When I first plugged in the battery, the system profiler said it had 6200 mAH which was what I had expected as it's supposed to be an extended capacity battery. Naturally, I followed Apple's calibration guidelines, charged it up and kept it charged for two hours, then drained it down, keeping it down for five hours and then charge it back up again. Well, when the MacBook Pro is on this battery's power, it discharges at a rate between 4,000 and 5,000 mA while when it's on the original battery, it discharged at a rate of approximately 3,000 mA so this battery discharges much faster than expected. Also when the original battery is depleted, there's enough reserve power for the MacBook to enter deep sleep mode where it's state is saved onto the hard drive so that when I swap out the battery or get it onto wall power, it will come back up to the same state it was in when it went down but with this battery, it just dies without a chance to enter deep sleep mode. Also after the Apple calibration procedure, it no longer had 6200 mAH, rather it had 5988 mAH. OK, the Apple procedure is not the most thorough calibration procedure so for the next charge, I placed it on a commercial Lithium Ion battery conditioner designed for the MacBook Pro, now it has a maximum capacity of 5688 mAH. If it continues to loose capacity at this rate, it won't last more than a few months. TruePower Laptop Battery for MacBook Pro 15-inch NEW
This battery is built cheaply. The cover plate is coming apart and I can see the internal batteries through the opening. I figure I have to use some superglue to hold it together.
Update: 12/14/08
It also does not last very long. 3 months later and it is It is already DOA. Had to buy a genuine Apple battery to replace it already.
PROS:
-5% longer battery life
-33% cheaper than standard Apple battery
-Remains flush with laptop
-Still shows charge amount
-Perfect fit
-1 year warranty
-Great to have a spare
-No Sony cells
CONS:
-Not set up for future 2.33GHz or Core 2 Duo
-Still heats up (not any more than already)*
*There is a program you can download to control fan speed in the MacBook Pro. Standard fans run at 1000RPM; this program allows you to increase that 6000RPM. Although louder, your MacBook will remain as cool as if turned off! 3000RPM is a good balance of sound and temperature.
Short version:
Do not order this battery from Brilliant Store, order the one they are selling on this page:
Super-Capacity Li-ion Battery For Apple A1175 MacBook Pro 15-inch series Laptop Notebook Main Battery
They are the EXACT SAME BATTERY.
Long version:
I ordered this battery because I have been using a TruePower extended battery for over 2 years now with no downsides at all. But after some pretty heavy useage it's now getting pretty close to useless, so I was looking to order another one. What I got in the mail was a Dekcell battery, so I emailed Brilliant store and asked for an RMA thinking I had recieved the wrong item. It turns out that Amazon allows different vendors to post under the same item, even when they are not actually selling the same item that is posted. Brilliant Store is NOT selling a TruePower battery (Superb Choice might not either, I don't know), they are simply listing their $40 dekcell battery here at a marked up price. Personally, I think that's pretty scummy, but they were very honest about it when I asked what the difference was between the other battery and the one I had received after paying almost twice as much (i.e. no difference, same battery). So while I certainly don't approve of posting under an item that you aren't actually selling, (and which is listed at almost double your price), their customer service was very good. In the end, I was given a full refund of the difference between the two prices after 2 quick emails and one 5 minute phone conversation. I didn't even have to wait on hold. (I'm still reporting this to Amazon since this practice is pretty sketchy).
As for the battery, I'm still breaking in the Dekcell, and will update this review if it fails on me, but so far so good. It lies flush with my computer case, locks in correctly, and has working indicator lights. My laptop accepts it and shows all of it's specs when I looked at "About This Mac". So far, the one star at the top is only for the fact that you can buy it under a different listing for 1/2 the price and get the same thing.
i have a hard time believing this battery has the same capacity as the OEM apple battery. it definitely discharges faster. weigh the OEM battery and the replacement side by side and you will notice the OEM battery is considerably heavier. Do yourself a favor spend the extra [...] and get the OEM battery.
I really only got it because I had no other choice. When it's working right, its fine; with good life and a handy indicator on the back to check power level. However, my first one went south after only 15 months, and now won't hold a charge for any significant amount of time. I now have three of these (including the original, which is good for like 30 minutes) to make sure I get the time I need on the computer. The power source went south not long after. - 15 Inch - Battery - Macbook Pro Battery - Laptop'
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