Apple is looking into complaints that its new OS X Mountain Lion software is maiming MacBook battery life, Macworld reports.
In a 32-page thread on Apple's support forum, Mac owners are complaining that the latest version of the company's operating system leaves their pricey laptops with rubbish battery life, with some customers saying that they can visibly see battery draining having installed the feline-flavoured operating system.
Late last week, however, several forum members wrote that Apple had been in touch asking questions about how they were using their computers, and offering a piece of software that harvests relevant information.
A poll on Engadget that asks whether Mac users found their battery crumbling after installing Mountain Lion sees nearly 18 per cent of respondents saying they 'noticed a huge difference right away'.
No clear cause appears to have been discerned yet, with some commenters writing the issues have evaporated, while some say battery life has been cut in half. Some say downgrading to Lion has brought battery life back to its earlier levels, though Apple has now removed Lion from the Mac App Store.
Software glitches in the wake of a major update aren't unusual, and as Forbes notes, the upgrade from Snow Leopard to Lion similarly had a great many customers complaining about suddenly shonky battery performance.
Mountain Lion adds new goodies like a spangly notification centre and baked-in social network jollies. We're big fans of its new features, awarding it the full five stars in our in-depth review. The new software chewed through 3 million downloads in four days, which is impressive, though means there are potentially a huge number of folks out there experiencing battery wobbles.
Word that Apple is looking into any issues is certainly a positive sign, though any Mac owners who are experiencing a decline in battery life will be eagerly awaiting an update from Apple. I'll let you know if I hear anything -- in the meantime let me know whether you've had any battery problems in the comments, or on our Facebook wall.
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Comments 12
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anonymous 6 August, 2012 21:06
Another Apple update, another story about battery life being drained. It's almost as predictable as the stories of a new Apple device over heating to the point of being uncomfortable to use. I'm sure this one will get quietly swept under the rug, along with the other stories of unreliable Apple products.
anonymous 6 August, 2012 23:57
At least 30% (if not 50) worse battery life in my case. I think it´s a real problem Apple should deal with. MBP 13", ´mid 2010
marchetti 7 August, 2012 09:44
Another premature Apple OS release. I never cease to be amazed by the success Apple has in convincing all of us to purchase their Beta software. Riduculous! I'm going to wait unil 10.8.1 or 2 before I upgrade.
Peter Hudson 7 August, 2012 09:57
Gotta say, I have mountain lion on an a late 2008 macbook and I can't say I've noticed any difference in battery life.
anonymous 7 August, 2012 10:46
No, no - OSX doesn't have a problem. You're all just holding your MacBooks wrong.
billfred 7 August, 2012 11:58
After a couple days of wobbly battery life (like after any install of an OS) I get much better battery life than Lion, perhaps a little bit better than SL too.
anonymous 7 August, 2012 14:13
anonymous @10:46 posted - You're all just holding your MacBooks wrong.
You're hilarious. I saw you've written the same thing on more than one website. Very clever indeed. Now how about contributing positively to the discussion instead of trolling from the basement.
anonymous 7 August, 2012 15:42
@anonymous 7 August, 2012 14:15
Are you the same spaz that posted the same thing numerous times on another "story"
JD244 7 August, 2012 15:45
I've got Mountain Lion on my 2009 MacBook and the battery life seemed a bit ropey when I first turned it on after the update but that's about it. Now it seems fine, maybe even better.
anonymous 9 August, 2012 09:01
@anonymous 7 August, 2012 14:13
@anonymous 7 August, 2012 14:14
@anonymous 7 August, 2012 14:15
Yes, I know, I am rather funny at times. But I'm afraid I post exclusively on Crave, which means you'll miss out on my razor sharp, and witty - if somewhat flippant - retorts if you navigate away.
anonymous 11 August, 2012 18:44
Did you really write 'they can visibly see battery draining'? 'Visibly see'? The sloppy writing really lets this site down...
billfred 12 August, 2012 09:13
@anonymous 11 August, 2012 18:44
Get over it. It's exactly the same as saying you can visibly see the petrol drain from your car. There is a metre to measure both which can, on occasion, seen to be continually shrinking.