Poor battery performance after SSD install I recently installed a Crucial SSD into my Macbook Pro (2.66 GHz Intel Core i7), and now the performance of my battery is probably about 50% of what it used to be.  

I've tried to reset the PRAM, but the OS loads so quickly that it I've never been able to trigger, even though I'm quick with hitting the keys. 

Any suggestions for improving performance, and/or resetting the PRAM?

Thanks
Modern Macintosh computers store very little information in PRAM so resetting it is seldom a useful troubleshooting step.

Have you checked the condition of the battery using System Information? (It's in the Utilities folder and also accessible from the menu: [Apple] > About this Mac > More Info… > System Report —assuming you're running Lion) 

If you're seeing Service Battery under the Hardware > Power:Battery Information/Health Information section that's probably your issue.



You might improve the battery life with a System Mangement Controller reset. Assuming your MacBook Pro doesn't have a removable battery, the SMC reset procedure is:


  Shut down the computer. Plug in the MagSafe power adapter to a power
  source, connecting it to the Mac if its not already connected. On the
  built-in keyboard, press the (left side) Shift-Control-Option keys and
  the power button at the same time. Release all the keys and the power
  button at the same time. Press the power button to turn on the
  computer.   Note: The LED on the MagSafe power adapter may change
  states or temporarily turn off when you reset the SMC.