If I completely shut down a computer and not use it for months, how can it still tell the time accurately? (given that it isn’t immediately connected to the internet)

Question

If I completely shut down a computer and not use it for months, how can it still tell the time accurately? (given that it isn’t immediately connected to the internet)

In: Technology

Answer 1

Ahhhh loling… anyone remember the Apple LCII?

Apple shipped it with a horrific CMOS battery/MB combo that would fail within a month or two of not being powered on. This system was marketed to Education where… surprise… no on would turn the damn thing on for a few months at a time.

It would not boot showing bad disk error.

Pop a new CMOS battery in, reboot and reset date and time…

Apple has only gotten worse since but $15 for the battery and another $40 labor for the few torx screws was a bargain back then.