Replacement battery for PowerBook G4/667 (Gigabit Ethernet) ?

Both seem to be compatible with my PowerBook. What is the difference ???
cab wrote on :

Hi all,

I need to replace the battery of my PB G4/667. I see two models at reseller web sites :

  • M8244
  • M8511 Both seem to be compatible with my PowerBook. What is the difference ???

cab

David Empson replied on :

cab void@redacted.invalid wrote:

Hi all,

I need to replace the battery of my PB G4/667. I see two models at reseller web sites :

  • M8244
  • M8511 Both seem to be compatible with my PowerBook. What is the difference ???

Apple generally allocates part numbers in ascending order, so M8244 is an older battery and M8511 is a newer one. Both appear to be compatible with Titanium PowerBooks, so the likely difference is higher capacity in the M8511, which was probably supplied with later models of the Titanium PowerBook.

Some battery reseller sites claim the M8244 is 4000 mAh, while the M8511 is 4400 mAh so the latter has 10% better life.

Before you buy anything from a generic battery reseller, I'd recommend looking at www.macsales.com, who sell NewerTech batteries. I have one of these in my PB G4 667/DVI (next generation after yours). It had much higher capacity than the original Apple battery, and has lasted considerably longer than my original Apple battery while still having excellent usage time.

Looking at my records: I bought the computer in July 2002, and got the replacement battery in November 2004. The laptop had been almost unusable on battery for at least a month before that (about ten minutes before it went flat), and had limited usable time for several months earlier. That's about 2 years of reasonbly good usage.

It is now May 2007, so my replacement battery has lasted 2 years and 6 months, and it is still getting more than two hours of usage.

I'll probably need to buy a second replacement battery in the next year, but I'm hoping to buy a new laptop before that need arises.

cab replied on :

David Empson wrote:

cab void@redacted.invalid wrote:

Hi all,

I need to replace the battery of my PB G4/667. I see two models at reseller web sites :

  • M8244
  • M8511 Both seem to be compatible with my PowerBook. What is the difference ???

Apple generally allocates part numbers in ascending order, so M8244 is an older battery and M8511 is a newer one. Both appear to be compatible with Titanium PowerBooks, so the likely difference is higher capacity in the M8511, which was probably supplied with later models of the Titanium PowerBook.

Some battery reseller sites claim the M8244 is 4000 mAh, while the M8511 is 4400 mAh so the latter has 10% better life.

Before you buy anything from a generic battery reseller, I'd recommend looking at www.macsales.com, who sell NewerTech batteries. I have one of these in my PB G4 667/DVI (next generation after yours). It had much higher capacity than the original Apple battery, and has lasted considerably longer than my original Apple battery while still having excellent usage time.

Looking at my records: I bought the computer in July 2002, and got the replacement battery in November 2004. The laptop had been almost unusable on battery for at least a month before that (about ten minutes before it went flat), and had limited usable time for several months earlier. That's about 2 years of reasonbly good usage.

It is now May 2007, so my replacement battery has lasted 2 years and 6 months, and it is still getting more than two hours of usage.

I'll probably need to buy a second replacement battery in the next year, but I'm hoping to buy a new laptop before that need arises.

Thanks for your advices.

My original battery was a M8511 and lasted for more than 4 years before it started losing its capacity (was I particularly lucky with this one ?). Then I tried one from NewerTech, which is already degrading after about 1 year.

After all, being located in Switzerland, I have to pay for high shipping costs plus taxes plus customs duties, so the Apple battery is actually cheaper than alternative ones. The motivation for the Newertech one was its supposedly higher capacity.

BTW, I also tried a battery from AboutBatteries.com , which failed in little more than 6 months (the warranty time...) so I am not going to try again with them.

cab

Andreas Rutishauser replied on :

Salut cab

In article 46391513_1@redacted.invalid, cab void@redacted.invalid wrote:

After all, being located in Switzerland, I have to pay for high shipping costs plus taxes plus customs duties, so the Apple battery is actually cheaper than alternative ones. The motivation for the Newertech one was its supposedly higher capacity.

in Switzerland try LMP batteries. They have about 50% more capacity of the original batteries at about he price of the original batteries...

Cheers Andreas

cab replied on :

Andreas Rutishauser wrote:

Salut cab

In article 46391513_1@redacted.invalid, cab void@redacted.invalid wrote:

After all, being located in Switzerland, I have to pay for high shipping costs plus taxes plus customs duties, so the Apple battery is actually cheaper than alternative ones. The motivation for the Newertech one was its supposedly higher capacity.

in Switzerland try LMP batteries. They have about 50% more capacity of the original batteries at about he price of the original batteries...

Cheers Andreas

Hi !

