Battery life on Macbook - black.

I'm in the market for a new notebook, and size wise the Macbook is looking OK. Its for software development, normally I'd load Linux, but I can do all my development in OS X thankfully.

My main question is battery life in the black Macbook, equipped with 2GB of RAM? A normal task for me would be coding, and email. So basically typing in an editor, check email and I'll usually have wifi on. Even tho I'm compiling, disk activity should be light most of the time, and more time spent coding rather than compiling (my make files are pretty about what needs to be compiled).

Should I be able to get 3 hours most of the time? More?

Thanks

 

Macbooks should get around 6 hours from normal use. But Apple's numbers can be quite optimistic. I would say 4.75-5.5 would be a good estimate.

 

Are the batteries modular at all so I could carry an extra?

 

macbooks aren't quite that good. ibooks could get that. but i beleive the high end of battery life for the macbook would be around 4 hours.

yes you could carry an extra battery. but you would either have to completly shut down when on battery to swap it, or use the safe sleep widget.

 

It's clsoer to 6 depending on usage. My friend can get over 6 hours on his MB (CD unit). But thats not heavy use.
If it got around 4 hours, that would be about the same as we can get with the MBP.

 

I'd be very happy with 4.5-5. 6 would be amazing.

 

I'm happy with anything above 4.

Off topic, but I fiddled on the keyboard of a MB tonight and found it satisfactory, so as soon as my superior approves the purchase I'll be getting a Macbook with the RAM maxed out. Now my only choice is black or white, I can get white right away at my local shop, but have to wait on black

 

i stand corrected. I figured with near identical hardware that they (mb and mbp) would be about the same.

 

Yar, the screen size make a significant difference. And so does the video card.
I wish there was a 15" MB.

BTW, found out that bluetooth KILLS my battery. Severely.
I wonder why... I figured it'd have little effect, like the wireless, but it definently kills my battery.

 

Interesting. I might have to carry a wired mouse with me ... but then again you're talking about the MBP. I bet the MB is no different.