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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Mac Notebooks > 17" unibody MBP will have non-removable battery

17" unibody MBP will have non-removable battery
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Simon
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Jan 4, 2009, 04:55 AM
 
According to the latest rumors the 17" unibody MBP is ready to be announced at MWSF. So far nothing new.

But supposedly Apple has designed some kind of super slim battery pack that is installed in the 17" in such a way that it cannot be removed by the user. The claim is that this will allow much better battery life.

Obviously it also means no extra battery life from a second battery. And I guess battery replacement after loss of capacity will become more complicated as well.

http://www.9to5mac.com/17-inch-unibody-macbook
http://www.macrumors.com/2009/01/04/...-life-battery/
     
Brien
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Jan 4, 2009, 05:49 AM
 
I find that odd, given the MB and MBP are not that way, although the MBA is.

However, seeing that is was supposedly delayed due to manufacturing issues, the 17" MBP could be a radical departure from the 15", becoming the flagship, with features that the other lines won't have.
     
CharlesS
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Jan 4, 2009, 06:52 AM
 
I don't buy it. They finally bring the user-replaceable hard drive to the 15" MBP, and then they take away the ability to even change the battery on the 17", which should have more room than the 15" to work with in the first place? Doesn't sound right.

Also, how would making the battery pack "super-slim" cause it to last longer? That's the opposite of the way these things usually work, unless they're using some new battery technology or something.

Now if they were actually talking about a 17" version of the MacBook Air, then this would make sense.

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slugslugslug
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Jan 4, 2009, 09:21 AM
 
^ Except for the whole concept of a 17" MBA.

When I saw the post on MacRumors.com, I was really dubious. But then it said that they're inclined to believe it based on their own sources. MacRumors usually just aggregates the scuttlebutt from other sites, with some commentary on those sites' track records. When they occasionally mention their own sources, though, they have a good record themselves.

It still just seems like a bizarre move, though.
     
ghporter
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Jan 4, 2009, 09:24 AM
 
Going with a 17" MBA, that might work well. Reversing course on the MBP though, after finally (as Charles points out) making it easy to change out the hard drive on the 15" MBP, it would just be dumb.

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
Super Mario
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Jan 4, 2009, 09:46 AM
 
It doesn't matter to me. Apple doesn't care about pro users anymore especially Photoshop users who need a mobile workstation/desktop replacement. 6 bit panels and glossy screens don't cut it. The MacBook Pros are now just for iTunes movies and Apple apps.

Just look how quiet the rumor mill is regarding the Mac Pro towers too. Apple has been beaten to Core i7 by months. Nobody cares about pro work on a Mac anymore. I'm no longer proud to run a Mac especially with Al Gore's fat arse sitting on the company board and Jobs about to leave.

I'm jumping ship to the Windows world because Windows 7 looks promising and a 64bit version of Photoshop is already out for Windows. I've just picked up a second hand Vaio AR61S to get used to it all. For only £600(UK) my machine came with a 17" 10 bit panel, 4GB memory, dual internal 200GB hard drives in a RAID-0 stripe with space for a third hard drive, a Blu-ray rewriter, and a Geforce 8600GT with DDR3 memory (which outperforms the DDR2 version that was in the MacBook Pros).

Yes, I paid £600 only and it's in perfect condition! Photoshop CS4 flies on it. Now where can I get a second hand MacBook Pro with specs like that? To make the MacBook Pro range look even worse the new Vaio ARW series ramps up the specs even further: 18.4 inch 12 bit panel, dual solid state drives in a RAID-0 stripe plus a normal HDD, Geforce 9600GT with DDR3 memory, Blu-ray rewriter, etc for the same price Apple charges for its highest spec MBP which is hardly high spec at all relatively speaking.
( Last edited by Super Mario; Jan 10, 2018 at 02:24 PM. )
     
Urkel
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Jan 4, 2009, 11:55 AM
 
IF it's true, then I wonder how much of it has to do with how flimsy the new aluminum battery door is. On my 13" it can bend pretty easily, so I can imagine the potential problem being much worse if they try to put a larger door for a 17".

