Macbook batteries are rated at 80% after 1,000 cycles. And battery replacement on an MBA is a $129 ($199 for an MBP) service that they can do at the Apple Store while you wait. Lenovo wants $139 for a replacement battery for a T4xx of similar capacity.

I don't understand the problem, really. Apple WILL replace your battery. It's not like you have to throw away the laptop once the battery is dead. It costs £99 in the Apple Store, which is actually less money than a new battery for some Dell laptops costs.

Did Apple change from 80% battery life after 1000 cycles?

I'm seeing reports of Apple laptop batteries barely lasting an hour after 400 cycles, having 75% of their rated capacity after 900, and having 50% after 1100.

I think usage pattern probably matters far more than the strict cycle count. Specifically, "all-day" usage appears to correlate strongly with battery capacity falling off more sharply as cycle count increases — admittedly, based on user-reported behavior that I could find on the web with as much time as I can spare this afternoon to faff about on the matter.

They're not that bad in my experience. I'm at 1476 cycles and still have 87% of my capacity remaining.

Yeah, the number of charge cycles you get out of lithium ion batteries is known to be affected by how deeply you discharge them.