Whether you’re working on location or surfing at a cafe, it’s important to have a freshly charged battery in your MacBook Pro on which you can rely. Your computer’s battery performance — how long it holds a charge — depends on how your notebook is configured and on the settings you use. You can boost your MacBook Pro’s battery performance level and prolong its lifespan by incorporating some new work habits and tweaking a few settings.
Keep the electrons in the MacBook Pro’s lithium-based battery moving occasionally by using it unplugged, and then charging the battery as needed. It is not recommended to leave your MacBook Pro plugged in constantly. Charge and discharge the battery at least once a month.
Use the MacBook Pro at a temperature between 50 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit — ideally, as close to room temperature as possible. Store the computer in temperatures between 13 and 113 degrees Fahrenheit. Take the MacBook Pro with you rather than leave it locked in a car trunk on a hot day.
Remove your battery if you won’t be using your MacBook Pro for more than six months, and store it with a 50 percent charge. Dead batteries or fully charged batteries that are stored for long periods lose their battery capacity.
Set your screen’s brightness to a dimmer level. Use the “F1″ key on your keyboard to lower screen brightness.
Turn off your AirPort Wireless card when you are not connected to a network. The AirPort on and off functionality is located in the menu bar at the top of your screen. Disable any Bluetooth devices that are not in use. This function is also located in the menu bar.
Eject CDs and DVDs when you’re not using them. Disks sitting in the optical drive can spin in the drive even when not in use. Disconnect peripherals, such as hard drives, cameras, external keyboards or printers when not in use.
Optimize your battery settings. From the “Apple” menu, choose “System Preferences,” and then choose the “Energy Settings” icon. Change the computer and display sleep options; opt to put the hard drive to sleep when possible; and select the auto reduction of display brightness prior to sleep.
