Reviews for Rechargeable Battery - 17-inch MacBook Pro

I just replaced my battery after two years of regular use. My computer stays plugged in most of the time at work, and I've been able to spend a couple hours online, etc. in the evening on battery power. A couple weeks ago the battery life dropped to a couple minutes so I knew it was time to replace it. After reading some reviews about the bubbling, I myself noticed my battery start to do it just last night. Good thing my new battery showed up this morning.

After almost 2.5 years my MBP 17" Battery pulled the expanding balloon trick, eventually killing the trackpad.. I of course thought it was the trackpad until the battery expanded in the other direction.. and when the Macbook is a rockin.. well I wasn't knocking on wood.

The cool thing was after going setting up an appointment at the Emeryville Apple store, they replaced it immediately no questions asked even though my mac was wayyyy out of warranty. Cheers Apple.

I am experiencing the battery bulge...
But, I have put this laptop through a lifetime in 18 months! 519 cycles and I just started experiencing any battery issues. After 530, the battery bulge started happening. The last PC I used a few years ago had battery problems 200 cycles into it's life.
$129 for a new battery is gladly spent if I can get the same timeframe.

Okay, a bulging battery pack does not give warm fuzzies, but my original pack lasted almost 3 years without a hitch. Even when it started to bulge, it was still reporting 5300+mAh of capacity and had not given me any problems (still providing 2 hrs of life). My MBP, still under Apple Care, covered the replacement and as usual both the rep at Apple Care and the Apple store where it was replaced were a delight. I have NO complaints with the battery as 3yrs is the more or less life of ANY Li-ion pack.

dt

Now, I have read other reviews about this battery only lasting less than a year. I am still on the battery that came with my 17" MBP (which I got in mid January of 2008), I have never calibrated the battery (just ran it down to 5%), and I still get about 3.5 hours off of the thing. I do take good care of my products. And, I am still on my 1st MagSafe also. Might I say, a very good battery. If it only lasted longer, then it would get 5 stars. But, 4 is good enough.

I recently experienced what others have mentioned in regards to the expanding battery - If you make an appointment and take the battery to an Apple store, they should replace it as it is a defect. I had no problem swapping mine out for a new one

I bought the first generation 17" MBPro, and as was par for course, the first battery that came with the unit did bulge. Fortunately I got a free new one. But being conscious of the "frailty" that these batteries may be (I've come to the conclusion that Macs are not meant for rugged use) I thought I would treat the next battery a lot more sensitive.

Most of the time I used my computer without the battery in it. I thought it would preserve the battery more. And it very well may have, but this is the part where I tell you that if you're going to put the battery in, shut the computer down first.

The other day I was simply going to move from one end of the house to the other for a few minutes, and when I went to put the battery in, with the computer turned on, I think it fried the battery. As soon as I unplugged the AC cord, the unit turned off. Days later I had the authorized Apple repair shop check the battery and the laptop with a different battery, and the conclusion was that the battery had died.

After experiencing the hot and bulging battery from the original purchase, I have tried to minimize the heat with the new one, by running a desktop fan on the computer any time I'm using it at home, and using the AC plug with the battery out. The fan definitely keeps the computer cool, and I'm hoping it will extend the life of things for me. I am certainly disappointed by the 2nd battery's life span, though. For all this time of not using it at all, I would think that I could have preserved it for that much longer than the last one. But it turns out to have only lasted about 5 months longer than the original one that bulged on me.

My next battery will be cared for even more delicately. I do not plan on attaching the battery when the AC power is already on. I do not plan on detaching the battery when the AC is on. I plan to only plug the AC in when the battery is already in or already out.

For such a gem as this Macbook Pro is, I am very disappointed with the life span of the batteries. I've had the computer for about 2.3 years now, and the batteries have lasted about 1 year apiece. The second battery, I only got about maybe 4 months tops of "constantly plugged in" use out of it.

I am a little reluctant to conclude that it wasn't something I did, though. That's why I think that attaching the battery, or detaching it, while the AC plug is running things, may have been the cause of the second battery dying on me.

So I encourage you all to not mess with your battery while the AC power is plugged in, too.

The charge hold was great when I actually used the battery. I certainly can't complain there. I just wish these units were a little more forgiving and not so dainty! It would be nice if Apple produced a Mac laptop so us building contractors could have it with us out on the job! Not all Mac users are white collar workers, you know.

Unlike "IG's" comment of Feb 29th I had a very positive Apple experience. Last summer (August) my 17" Macbook Pro battery took a dump, I drove down to their SLC store and in minutes they replaced the battery. No questions asked. My computer was purchased in San Diego in May of the prior year.
I give Apple a 10 on service.
PKN

I bought my MacBook Pro in Feb. 2006, so it was no longer under the repair plan. Last month the battery started to warp and the mouse stopped working and the battery would say it was full, but when I disconnected the power it would shut off seconds later. I read the reviews here and printed them out and brought the battery and the reviews to an Apple store. I told one of the "Apple Geniuses" my problem and she took my battery and gave me a new one FREE!

Apple is aware of the problem and have corrected it. The materials in the battery have been replaced that caused the failure, so said the Genius. I gave this 4 stars because the battery failed, but Apple stepped up and did the right thing.

I have had my computer for a couple months now, and so far I have been getting a consitant charge of 3.5 hours. I love the fact that the charge lasts for so long. We'll see if it stands the test of time.