So maybe they decided to just take the option out of the consumers clumsy hands.
( Last edited by Urkel; Jan 5, 2009 at 12:37 PM. )
     
CharlesS
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Jan 4, 2009, 03:27 PM
 
Originally Posted by slugslugslug View Post
^ Except for the whole concept of a 17" MBA.
I know, but the current MBA already has a larger screen than really makes sense for it, so who knows.

It makes more sense than this rumor, anyway.

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Brien
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Jan 4, 2009, 05:25 PM
 
They might (as some MR users have speculated) be using those new silver-zinc batteries in the 17".
     
analogue SPRINKLES
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Jan 4, 2009, 06:14 PM
 
I don't think it will be that big of a deal as out of all the 3 laptops I have ever owned I never replaced or purchased a backup battery and I am a pro user.

Out of the 20+ people I know with a PC or Mac Laptop NONE of them have either.

People also made this fuss with the Air and the iPhone yet it seems quickly forgotten.

Sure there are users who needs this feature but you can sure as hell bet they are a much much smaller percentage then the ones who would rather take the pro's of a longer life/non-removable battery.

If the iphone has one but it meant it was thicker with square edges and a battery faceplate that felt cheap and flimsy over it's current for i'll take current form anyday.

When my current battery in the iPhone goes bad I will have to pay the same wether or not it was done by apple. I will also not keep the phone long enough for it to be an issue as I will prob upgrade every year or 2 just.

Those who made issues out of the iPhone batteries (which they swore they needed) didn't run out and buy those external batteries which are just as good or better so
     
ghporter
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Jan 4, 2009, 06:39 PM
 
Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES View Post
I don't think it will be that big of a deal as out of all the 3 laptops I have ever owned I never replaced or purchased a backup battery and I am a pro user.

Out of the 20+ people I know with a PC or Mac Laptop NONE of them have either.
Let me introduce myself. I'm Glenn. Pleased to meet you. Now that we know each other, you now know someone who's replaced a couple of laptop batteries.

I've replaced my son's Dell battery twice now. He uses the heck out of it, so the battery goes through the finite number of cycles in it faster. My wife's iBook battery was replaced by Apple due to the big "OMG, Sony made messed up battery cells" debacle of a while back.

Which is something I worry about. If there's another battery recall, everyone with a 17" unibody will have to send it back to have the battery replaced, instead of waiting for the replacement battery to be shipped to them. That would be a major PITA for iPhone users too, which is one reason I'm not as eager to get the iPhone as I might otherwise be.

Huge deal? Not really. But I still think it's a step backward when compared to the new 15" MBP.

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
Brien
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Jan 4, 2009, 06:45 PM
 
I think what we're seeing is the gradual transition of the laptop line to MBAs in different sizes. Considering Apple's been all too happy to alienate the pro users and use laptop parts in the iMac, I'm not too surprised, although if it performs well and doesn't lose capacity like Li-ion then I wouldn't really care. Just as long as the RAM/HDD are accessible.
     
mduell
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Jan 4, 2009, 06:51 PM
 
An external battery pack a good idea for people who need extended runtimes anyway. $250 will get you about 130Whr, which is 2-4x the capacity of Apple's laptop batteries. And you can keep using the same external battery pack when you upgrade laptops and with other devices (charging phones, iPods, etc).

Originally Posted by CharlesS View Post
I don't buy it. They finally bring the user-replaceable hard drive to the 15" MBP, and then they take away the ability to even change the battery on the 17", which should have more room than the 15" to work with in the first place? Doesn't sound right.

