Macbook question

My Macbook is getting on up there in age. Lately it is maxing out the battery charge at 55-56%. Even if the computer is plugged in to the wall for days it will show my battery at 55%.

Why is this?

After some time batteries can fail to charge to their maximum capacity.

Your laptop is probably reading that the battery can't develop a full charge.

That's probably it. I've been noticing that if I unplug it it can't go for very long without needing to be plugged back in anymore.

I really don't want to bite the bullet and buy another computer.

You can't buy new batteries for macbooks?
My laptop has been going through the same thing (it's a Dell) and I gotta get around to getting a new battery so I don't have to always have it plugged in.

You can replace the battery.. It was about $100 for me, I got mine changed at the apple store.
(I had a NASTY habit of leaving my laptop plugged in all the time. Which really ate up the battery)

It didn't show 55% but it would go to 100% and then run out of change in like.. an hour.

Oh good so it's not going to be super expensive! I figured it might cost more than it was worth to get a new battery. Mine definitely loses charge by an hour or less.

Check that it really is the battery with your dell though. Maybe borrow someones? Mine has the problem and it ended up being the motherboard, not the battery. Wasn't worth getting fixed though

If you have the older model macbooks you can get a battery off ebay, brand new. For my old 15 in Macbook pro, I bought a battery for $40. For the newer unibody ones, the apple store can do it for you. It's not super expensive and they do it really fast!

If you bought it from Best Buy you get one free replacement battery.