My MBP battery died last night. Won't charge,and the condition indicator says replace now.

The cycle count on these things is supposed to be up to 300 recharges.......I've had 59.

I bought this battery as a replacement for the original, just over 12 months ago now. frankly, that is a pathetic amount of time for it to last - the original battery lasted several years more - it died when the machine was in sleep and I left it like that overnight. This one has just done the same.

The irony is that Apples own care instruction recommend a deep cycle every now and then - leaving the machine to run down, go to sleep and then leave like that for five hours.

Since I purchased the replacement , the price has been put up by a over 40% - it's now £100 rather than the £70 ish I remember paying at the time.

So, thanks Apple. Your crummy battery life and vastly inflated price are now driving me to buy some generic battery off ebay for about £20. If it last 12 months, then it's no worse than their product and significantly better at that price.

Apologies, I just feel like a rant because such a high price for a basic ancillary comes at an inopportune time with lots of big ticket expenses already and it's just the final straw.

All batteries are a rip off because of they're rare material content.

Is it not worth complaining if you got 59/300 cycles?

that's pants - my 2011 MBP (used for graphics work) has the following battery cycles

Health Information:

Cycle Count: 451

Condition: Normal

And it still holds a good charge - complain to Apple if i was you!

But not sounding daft, do you use it much on the battery? - A used battery is usually a happier battery....

Al.

But not sounding daft, do you use it much on the battery? - A used battery is usually a happier battery....

Al.

That might be the issue. I honestly don't know. I probably tend to plug in at about 30% or sometimes more - mainly because once I start a job, I don't want to have to break to go scrabbling for the PSU - running a WinEmu inside OSX seems to drain battery at an unpredictable rate.

However, number of cycles aside, you'd have thought that, given it was still showing a healthy charge capacity when I shut the lid, that it wouldn't have just lost all that overnight, never to return.

I've complained to Apple in the past, and on the battery front they weren't terribly receptive - It's only a six month warranty on batteries; I've had a big repair from them already when the MBP fried it's GFX; while the legal position is that items should be of good quality and last a reasonable amount of time, the nearest Apple store is 40+ miles away and I can't be bothered expending an inordinate amount of my personal time and energy going and having the discussion with a so-called Genius - current experience is that only 1 in 3 have anything like a clue in anything approaching tech support/troubleshooting and are dolled up sales staff.

So, el-cheapo generic battery ordered.......£17.

Will have to see.

And now for the science bit... http://www.mpoweruk.com/life.htm

In short there are quite a few factors that can modify battery life.

My MBP is more than 3 years old and on the original battery. It spends all day plugged into the mains, and every evening on the battery. Today it still provides 5 hours plus usage.

I am on 763 Load Cycles with the battery retaining 88% of its original capacity.

I'd go back to apple and complain tbh.

2010 Macbook pro battery is fine, though I have "only" had 231 cycles.

My MBP is more than 3 years old and on the original battery. It spends all day plugged into the mains, and every evening on the battery. Today it still provides 5 hours plus usage.

I am on 763 Load Cycles with the battery retaining 88% of its original capacity.

Mine's version 3,1, a mid 2007 model, so substantially older.

I think it's probably down to usage patterns as to why mine might have conked out so soon tbh. So will see how I go with the replacement.

Cheeze - i take your point, but i've been there once too often, it's considered a consumable and due to age, I can't see the point in arguing the toss and incurring extra costs simply in going to a store. If a store was nearer, I would.