Also, how would making the battery pack "super-slim" cause it to last longer? That's the opposite of the way these things usually work, unless they're using some new battery technology or something.
A theory: With the 17" there's enough space to put everything else (logic board, fans, optical drive, and hard drive, which are all approximately the same thickness [~10mm]) on the same plane and inserting a thick battery into the middle of this results in packaging inefficiencies, so it's desirable to have a thin, large footprint battery below the laptop. I don't know why this would necessitate a non-user-replceable battery, since it could be modeled like the bottom panel on the new 15" MBPs.

Originally Posted by Super Mario View Post
Just look how quiet the rumor mill is regarding the Mac Pro towers too. Apple has been beaten to Core i7 by months. Nobody cares about pro work on a Mac anymore. I'm no longer proud to run a Mac especially with Al Gore's fat arse sitting on the company board and Jobs about to leave.

I'm jumping ship to the Windows world because Windows 7 looks promising and a 64bit version of Photoshop is already out for Windows. I've just picked up a second hand Vaio AR61S to get used to it all. For only £600(UK) my machine came with a 17" 10 bit panel, 4GB memory, dual internal 200GB hard drives in a RAID-0 stripe with space for a third hard drive, a Blu-ray rewriter, and a Geforce 8600GT with DDR3 memory (which outperforms the DDR2 version that was in the MacBook Pros).

Yes, I paid £600 only and it's in perfect condition! Photoshop CS4 flies on it. Now where can I get a second hand MacBook Pro with specs like that? To make the MacBook Pro range look even worse the new Vaio ARW series ramps up the specs even further: 18.4 inch 12 bit panel, dual solid state drives in a RAID-0 stripe plus a normal HDD, Geforce 9600GT with DDR3 memory, Blu-ray rewriter, etc for the same price Apple charges for its highest spec MBP which is hardly high spec at all relatively speaking.
Core i7 chips have not been released for any of the product lines that Apple uses. The quietness of the rumor mill regarding the next Mac Pro is a bit surprising, but OTOH what's there to speculate on? A probable release in Q1, about a month following the Nehalem Xeon release, offering 1 or 2 $700+ CPUs (and upgrades to the fastest chip Intel offers) with the fastest memory speed supported by them (1333Mhz DDR3) on a close to reference board design using Intel house chipsets in the existing Mac Pro case, with a refreshed video card selection from the current low-end, gamer, and pro selections, and marginal memory/hard drive capacity bumps. It's nothing that people get really excited over like the form factor or color of the new iPod.

I was in the Longhorn beta and used that experience to decide against upgrading to Vista myself. I should be in a Win7 beta soon and we'll see how it goes, but I'm optimistic about MS not making the same mistakes over again (and looking forward to a 64-bit OS so I can use >3.25GB memory).

I have a feeling Sony is playing fast, loose, and deceptive with the bit depth of their laptop displays; there are few 8-bit panels for laptops and what OS supports 10+ bpsp output? They're probably claiming something more like "effective 11-bit" because of their coatings or multiple backlights or something. But there's certainly a high price to pay for OS X when the Windows world can deliver a the same or better hardware than the new $2500 MBP with Blu-ray for $1400.
( Last edited by mduell; Jan 4, 2009 at 06:58 PM. )
     
analogue SPRINKLES
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Jan 4, 2009, 07:43 PM
 
Originally Posted by ghporter View Post
Huge deal? Not really. But I still think it's a step backward when compared to the new 15" MBP.
I'm not so sure a 50% battery life increase counts as much of a downside to most but ok.
     
ghporter
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Jan 4, 2009, 09:06 PM
 
Originally Posted by ghporter View Post
Huge deal? Not really. But I still think it's a step backward when compared to the new 15" MBP.
Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES View Post
I'm not so sure a 50% battery life increase counts as much of a downside to most but ok.
Note that I said making the battery non-user replaceable was "a step backward," not that a higher capacity battery was a downside. I'd prefer both. (I think that means I'm greedy, but what the heck! )

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
SierraDragon
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Jan 4, 2009, 09:07 PM
 
FWIW I have been thrilled with my early C2D 17" MBP, 3 GB RAM.

