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axlepin · Sep 22, 2003, 03:39 PM

Lately (past 2 days) I get about 15 minutes into working off the fully charged battery, and the iBook (600mhz) just shuts off!

No warning, no nothing..this at about 90% charge.

I've called Apple a few times, and they feel that the battery maybe gone, or maybe the power adapter.

I'm about 1 month shy of my anniversary with this great machine...is 11-12 months all I can expect?

thanks!

J

SupahCoolX · Sep 22, 2003, 06:19 PM

Probably the battery. This has come up a few times, so search the forums for more details on other peoples' experiences.

As for battery life: It depends on how much you use it. Batteries can only take something like 2000 charge/recharge cycles before they start to degrade. If you frequently cycle the battery, it won't last as long. There are some threads here on battery-extending tips, so have a look at some of those, too.

cecio · Sep 22, 2003, 08:40 PM

I've experienced the same problem a few months ago; iBook had just been manipulated by Apple Center because of troubles whit HD and motherboard, and when I got it repaired, it seemed battery could not live under 90%. The computer age was eight. Months. It seemed strange to me, and in fact I just had to force the battery for some cycles (I mean let it get empty at 90%, then recharge, then empty again...) and I saw it progressively grow better, until it got back to the standard charge.
I suggest you to try this way... good luck!

engaged · Sep 23, 2003, 08:18 AM

Originally posted by axlepin:
Lately (past 2 days) I get about 15 minutes into working off the fully charged battery, and the iBook (600mhz) just shuts off!

It's the battery; my iBook displayed exactly the same symptoms. I replaced the battery a month or so ago and the new one is fine though I still use the old one when plugged into the AC and keep the new one for when I use the iBook as a laptop.

I took it up with the local Apple Centre, and they don't cover it as the battery is a 'consumable' item and has a finite life.

axlepin · Sep 23, 2003, 08:32 AM

Originally posted by engaged:
...I still use the old one when plugged into the AC and keep the new one for when I use the iBook as a laptop.

do you mean that the new battery would experience some wear just by being *in* the plugged-in iBook??

axle

engaged · Sep 23, 2003, 08:46 AM

Originally posted by axlepin:
do you mean that the new battery would experience some wear just by being *in* the plugged-in iBook??

axle

My perspective is that the life of the battery is determined by the number of charge/discharge cycles that it goes through, therefore I should hopefully be able to make the new one last as long as possible by minimising the number of cycles it goes through. Whilst the old one lasts no longer than 10minutes once the AC is removed, it at least acts as a quasi-UPS should the mains fail.