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simon.toon · 04:17 PM

My battery life has suddenly reduced from 5 hours to 5 minutes. This is since I updated to 10.2.4, but the problem now affects all versions of MacOS installed on my iBook (9.2.2, 10.1.5, 10.2.3 and 10.2.4).

My battery drains down from 100% to 95% at the usual rate, and then goes to sleep. It will only wake if I plug in the power supply, and then charges from 0% to 5%, and then reports 100%!

I'm not referring to a gradual loss of battery life, but a sudden one.

Are you having the same problem? Which spec is your iBook?

Dex13 · Mar 5, 2003, 08:58 PM

Here
http://discussions.info.apple.com/[email protected]

G-mac · Mar 6, 2003, 02:26 AM

Had the same issue with my iBook 500. Happened all of the sudden after upgrading to 10.2.4. Seems to have gotten back to normal after doing a clean install of 10.2 (had to sell the iBook). Hopefully, Apple will fix this soon.

dkvcr · Mar 7, 2003, 12:22 PM

I've too have noticed over the past month or so an obvious decline in battery life. I usually use my ibook as a desktop (ac plugged in), but now can't use it on battery as it only lasts about 10-15 minutes before shutting down completely. The battery indicator shows 100% charge before disconnecting the ac adaptor, but without warning the machine powers down. The only way to start it up again is to plug it in.

I've tried the PMU reset with no luck. The service department at a local distributor is ordering a new battery for me. Hope this helps.

Running os 10.2.4

simon.toon · Mar 31, 2003, 07:54 AM

Please keep your votes coming in. The more statistics we have the better the chance of Apple fixing the problem. I heard from tech support that it is not a hardware issue so they will no longer send out new batteries.

MPC · Mar 31, 2003, 08:36 AM

12" iBook - 16VRAM (600 CDROM)

all is well..

sniffer · Mar 31, 2003, 09:55 AM

My battery sucked already before the upgrade. 1 hour and 30 minutes espected battery life..

Peter · Mar 31, 2003, 12:02 PM

3.5 hours with airport one, lighting on max and all other settings on high. Loving it

AuPhalanx · Mar 31, 2003, 06:29 PM

My battery life has been nothing short of fantastic. Of course I am still running 10.2. Have have no desire--and more than a little fear--of upgrading to 10.2.4. No way am I downloading and installing all that crap only to have my machine wrecked. I'll wait for the next upgrade that comes on a CD.

Have fun... Tony.

dowNNshift · Apr 2, 2003, 10:53 PM

I voted

Yep, I'm the concerned owner of an iBook 600/DVD/Airport, since installing 10.2.4 my power on a full battery is 53 minutes, quickly declining to 15 minutes (in 5 minutes time), then to emergency sleep (in 15 minutes total time)

Already done the whole song and dance with the AppleCare guys and the �Mac Geniuses�� hopefully help is on the way??!

kybernaut · Apr 3, 2003, 05:23 AM

iBook 600 DVD, everything normal here...

simon.toon · Apr 3, 2003, 01:57 PM

Here is my analysis of the results so far as at 3-Apr-2003.

12" iBook (32 VRAM) ......... yes:1 .. no:7 .. 13%
12" iBook (16 VRAM) ......... yes:7 .. no:2 .. 78%
12" iBook (Late 2001) ...... yes:7 .. no:3 .. 70%
12" iBook (other models) .. yes:2 .. no:2 .. 50%
14" iBook ........................... yes:0 .. no:1 ... 0%

The problem seems to be exhibited on 12" iBooks only (not 14"). The problem does not seem to happen with the current (32VRAM) models (which would explain why new batteries do not suffer). The problem seems to be most prevalent in the 16VRAM models (May to November 2002).

Peter · Apr 3, 2003, 02:21 PM

My iBook has wonderful battery life since upgrading. So there.

simon.toon · Apr 3, 2003, 03:39 PM

Originally posted by PeterClark2002:
My iBook has wonderful battery life since upgrading. So there.

PeterClark2002,
I am envious. I assume your iBook is the 16VRAM model the same as mine (700MHz Combo).
Are you using your original battery? What is the serial number?

Peter · Apr 3, 2003, 03:55 PM

Originally posted by simon.toon:
PeterClark2002,
I am envious. I assume your iBook is the 16VRAM model the same as mine (700MHz Combo).
Are you using your original battery? What is the serial number?

Yes it is the same model iBook as yours, I do use the original battery. I bought the iBook around early November. My battery life settings are:
Automatic processor power, full brightness, airport on, hard disk never sleep. I also have a bluetooth dongle in 24/7 doubt that uses any power though.

simon.toon · Apr 3, 2003, 04:09 PM

Originally posted by PeterClark2002:
Yes it is the same model iBook as yours, I do use the original battery. I bought the iBook around early November.

That's useful information: your 16VRAM was one of the last ones to be produced. Perhaps they made a change to the circuitry of the battery during production of the 16VRAM model. I got mine in early July 2002.

emporernortoni · Apr 4, 2003, 02:58 PM

I've got a 12"/700Mhz/16MB VRAM/CD-ROM/256MB RAM(128/128) iBook, and each of the two times I've updated to 10.2.4, my battery went straight down the toilet.

The first time was at 4 days old(from 10.2.1 to 10.2.4), just to update to the newest software, and resulted in battery life dropping from 4h15m(1/2 brightness, automatic processor setting, screen sleep at 1 minute) to 45m with survival sleep at 30m.

The second time was with some experience under my belt, and the update was done with the battery removed, running off the a/c adapter, and resulted in about 3h30m battery life.

Knowing that I could get almost 4 full hours from my battery, I reverted to 10.2.1, and will be very hesitant to update 'till someone has good things to say about the rumored 10.2.5 update with battery fix.