In a new 17" I am more interested in other features (FW800, EC/34, strong GPU, dual hard drives, lots of possible RAM, quality matte display available) than in the battery, but it is easy to envision how easy battery removability adds undesirable thickness and weight to the case design. A properly used battery usually lasts years so overnight UPS or a store trip for replacement would not be the end of the world.

Every few months I have a crash that requires removing all power then rebooting. My only concern with a non-removable battery is how to do such a hard restart. Not that I find the MBP weight problematic (I do not), but other than that I would gladly trade away removability for a bit less weight at the same battery life.

-Allen Wicks
( Last edited by SierraDragon; Jan 4, 2009 at 09:18 PM. )
     
Urkel
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Jan 4, 2009, 11:32 PM
 
Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES View Post
I don't think it will be that big of a deal as out of all the 3 laptops I have ever owned I never replaced or purchased a backup battery and I am a pro user.

Out of the 20+ people I know with a PC or Mac Laptop NONE of them have either.
Well, count me down as another person who has not only found the ability to replace batteries to be useful, but it has probably saved me from a small fire back with a company Dell.

Anyway, even if you can afford to replace notebooks rather than just batteries then what about those times where you're computer is so locked up that you have no choice but to pull the plug. Completely removing a computer from a power source is not something that should be considered a "feature".
( Last edited by Urkel; Jan 5, 2009 at 12:35 PM. )
     
Simon  (op)
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Jan 5, 2009, 02:30 AM
 
Here's another such person. I have had to exchange the battery on every 15" MBP I have ever owned. I exchanged the battery on a PB G4 and on two MBs I have also owned.

Batteries have a finite overall lifetime. They need to be exchanged after a while if they are actually used (read cycled). Battery capacity improvement would have to be huge to offset the major disadvantage of having to send in your professional notebook just to get a battery replaced. Keep in mind this is a tool for professional work, not a toy like an iPod.
     
Super Mario
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Jan 5, 2009, 06:11 AM
 
Originally Posted by mduell View Post
I was in the Longhorn beta and used that experience to decide against upgrading to Vista myself. I should be in a Win7 beta soon and we'll see how it goes, but I'm optimistic about MS not making the same mistakes over again (and looking forward to a 64-bit OS so I can use >3.25GB memory).
So far I have found no problem with Vista after upgrading to Service Pack 1. I have configured the settings, taskbar and Explorer to feel almost exactly like my Leopard config was. In fact there are significant improvements I'm experiencing:

-Vista's Windows Explorer is faster than the Finder. The only thing I miss here is QuickLook but the Preview pane here is bigger than the Finder's.
-Photoshop CS4 64bit can access more memory than the Mac version and is sooo fast with the new GPU accelerated interface.
-The Vaio's Geforce 8600GT with faster DDR3 memory is about as fast as the Geforce 9600GT in the current MacBook Pro. DDR3 really makes a difference!
-Apps launch faster.
-Office is better. Photoshop is better as I already pointed out. Filezilla is a native app instead of a hacked up Java job. Contacts management is better and doesn't require an application because it is built into the file manager. VLC is a much more complete media player with optimised support for GPU and sound hardware. Vuze/Azureus is a better looking app. Skype and Live Messenger are also better than the Windows versions. iTunes and Safari are identical to the Mac versions.


I have a feeling Sony is playing fast, loose, and deceptive with the bit depth of their laptop displays; there are few 8-bit panels for laptops and what OS supports 10+ bpsp output?
There are 10 and 12 bit panels in the latest Thinkpad and Dell workstations. Sony's top model in the AW range has full coverage of Adobe RGB's color gamut using what Sony calls its VX color system.