From the website IT Media Com I see an LMP battery for 15" Ti Powerbook, but this one is clearly very different from my battery. It will certainly not fit. Maybe the picture is not correct, but it does not give me a very good feeling as a customer. Also, the capacity of 4000 mAh is not significantly different from that of my original Apple battery. No part number shown... And the price is not different... So I would not take the risk with LMP !

Anyway, thanks for the advice !!!

CAB

Andreas Rutishauser replied on :

Salut CAB

In article 463ac0ed$1_5@redacted.invalid, cab void@redacted.invalid wrote:

After all, being located in Switzerland, I have to pay for high shipping costs plus taxes plus customs duties, so the Apple battery is actually cheaper than alternative ones. The motivation for the Newertech one was its supposedly higher capacity.

in Switzerland try LMP batteries. They have about 50% more capacity of the original batteries at about he price of the original batteries...

From the website IT Media Com I see an LMP battery for 15" Ti Powerbook, but this one is clearly very different from my battery.

I wonder why you go to "IT Media Com" ti see LMP Batteries... I'd rather check out LMP directly: http://www.lmp.ch/notice.php?aid=35 OK, no prices there because they are wholeseller

It will certainly not fit. Maybe the picture is not correct, but it does not give me a very good feeling as a customer. Also, the capacity of 4000 mAh is not significantly different from that of my original Apple battery.

I read 4800mAh...

No part number shown... And the price is not different... So I would not take the risk with LMP !

That's free market ;-)

Cheers Andreas

cab replied on :

Andreas Rutishauser wrote:

Salut CAB

In article 463ac0ed$1_5@redacted.invalid, cab void@redacted.invalid wrote:

After all, being located in Switzerland, I have to pay for high shipping costs plus taxes plus customs duties, so the Apple battery is actually cheaper than alternative ones. The motivation for the Newertech one was its supposedly higher capacity. in Switzerland try LMP batteries. They have about 50% more capacity of the original batteries at about he price of the original batteries...

From the website IT Media Com I see an LMP battery for 15" Ti Powerbook, but this one is clearly very different from my battery.

I wonder why you go to "IT Media Com" ti see LMP Batteries... I'd rather check out LMP directly: http://www.lmp.ch/notice.php?aid=35 OK, no prices there because they are wholeseller

It will certainly not fit. Maybe the picture is not correct, but it does not give me a very good feeling as a customer. Also, the capacity of 4000 mAh is not significantly different from that of my original Apple battery.

I read 4800mAh...

No part number shown... And the price is not different... So I would not take the risk with LMP !

That's free market ;-)

Cheers Andreas

Hi Adreas, I first did a search for "LMP battery" on Google and it did not show me www.lmp.ch , but rather IT Media ... 4800 mAh is certainly an impressive capacity, so I will ask them for the details ! Cheers, CAB

The Mac Dude replied on :

In article 1hxhayk.p7etzqzvnderN%dempson@redacted.invalid, dempson@redacted.invalid (David Empson) wrote:

cab void@redacted.invalid wrote:

Hi all,

I need to replace the battery of my PB G4/667. I see two models at reseller web sites :

  • M8244
  • M8511 Both seem to be compatible with my PowerBook. What is the difference ???

Apple generally allocates part numbers in ascending order, so M8244 is an older battery and M8511 is a newer one. Both appear to be compatible with Titanium PowerBooks, so the likely difference is higher capacity in the M8511, which was probably supplied with later models of the Titanium PowerBook.

Some battery reseller sites claim the M8244 is 4000 mAh, while the M8511 is 4400 mAh so the latter has 10% better life.

Before you buy anything from a generic battery reseller, I'd recommend looking at www.macsales.com, who sell NewerTech batteries. I have one of these in my PB G4 667/DVI (next generation after yours). It had much higher capacity than the original Apple battery, and has lasted considerably longer than my original Apple battery while still having excellent usage time.

Looking at my records: I bought the computer in July 2002, and got the replacement battery in November 2004. The laptop had been almost unusable on battery for at least a month before that (about ten minutes before it went flat), and had limited usable time for several months earlier. That's about 2 years of reasonbly good usage.

It is now May 2007, so my replacement battery has lasted 2 years and 6 months, and it is still getting more than two hours of usage.

I'll probably need to buy a second replacement battery in the next year, but I'm hoping to buy a new laptop before that need arises.

Assuming someone is still readinbg this thread...

My experience with Newtech hasn't been stellar: of 2 G4/12 inch batteries one arrived in bad shape, actually causing crashes of my system. They replaced that one without hassle. However, neither of the two batteries I got ran at full capacity, after the first calibration cycles both of them were about 10% low. Total lifetime maybe similar to the orginal ones, but not significantly longer (I get about 1 year out of one, to be precise I get 2 years out of a pair that I swap roughly once/month).

Mac Dude