On Jan 29, 2011, at 1:49 PM, vixpix wrote:
> I just visited my local Apple store last week and asked this very same question, since I was in the habit of listening to Pandora all day long while it was plugged in. The Apple guy was adamant about charging to 100%, then removing the charger and using the battery all the way down. By not doing so, you will find the battery not lasting as long.
I think the guy's information is from ten years ago when Ni-Cad batteries were the only option for rechargeables. They had serious memory problems and needed to be fully discharged periodically.
If someone comes up with such information from an official Apple support site, then I might believe it. But there is much misinformation floating around about charging batteries that is from old technology (Ni-Cad, NiMH, Li-ION....)
I assume the batteries in iPads are the same as in the laptops. Let's face it, most laptops stay plugged in when not mobile. Apple monitors the battery usage and it's rated for 300 (?) cycles. That says to me it's better to leave it plugged in most of the time rather than cycling the battery. Modern technology batteries are much better than the old Ni-Cad batteries.
> you will still be drawing power and wasting electricity. not a very green thing to do.
That is incorrect. If the iPad doesn't need the power, it won't draw the power. It's not "wasting" it. However, every cube you leave plugged in does consume a bit of electricity. So leaving the iPad plugged in won't waste electricity, but leaving the cube plugged in to the wall outlet will. If you are concerned about saving every watt, then make sure you unplug the wall unit.
If you are using it all day long and don't want to use the 110 volt charger, leave it plugged into the USB on your computer. That will keep it charged without the wall cube.
Ken
