The rechargeable batteries in products like MacBooks, iBooks, PowerBooks and iPods are categorized as "lithium-ion." Lilon batteries, as they're often called, provide reliable power for everything from cell phones to laptops, supplying significantly more power than nickel-based cells. Basically, Lilons are not your father's Duracell.

The following tips will extend the life of any Lilon battery whether it's playing games, answering e-mails on your laptop or watching a movie on your iPod.

Requirements:

• Any laptop computer (MacBook, iBook, PowerBook, etc.)
• Any iPod

Charge!
The batteries found in laptops (iBooks, Powerbooks, MacBooks) and iPods charge in two stages.

The first stage is a rapid charge that pummels the battery with constant amperage and steadily increasing voltage. When the battery charges to 70% - 80% capacity, stage two begins, steadily decreasing the current while holding the voltage steady until the battery is fully charged.

Stage two is commonly referred to as the "trickle" or "topping-off" charge and normally takes tree times as long as stage one. One myth is that Lilon battery life will be maximized by frequently draining the battery to 0% and then charging back up to 100%. While grabbing a few minutes of charge time here and there will eventually cause inaccuracies in the battery's reported battery-charge and remaining-life times.

Nap Time?
If you're putting your iBook, Powerbook, or iPod in storage for an extended period of time, i.e. more than a month or two, be sure the battery is only partially charged. Stored with a full charge, the battery will permanently lose approximately 20% of its capacity per year. Even precautionary measures can't prevent Lilon batteries from losing capacity over time - but their rate of deterioration can be minimized by storing the iBook, Powerbook, or iPod at cool (not freezing) temperatures. For example, avoid the attic and favor the basement for storage.

The Replacements
Replacement batteries for laptops (or extras for those who need them) are available through Apple for about $130. However, they do not sell batteries for many older models. Batteries for most models, both old and new can be purchased through a third paty like Amazon.

When purchasing a new battery, the main think you are looking for should be age. It's much better to buy a battery that was manufactured very recently as opposed to a "new" battery that could have sitting on a warehouse shelf the past 5 years. Do your research.

As far as replacement batteries for iPods, checkout our VIP iPod Repair Service.

Crack Open Your Laptop
Have a new battery you want to stick in your Apple laptop? Depending on which model laptop you have, the exact battery removal procedure will differ slightly. Here's how to properly open an Apple PowerBook G4. You should be able to adapt these instructions to your specific laptop.

1. Carefully remove the battery cover from the bottom of the laptop. Use a coin. Because of its thickness and smooth edge, a nickle works very well.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Remove the old battery and replace the new one according to the diagram and directions within the battery compartment.
   
   
   
   
3. Close her up and start charging to manufacturers' advised instructions.

Battery Geekery
Lilon capacity is measured in milliamp-hours (mAh) - our 15-inch PowerBook G4 started out with 4,200mAh, so its claimed 4-hour battery life indicates a usage rate of approximately 1,000mAh per hour.

Determining the remaining battery capacity of your Macintosh laptop is easy. There are third-party applications to measure battery life but the quickest, easiest, and cheapest method is to use the Terminal (Applications > Utilities).

Open the Terminal. Type the following at the prompt and press Return.

ioreg -l | grep Capacity

You'll probably need to stretch the window to see the data. By the way, while writing this article I discovered that I need a new battery.

• Capacity: indicates the current capacity in milliamp-hours.
  
  
• AbsoluteMaxCapacity: your battery's original capacity