I've tested the display in this AS series Vaio against a new MacBook Pro 15". For testing I use this image which displays full Adobe RGB gamut. I use this (and other) images to calibrate all monitors I have used at home and in studios. Imageshack's uploader has compressed the image so I'll see where I can upload it for you to see properly.

http://img206.imageshack.us/my.php?i...lortestys0.jpg

On the MacBook Pro, tilt the screen back and look at it from a low angle. There is quite obvious color banding in the midtones. especially in the greens and blues, because of the 6 bit display. That would make high end retouching a difficult job. On the Vaio AS there is very little banding. On the Vaio AW there was none at all!!!

ore i7 chips have not been released for any of the product lines that Apple uses. The quietness of the rumor mill regarding the next Mac Pro is a bit surprising, but OTOH what's there to speculate on?
If Apple cared about pros like they almost did for a while then they would have announced Core i7 Mac Pros when others in the industry announced i7 computers. Others have been shipping quad-core all-in-ones and laptops during the last quarter too. All I'm seeing from Apple is consumer solutions that revolve around selling iTunes music, videos and iPhone games. It's obvious why they dumped Computer from the company's name. They want to be Sony, so now Sony and others are muscling into the pro territory that Apple is leaving behind.
( Last edited by Super Mario; Jan 10, 2018 at 02:24 PM. )
     
iPublius
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Jan 5, 2009, 06:19 AM
 
Why are you still here? Aren't Princess Peach and Toad calling you back to the Mushroom Kingdom?
     
Simon  (op)
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Jan 5, 2009, 06:22 AM
 
This thread is about the new 17" MBP and the rumors concerning its battery.

All this talk about Vista, Mac Pros, etc. is completely off-topic. The OT posts have been reported.
     
Super Mario
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Jan 5, 2009, 06:34 AM
 
Originally Posted by iPublius View Post
Why are you still here? Aren't Princess Peach and Toad calling you back to the Mushroom Kingdom?
I need to do some nude Wii fit before I return for my next adventure.
( Last edited by Super Mario; Jan 10, 2018 at 02:25 PM. )
     
clockworkwar
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Jan 5, 2009, 09:05 AM
 
If it does it will have a high capcity none removable and a smaller removable battery.
     
slugslugslug
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Jan 5, 2009, 09:32 AM
 
Originally Posted by Simon View Post
…They need to be exchanged after a while if they are actually used (read cycled). Battery capacity improvement would have to be huge to offset the major disadvantage of having to send in your professional notebook just to get a battery replaced. Keep in mind this is a tool for professional work, not a toy like an iPod.
This brings up another point: it seems to me that people who buy the 17" model are pretty likely to be using it as a desktop replacement. That is, I'd think they're especially unlikely to have a backup Mac on their desk to use if they do have to send in the MacBook.
     
NobleMatt
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Jan 5, 2009, 09:38 AM
 
anyone know the battery usage difference between the 15" and 17", i personally have had no experience of it, with the new 150% batteries, it it likely to last much longer than the 15" version with the replaceable, with its less power hungry screen, processor ect?
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Simon  (op)
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Jan 5, 2009, 10:03 AM
 
The current 15" MBP has a 50Wh battery and Apple specs it at 5h wireless productivity.
The previous 15" MBP came with a 60Wh battery and got 5h in theory.

The 17" MBP comes with a 68Wh battery that supposedly lasts for 5h.

The new NVIDIA 9400M G chipset uses about 15% less power than the previous Intel Crestline chipset. Unless Apple switches the 17" MBP to Penryn XE the CPU TDP will stay at 35W. The new 17" will probably have roughly the same power consumption as the previous 17". However, if you switch the dedicated graphics off and use only the 9400M GT shared graphics you will most likely get better battery life than with the current 17" MBP.
( Last edited by Simon; Jan 5, 2009 at 10:13 AM. )
     
Wiskedjak
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Jan 5, 2009, 10:14 AM
 
Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES View Post
I don't think it will be that big of a deal as out of all the 3 laptops I have ever owned I never replaced or purchased a backup battery and I am a pro user.