MrNo · Apr 5, 2003, 03:22 AM

I got a brand new iBook with 10.2.4 installed on it and I get about 3.5 hours of battery life. I wondere if I downgrade to 10.2.1 will the battery last longer ...

simon.toon · Apr 9, 2003, 03:09 PM

Originally posted by MrNo:
I got a brand new iBook with 10.2.4 installed on it and I get about 3.5 hours of battery life. I wondere if I downgrade to 10.2.1 will the battery last longer ...

I wouldn't recommend it myself - an iBook with 10.2.4 installed would surely be a 32VRAM model (Dec 2002 onwards). The problem seems to be primarily affecting 12" iBook batteries produced during a period in 2002. Here is my latest analysis:

12" iBook (32 VRAM) ...... yes:3 .... no:9 .. 25%
12" iBook (16 VRAM) ...... yes:10 .. no:5 .. 67%
12" iBook (Late 2001) ...... yes:9 .. no:3 .. 75%
12" iBook (other models) .. yes:2 .. no:2 .. 50%
14" iBook ........................ yes:0 .... no:2 .... 0%

Also, I would say we shouldn't hold our breaths for a solution in the near future in 10.2.5, as Apple are still sending out replacement batteries if you push them.

hempcamp · Apr 9, 2003, 06:40 PM

an iBook with 10.2.4 installed would surely be a 32VRAM model (Dec 2002 onwards)

Huh?

My iBook 700 (16VRAM) is surely running 10.2.4, battery problems and all!

--Chris

simon.toon · Apr 10, 2003, 07:37 AM

Originally posted by hempcamp:
Huh?

My iBook 700 (16VRAM) is surely running 10.2.4, battery problems and all!

--Chris

Hempcamp,
If your 700MHz iBook was produced between May and December 2002 and it has a 12" screen (and a Combo drive), then I suspect you would have these sudden battery problems. This is the model called '16 VRAM'.
If your 700MHz iBook was produced since December 2002 it is actually the model called 'Opaque 16 VRAM' and it will have a 12" screen and a CDROM drive. In this case I think you would be unlikely to have these sudden battery problems.
Which one have you got?

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=88039

kybernaut · Apr 10, 2003, 04:34 PM

Strange, nothing mentioned about battery problems for 10.2.5...

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=25405

hempcamp · Apr 11, 2003, 12:06 AM

Originally posted by simon.toon:
[B]Hempcamp,
If your 700MHz iBook was produced between May and December 2002 and it has a 12" screen (and a Combo drive), then I suspect you would have these sudden battery problems. This is the model called '16 VRAM'.
If your 700MHz iBook was produced since December 2002 it is actually the model called 'Opaque 16 VRAM' and it will have a 12" screen and a CDROM drive. In this case I think you would be unlikely to have these sudden battery problems.
Which one have you got?

I have the 16 VRAM (purchased open-box from Apple in late August 2002).

I was responding to the original poster's comments that 10.2.4 was only on newer models, which isn't true. 10.2.4 was an update availble for everyone.

I doubt 10.2.5 is going to fix my woes. I'm headed to the Apple Store tomorrow to plead for a new battery, as I'm now down to 10 minutes with screen dimmed all the way!

It does me absolutely no good to have an immobile notebook. I wish Apple would just go ahead and acknowledge the problem already and have a general recall of battery/logicboard/whatever is causing the problem. They apparantly know how to fix it since the issue isn't appearing in newer models.

--Chris
iBook 700 OS X.2.4
PM 7500/200 OS 9.1
PM 4400/200 OS 8.6, NetBSD

klinux · Apr 11, 2003, 12:21 AM

10.2.5 did not solve the battery issue with my 10 month old iBook. Lasted a whole 7 minutes. See my comments http://forums.macnn.com/showthread.p...21#post1339221

simon.toon · Apr 11, 2003, 08:35 AM

Originally posted by klinux:
10.2.5 did not solve the battery issue with my 10 month old iBook. Lasted a whole 7 minutes. See my comments http://forums.macnn.com/showthread.p...21#post1339221

Same for my 16VRAM iBook (12"/700MHz/Combo drive).

simon.toon · Apr 15, 2003, 08:04 AM

Like many people with this problem, I have received a replacement battery (under warranty) and battery life is back to normal. It seems I may never know whether the problem could be fixed by a software/battery firmware update.

klinux · Apr 15, 2003, 01:01 PM

Got a new battery. Tested it by playing a CD inthe optical drive and surfed via wifi at highest prformance setting. Only ran battery down to 50% after a couple of hours. Looks like the new battery, not 10.2.5 fixed the problem!

x user · Apr 16, 2003, 01:15 AM

I'm starting to think that apple might have had a bad run of batteries? I know my 12" 800 has had the problem since I bought it. Apple is gonna get screwed over one I blow up on them. Maybe I should demand and upgrade to PB 12"?

proux · Apr 20, 2003, 12:22 PM

I am having problems also now, started with 10.2.5...

Down to an hour of life, from 2 hours. Strange thing is that after 45 mins it still says I have 1h15 of life and 60%, fine. Then around 50% and 15 mins later it goes to sleep.
I reconnect the AC and it says battery is at 0%.
Tried reset the PMU and calibrate the battery several times but no change.

My guess is a bad battery, unrelated to the OS upgrades. I had a bad battery last year on a 600mhz, now again on a 700mhz.

Now going to try a spare one...

iomatic · Apr 27, 2003, 02:21 AM

was not getting network (turned out to be some MCSE's bright idea of lending out too little DHCP addresses). upgraded; held breath. No problems w/ 12" 800, 10.2.5.

--> 100th post? sheesh. i need to get off these boards!