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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Mac Notebooks > 12" PowerBook battery life

12" PowerBook battery life
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qnxde
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Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Sydney, Australia
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May 25, 2003, 10:00 AM
 
With screen at full brightness, CPU turned to reduced, airport on and an mp3 playing, and light processing (irc chat, light browsing), I get about 2 to 2:15 battery life. Is this normal? A bit of a far cry from Apple's advertised 5 hours. What are other 12" powerbook users getting?

You can't eat all those hamburgers, you hear me you ridiculous man?
     
eevyl
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Location: Málaga, Spain, Europe, Earth, Solar System
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May 25, 2003, 10:25 AM
 
It is normal. MP3 can consume a lot of CPU, and also is a full time consuming process. I mean if you are browsing or doing light work, the CPU have some idle times. If you are playing MP3s, the CPU should have fewer idle times.

With medium brightness, no MP3, reduced CPU, airport on and some normal work I usually get about 3 hours.

Without Airport, however, I can get 4 or 4:30 easy.
     
The Placid Casual
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Join Date: May 2001
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May 25, 2003, 12:13 PM
 
The screen brightness is the killer... it always has been. It has to be turned waaay down to get anywhere near the advertised battery life...

I also find bluetooth to be a real drain on resources...

With brightness on the lowest, no bluetooth, browsing and word processing, (and some terminal use), I get about 4 hours...

With brightness and email/browsing, Mp3s, and stuff, I too get about 2.5 -2.75 hours.

Nothing to get upset about here...
     
elmer
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Join Date: Feb 2003
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May 26, 2003, 02:12 PM
 
Maybe we should have a contest to see who can drain their 12"PB battery the fastest
I agree with the above two posts. Also, if you're doing command-line work and want to save battery, don't use a transparent or translucent terminal window. Lots of websites have tips on maximizing battery life, for example, Load whatever you need into RAM in advance so you don't use the hard drive, etcetera. This variability in battery life depending on brightness and what you are running is by no means limited to Apple. I have a DELL Latitude and notice the same behaviour.

Michael
     
   
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