[ender78]

Is it a good idea to leave the battery out of the Powerbook when working plugged in. I would like to preserve the battery as long as possible. Second, I'd like to see who has two power adapters. My MacBook will be my primary machine and will be plugged in most of the time. How long can I go between charges to make sure that the battery is topped up.

[ibook_steve]

On some Powerbooks, if you do not have the battery plugged in, the machine will always run in lower processor usage mode. This is a little known fact. There's no reason to leave your battery out. Once the battery is charged, it won't cycle anymore until the AC is removed. I don't really understand your second question. Can you explain it? In any case, people are *way* too paranoid about their battery use and care. Just use the machine the way it works best for you!

Steve

[UltimaLaw]

this is true....what steve said

[ibookuser2]

The PowerBook/MacBook and its battery are engineered to give your battery a long life. I don't understand why people are so worried about their batteries that they'll go to great lengths to do all kinds of things that amount to snake oil in an attempt to "preserve" their battery. If you're using your computer plugged in for an hour or a day at a time, it's not going to make any difference whether the battery is in the computer or not, you'd just be inconveniencing yourself by taking it out. If your computer is at your desk for weeks or months at a time where the battery is not used, first, it would actually be detrimental for the battery to be allowed to sit and discharge that long, and two, why the heck did you buy a laptop in the first place and why do you care about preserving the battery if you never use it?

Seriously, unless you really have the background to know better than the engineers who designed the PowerBook's power management, just leave your battery in and use it however it's convenient.

[drmbb2]

Also keep in mind that the shelf life of a smart LiOH battery is about 5-7 years (if stored under "ideal" conditions - ie. constant approx. 40% charge, constant temp and humidity within optimal range), whether used or not. It will also only be good for, typically, 500-700 full discharge/charge cycles (or the equivalent partial cycles).

There really is little you can do to "preserve" a LiOH battery's life - it's useful life span is largely fixed by it's chemistry and construction. Aalthough freezing will definately kill it, as it destroys the organic solvents used, as will extreme excessive heat.