Reviews for Rechargeable Battery - 17-inch MacBook Pro

When I got my 17" MacBook Pro in March of 2008, I bought a second battery. I've religiously alternated them over the years approximately every three months. A month ago, I went to swap batteries and found my "spare" battery had bulged through the case to the tune of about 3 inches!

A day ago, I noticed my trackpad clicker was hard to use...could barely depress it, but it would work. Today, it didn't work at all and if I tried using any part of the trackpad (including clicker), I couldn't select anything, either with the trackpad, corded mouse or bluetooth mouse.

Upon removing the battery, I could tell it was beginning to bulge!! (My second battery.) The bulging battery, even though not apparent to the eye, was causing the trackpad malfunction.

I've noticed there are many reviews about 17" MacBook Pro batteries bulging. Mine only has 173 cycle counts!

First one bulged in the computer and was replaced by Apple at no charge at 97 cycles. Within two years the second battery stopped holding a charge with only 177 cycles on it so I removed it and bought a Newer replacement battery as Apple would do nothing about the other battery. That battery expanded and popped the shield off within a month of coming out of the computer. One cell on the end away from the power connector was huge while all the others were normal. Clearly some defective manufacturing in this particular battery line as I've never had this problem with any other Apple battery.

The good news is the Macbook Pro this thing powered is still in working condition. Apple still sells these guys. The bad news is, they've not changed any of the battery's technology for the defects. I have poured about $400 into three batteries, thus far as a result of bulging - the recognized issue was supposedly addressed, but these reviews lead away from that claim... I guess I need to not leave my computer on, though one would think that as a consumer I could and should have that right.

Part of me wonders if I should recalibrate the battery every month, but even my car doesn't require that much maintenance, so I'm just going to use the old 2006 clunker as a desktop and not buy a 4th battery. Besides, the technology on a non-dual core processor directly hinders me from using anything past Snow Leopard. As a stock-holder, this is disappointing.

Don't leave it charging all the time. If you do, you may as well get a Mac Mini. Yes it will get hot when charging from less than 10%. Let it vent, don't insulate it, like leaving it on a bed or blanket. Still on my second battery. I usually replace every 2 or 3 years. Soon time for a new one. It's down from 4 hours to about 2.5 on a full charge. It's just the nature of compact Li-Ion chemistry. Recycle the old one. My 17" Mac Book Pro is the most rugged, reliable laptop I've ever had. It gets used on construction sites, in vehicles, in hot, dusty or wet environments. Dropped many times. Keeps on going...

I'm really surprised by all the bad reviews. My MBP is mid 2010, and I use it every day, and haven't had to replace the battery yet. It doesn't last as long as before, but I still get three or four hours out of it -- with the brightness turned up, and pretty heavy use. I have had a lot of non-apple laptops, and all of them were useless after about a year.

My battery just failed. It lasted 5 years, but as it bulged and failed it caused my track pad to fail too. Weird. Now I'm on the hook for $129, but I'm not going to complain because a PC isn't even worth the plastic my MAC is made of.

bought 2 batteries with my mac, one battery exploded in the box while using the other one, (swear) What the heck???? The other battery lasted 5 years before bulging, not exploding like the first, boy am I lucky, worst apple product ever. I think I'll buy a non apple replacement battery. It even made my track pad stick. I thought my computer was ruined until I took the battery out......

Awful!! Never had a computer battery swell and almost ruin the computer.....and Apple wants $129 for a new one! Should give them out for free with quality this bad.

My battery swell about 1 inch outside of the carcass and it is also making the touch pad not to work. It looks like it is about to explode after one year of use.