[barang]

I recently got an iBook for note taking at school. I use it all the time, almost always running on battery power. I was wonder what the best way to keep the battery new as long as possible.

Is it better, for instance, to charge it whenever it drops below 75%, or is it better to drain it almost completeley and then recharge.

Any other tips would be greatly appreciated.

[ixus_123]

lithium batteries don't like to be fully discharged so aim to try & keep it 1/4 - 1/3 full before recharging if at all possible

[drnkn_stylz]

Calibrate the battery so it charges and drains to the true max and min. Use your battery until it's totally dead (and the computer goes to sleep to save power). Then shut it down, or just plug it in and keep charging it until it's fully charged. You can use it while it's plugged in, but don't unplug it until it's full.

[frdmfghtr]

Well that's just super, one post saying never drain it completely and one saying drain it completely.

I would go with the first poster...don't deep discharge TOO often, maybe once every 30 cycles or so (see How to prolong lithium-based batteries) to calibrate the capacity meter.

[drnkn_stylz]

Well when I said drain it, that is ONLY for that one time. Sorry I should have been more clear. You want the battery to be totally dead, then charged totally full, so that way you use the battery in its entirety. That is the point of a calibration.

[frdmfghtr]

Ahh, OK...I thought you meant do a full cycle every time.