Out of the 20+ people I know with a PC or Mac Laptop NONE of them have either.
I replaced the battery on my iBook twice. On my 2yr-old MacBook, the battery currently gives me less than 1 hour of use and will need replacing as well.
     
SpaceMonkey
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Jan 5, 2009, 10:38 AM
 
My completely uninformed reaction is that this sounds incredibly unlikely, but I probably would have said the same thing before Apple left the floppy drive off of the iMac.

"One ticket to Washington, please. I have a date with destiny."
     
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Jan 5, 2009, 11:28 AM
 
Originally Posted by SpaceMonkey View Post
My completely uninformed reaction is that this sounds incredibly unlikely, but I probably would have said the same thing before Apple left the floppy drive off of the iMac.
Or firewire off the unibody MacBooks.

I agree, it seems unlikely, but it wouldn't surprise me to learn it's true. Apple does some pretty bizarre things sometimes that seem to serve no purpose other than to speed up the obsolescence of a product.
     
PaperNotes
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Jan 5, 2009, 02:00 PM
 
Originally Posted by Super Mario View Post
-Vista's Windows Explorer is faster than the Finder. The only thing I miss here is QuickLook but the Preview pane here is bigger than the Finder's.
-Photoshop CS4 64bit can access more memory than the Mac version and is sooo fast with the new GPU accelerated interface.
-The Vaio's Geforce 8600GT with faster DDR3 memory is about as fast as the Geforce 9600GT in the current MacBook Pro. DDR3 really makes a difference!
-Apps launch faster.
-Office is better. Photoshop is better as I already pointed out. Filezilla is a native app instead of a hacked up Java job. Contacts management is better and doesn't require an application because it is built into the file manager. VLC is a much more complete media player with optimised support for GPU and sound hardware. Vuze/Azureus is a better looking app. Skype and Live Messenger are also better than the Windows versions. iTunes and Safari are identical to the Mac versions.
Don't forget to install these two when you "switch to Windows"

http://code.google.com/p/two-finger-scroll/

http://insentient.net/
     
NobleMatt
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Jan 5, 2009, 02:53 PM
 
Originally Posted by Simon View Post
The current 15" MBP has a 50Wh battery and Apple specs it at 5h wireless productivity.
The previous 15" MBP came with a 60Wh battery and got 5h in theory.

The 17" MBP comes with a 68Wh battery that supposedly lasts for 5h.

The new NVIDIA 9400M G chipset uses about 15% less power than the previous Intel Crestline chipset. Unless Apple switches the 17" MBP to Penryn XE the CPU TDP will stay at 35W. The new 17" will probably have roughly the same power consumption as the previous 17". However, if you switch the dedicated graphics off and use only the 9400M GT shared graphics you will most likely get better battery life than with the current 17" MBP.
so if it is as suggested a 50% life increase over they 15" battery they we could see the 17" running with a battery life of over 7 hours on max performance setting? quite a big improvement
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SierraDragon
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Jan 5, 2009, 03:36 PM
 
Note that battery "life" is often as much about software/firmware as it is about the actual battery itself. It is logical that even with the existing battery a 2009 version would achieve better battery performance. The most obvious thing being automated GPU-switching, especially when OS 10.6 is on board.

-Allen Wicks
     
SierraDragon
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Jan 5, 2009, 03:45 PM
 
Originally Posted by crazyreaper View Post
so if it is as suggested a 50% life increase over they 15" battery they we could see the 17" running with a battery life of over 7 hours on max performance setting?
My guess is that neither the current 5 hour estimates nor that 50% improvement estimate are based on running meaningful apps at maximum performance setting, nor should they be. Folks like me who use a MBP to its max on graphics apps are aware enough to expect greatly decreased battery performance when working set to maximum performance.

Those few times when I will not soon be near the ability to recharge I adjust the Energy Saver to Better Battery Life.

