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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Mac Notebooks > Battery Won't Reach 100% Charge on Rev. D 12" PB and Fan Question

Battery Won't Reach 100% Charge on Rev. D 12" PB and Fan Question
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Elektrix
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Apr 8, 2005, 10:11 AM
 
Hi all,

I just got a new Rev. D 12 inch PowerBook G4, and I'm really enjoying it so far.

However, so far, I haven't been able to get the battery to reach 100% charge. It seems to cap out saying 99% and it list the status as "charged".

I did some searching to try and find out what would cause this, but haven't been able to find anything. I'm sure it's simple.

Anyway, just curious if anyone could point me to what I might need to do to correct this.

Also, I've found that when I use the PowerBook on my lap, it will get pretty hot, and the fan will kick in and be quite loud, especially when using something like GarageBand or watching a video. Does anyone have any advice on keeping it cool (any accessories that might help, etc.)? I've gotten the impression that the fans on the 12 inch PB's can just get loud, but I've also read some people who say it is always quiet or sometimes never even come son.

-Zadillo
     
f1000
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Apr 9, 2005, 03:21 PM
 
Originally posted by Elektrix:
However, so far, I haven't been able to get the battery to reach 100% charge. It seems to cap out saying 99% and it list the status as "charged".
Did you calibrate the battery per the user�s manual recommendation?

Originally posted by Elektrix:
Also, I've found that when I use the PowerBook on my lap, it will get pretty hot, and the fan will kick in and be quite loud, especially when using something like GarageBand or watching a video. Does anyone have any advice on keeping it cool (any accessories that might help, etc.)? I've gotten the impression that the fans on the 12 inch PB's can just get loud, but I've also read some people who say it is always quiet or sometimes never even come son.
My rev. B 12� PowerBook runs its fan often. If you adjust the Energy Settings for reduced performance, you should be able to run the computer cooler.
     
Elektrix  (op)
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Apr 9, 2005, 03:58 PM
 
Thanks. No, I haven't calibrated the battery. I set my PowerBook up at the Apple Store to make sure it was OK. I'll dig out the manual and check that out.

Is reduced performance in the Energy Saver settings different from the normal "Automatic" settings (that is what I have it set to now, and it seems to treat the settings differently based on whether it's plugged in or not).

-Elektrix
     
bovie
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Apr 9, 2005, 07:23 PM
 
Use your powerbook untill it goes to sleep because the batter is like 10%. Then recharge it.
     
MrForgetable
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Apr 9, 2005, 07:59 PM
 
it'll rarely be at 100%. i only get it for a couple of hours (if at all on one charge cycle), then it will drop down to 99, 98, etc. that's because our batteries will lose their charge whether or not you use it. plus it is harder to keep a full charge.
iamwhor3hay
     
I was David B.
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Apr 10, 2005, 11:15 AM
 
Originally posted by Elektrix:

Also, I've found that when I use the PowerBook on my lap, it will get pretty hot, and the fan will kick in and be quite loud, especially when using something like GarageBand or watching a video. Does anyone have any advice on keeping it cool (any accessories that might help, etc.)?
-Zadillo
I tried to get my rev b Powerbook cool. In the end nothing really helped except a low room temp or a stone table. Also iCurve doesn't really keep the thing cooler.
Internally the heatsink is very well constructed. But make sure the fan can move out the air easily and the vents are not blocked (by cables for example).

On your lap it gets hot because the bottom and the backside is directly connected to the heatsink. If you block ventilation here the fan has to run.

My Powerbook heats up mainly because of the graphics processor not the cpu. If you can avoid animations (in Safari or mozilla for example) it will keep your book cooler. Everything that moves on the screen heats up the gpu.

CPU load is less important but it is a good advice to set your energy settings to automatic. I could not find a difference in temp between reduced and automatic.
     
   
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