly not a good test and it is incomplete. Why not do a complete test and then give the results? Half baked for sure.
The MacBook Pro does come with a isight cam, which add to the poor battery benchmarks.
This is stupid. People are upset because early reports are that the MacBook Pro’s battery might not get 4 hours?
The MacBook Pro is about performance per watt, not watts alone. I swear Mac users will always find something to nit pcik about. Get real people. The MacBook Pro is the finest laptop on the market. If you don’t believe that, buy a Dell and go away.
Listen the technology just can’t be pushed any further in regards to laptops.
I will never buy another laptop for primary use. Something cheap to take on the road perhaps.
But they just can’t cut it anymore, are too expensive and too fragile.
I would like to see Mac Book Pro smashed, the Intel chip ripped out and burned.
Those things don’t belong in a Mac.
Yet another disaster for Apple — they can’t even compete on battery time. When will people stop purchasing these stupid computers? They are $1000 more expensive then the competition, 400% slower in execution, the OS is full of security problems, and now we hear battery life is terrible.
I can appreciate that Mac fan boys would buy turds from Apple (as they apparently do now) but why continue to blow money on bad equipment? Since Apple has gone Intel, it is easy to find a real computer running a real operating system for a cheaper price and better warranty coverage.
Apple – Hosing their customers for over 20 years.
i’ve had 3 laptops before my imac duo and the duo pisses over them all, icebook , tibook and 17″ G4 pb
laptops are shit , slow , expensive , fragile and pointless for the average user
Mac Realist:
your mother can’t even compete on battery time.
flappo:
your mother is pointless for the average user.