-Allen Wicks
( Last edited by SierraDragon; Jan 5, 2009 at 03:51 PM. )
     
Wiskedjak
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Jan 5, 2009, 04:11 PM
 
My concern about non-removable batteries on laptops isn't so much about getting a few more hours out of away-from-a-power-outlet use, but about what happens when the battery start holding less and less charge after a year or two of constant use.

I run my laptops off the battery almost every day. After a year or two, the battery's capacity is down by about 50%. I'm lucky if I get 45 minutes out of my MacBook.
     
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Jan 5, 2009, 10:30 PM
 
Originally Posted by Wiskedjak View Post
My concern about non-removable batteries on laptops isn't so much about getting a few more hours out of away-from-a-power-outlet use, but about what happens when the battery start holding less and less charge after a year or two of constant use.

I run my laptops off the battery almost every day. After a year or two, the battery's capacity is down by about 50%. I'm lucky if I get 45 minutes out of my MacBook.
This is my concern as well. To me is means, either I have to buy a new macbook ($$$$ for Apple) as soon as the battery life is useless, or get it replaced by AppleCate and extend my AppleCare as long as I can (More $$$ for Apple). No more battery replacements.
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mduell
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Jan 5, 2009, 11:00 PM
 
Originally Posted by Wiskedjak View Post
My concern about non-removable batteries on laptops isn't so much about getting a few more hours out of away-from-a-power-outlet use, but about what happens when the battery start holding less and less charge after a year or two of constant use.

I run my laptops off the battery almost every day. After a year or two, the battery's capacity is down by about 50%. I'm lucky if I get 45 minutes out of my MacBook.
Originally Posted by jay3ld View Post
This is my concern as well. To me is means, either I have to buy a new macbook ($$$$ for Apple) as soon as the battery life is useless, or get it replaced by AppleCate and extend my AppleCare as long as I can (More $$$ for Apple). No more battery replacements.
Huh? Apple offers battery replacement for all of their sealed-battery devices. For the MBAir it's the same price as a MB/MBP battery.
     
schuey100
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Jan 6, 2009, 12:32 PM
 
Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES View Post
I don't think it will be that big of a deal as out of all the 3 laptops I have ever owned I never replaced or purchased a backup battery and I am a pro user.

Out of the 20+ people I know with a PC or Mac Laptop NONE of them have either.
http://forums.macnn.com/69/mac-noteb...-apple-refund/

That's not the first time I've had to replace a battery. 4 in the space of 3 years, twice mine and twice my Wifes. Oh, and three at work that I know of.

The lack of removable battery could well be the last straw for me and Apple. Maybe this is a good opportunity to move to Windows with 7 around the corner.
     
clockworkwar
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Jan 6, 2009, 02:12 PM
 
Its just been announced.
     
infowarrior
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Jan 6, 2009, 02:42 PM
 
Who in their right mind would sacrifice a removable laptop battery for promises of extended battery life between charges? As with the iPhone, if the battery goes, you need to send it into Apple --- didn't anyone @ Cupertino think folks MIGHT have a privacy issue with this? Or of those that do, would be willing to wipe and rebuild their machines just to get a routine part replaced since it'll be out of their positive control?

Apple, you really messed this one up.
     
schuey100
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Jan 6, 2009, 02:47 PM
 
Originally Posted by infowarrior View Post
Who in their right mind would sacrifice a removable laptop battery for promises of extended battery life between charges? As with the iPhone, if the battery goes, you need to send it into Apple --- didn't anyone @ Cupertino think folks MIGHT have a privacy issue with this? Or of those that do, would be willing to wipe and rebuild their machines just to get a routine part replaced since it'll be out of their positive control?

Apple, you really messed this one up.
Yeh, I was just talking to someone I worked with, an all Apple company, he just mentioned that they'd have a few issues sending in the sales guy's laptops for repair, he said he'd probably just take the drive out completely otherwise he couldn't justify sending them.
     
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Jan 6, 2009, 03:25 PM
 
Can you even take the hard drive out though? It sounds like the thing is practically hermetically sealed.

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infowarrior
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Jan 6, 2009, 03:33 PM
 
Originally Posted by CharlesS View Post
Can you even take the hard drive out though? It sounds like the thing is practically hermetically sealed.
Even if you could, it's just a huge inconvenience for something that ANY user from the geekiest geek to Grandma Tillie should be able do do themselves. Poor architecture, IMHO.
     
NobleMatt
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Jan 6, 2009, 04:26 PM
 
i dont know, im in the market for a macbook and i am tempted to possibly sacrifice the removable bat for the longer lasting one, mind u whats the price of a second battery for the 15"ers
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Veltliner
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Jan 6, 2009, 04:29 PM
 
I wouldn't want to be in the field and know: I have only 8 hours of running time.

8 apple hours.

Which would be closer to 6 hours by Newton standards.


Maybe we're getting a new add-on now: the external battery.

Another one: Apple says the battery will last 5 years. Does that mean we'll get a 5 year-warranty on the battery?

Not effing likely.


I just wonder who's Apple's target audience for this MBP: people hanging around at Starbucks and their power outlets, or those who actually have to do work in the field...

Remember the early iPods and their non-replacable batteries? I hope Apple will have a speedy learning curve by connection to past experience.
     
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Jan 6, 2009, 07:16 PM
 
Originally Posted by mduell View Post
Huh? Apple offers battery replacement for all of their sealed-battery devices. For the MBAir it's the same price as a MB/MBP battery.
Yes, but that means taking it into a Apple Store to have it repaired (which can mean a few days without my laptop which i use every day for school). I would rather be able to Order a new battery and have it shipped to me.
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Spheric Harlot
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Jan 6, 2009, 07:22 PM
 
Originally Posted by Veltliner View Post
Remember the early iPods and their non-replacable batteries? I hope Apple will have a speedy learning curve by connection to past experience.
Yeah, I remember those.

Mine still gets about four hours.

It's only 7 years old, though.
     
ghporter
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Jan 6, 2009, 07:57 PM
 
Bad move, Steve. Not that I wanted a 17" MBP to begin with, but I'm not likely to recommend it now, either. I am so very impressed by the 15" MBP's simplicity and how natural it now is to just swap out the hard drive from inside the battery cover, that I am no very NEGATIVELY impressed by this design for the 17" MBP.

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analogue SPRINKLES
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Jan 6, 2009, 09:05 PM
 
I LOVE this new battery and am very disappointed they didn't do this for the 15" that I just bought. This thing lasting 5 years is longer than i will own the laptop and even if not $170 for a new one that lasts another five is not much in compared to the price of the removable ones.

I'm never going to need to swap batteries and all that wasted space and hardware isn't worth it.
     
SierraDragon
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Jan 6, 2009, 09:24 PM
 
I have a solution!

Y'all buy a new 17" MBP and trade me for my 17" MBP with the spiffy removable battery. I will not even charge a premium.

In the interest of full disclosure I must admit that my removable battery weighs more, has half the daily battery life and half as many cycles before replacement. But hey, it is removable and y'all seem to think that is far more important than those other little issues.

So let's trade!

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ghporter
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Jan 6, 2009, 10:47 PM
 
Originally Posted by analogue SPRINKLES View Post
I LOVE this new battery and am very disappointed they didn't do this for the 15" that I just bought. This thing lasting 5 years is longer than i will own the laptop and even if not $170 for a new one that lasts another five is not much in compared to the price of the removable ones.

I'm never going to need to swap batteries and all that wasted space and hardware isn't worth it.
Are you ever going to want to upgrade your hard drive? That's one of the features of the 15" MBP's design that I really like, and it's something that the new 17" MBP won't let you do, at least not as simply and elegantly as with the 15".

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
 
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