"Should I shut down my Mac?" is a frequent question. Let's take a look at some of the answers
A reader writes to ask:
[quote] I'm wondering if I should be putting my Mac to sleep at the end of the day or if I should actually Shut Down. What is the purpose of the Sleep?[end quote]
I'll answer the easy one first: sleep mode was originally implemented simply as a screen saver. On laptop computers it became very useful for conserving battery power if the computer was to remain idle of a period of time. (In the beginning, sleep mode was for laptops only.) Later, the monitor companies got on the "green" computing kick, and began to build in 'energy saver' features that would put just the monitor to sleep, but not the computer. Sort of silly though, starting your car once takes about 300 times as much fossil fuel as operating your monitor for 24 hours.
So the answer is:
a) to conserve power, and
b) to let the computer "rest."
Putting your computer to sleep at the end of the day has these two very advantageous benefits.
First and foremost, the sleep mode allows your computer go to sleep when not in use, and to re-launch very quickly. A cold startup will take as much as 10 times as long -- with OS/X it could take 50 times as long. (Sleep could be the OS/X users' best friend) That's the most important function. It also allows you to leave projects in progress like they are, and reappear instantly when you return. (A big help if you're like me and can't always remember where you left off!)
There is a downside however. So some warnings are in order. As Mr. Murphy so aptly put it: "If something can go wrong, it will." If anything happens during the period of sleep, you can come back to a crashed computer, and any unsaved work gone forever. For instance, around here I can't leave the computers at sleep during thunder storm season - in a black-out, without battery back-up, you've got crash.
For Powerbook or iBook owners, sleep becomes an essential part of the computing experience. I keep my old Laptop in sleep mode most of the time its not being used. In fact, I can't really remember the last time I restarted it, or shut it down completely.
The only times you really need to shut down a Powerbook or iBook is when you need to switch start up items with a different set of extensions and control panels, or is you're not going to be using it for an extended period of time. (Vacation, shipping it somewhere, etc.) If there's a chance it will run out of current during sleep, then it should be shut down.
In sleep mode, battery power drops to a small trickle. It takes very little battery power to maintain the clock and RAM. In my experience, on a 4-light charge, any of the black Powerbooks (Wallstreet, Pismo, etc.) you should be able to safely sleep for ten days to two weeks. I haven't heard statistics for the plastic colored iBooks, or the new white iBooks. (If anyone wants to write in and let us know, I'll add it to this column.)
Even if you get the dreaded "Shut Down Now" message signaling a dead battery, putting it to sleep will buy you another 24 to 36 hours before finding a power outlet, or letting it crash.
Be sure to keep all your AppleTalk and Network services turned off (using the control strip) while not in use. If they're on when you bring it out of sleep it will spin a dreadfully long time looking for nonexistent network connections, or a printer.
1. Preserve memory: Be sure to open the Energy Saver control panel, click Advanced, and turn on "Preserve memory before sleep." This way if something does happen, or you're away longer than expected, your memory contents are written to a backup file on the desktop. (It requires a bit longer to enter and exit sleep modes with this turned on, but at least you're backed up.)
2. Power Leaks: Beware, there have been a lot of reports of comatose sleep while running a PCMCIA, bus card or other add-ons like Palm sync cables. Be sure to test. I have a MacAlley card for my Wallstreet that MUST be removed before sleeping. I learned the hard way.
3. Shutting the Lid: Beware the new iBooks that sleep when shutting the lid -- if something's being processed at the moment, it delays sleep. If it locks up, is looking for the nonexistent network, or is asking for information through a dialog or password box, then it isn't going to sleep until you react. You'll return to an overheated iBook, with a possibly melting keyboard. (The iBooks all must have the top open while running -- it's their only heat exhaust!) So it's a real good idea just to check the blinking sleep dot to confirm that it has, in fact, gone into sleep.
4. Beware of awakening the new iBooks: you can also initiate an awakening by plugging in any peripheral. So if you plug something in but don't open the lid, you're in trouble. We've also seen the iBook awaken simply through handling. Because of theiBook's lack of a clasp, you can accidentally open the lid enough to launch it without knowing. If the lid gets jogged enough it could initiate awakening without you knowing it. So be careful with handling.
With these thoughts in mind, go ahead and enjoy sleeping your Mac. After all, this old mouse needs all the rest it can get! (LOL)
Until next time, happy mousing.
Fred Showker, Editor/Publisher UG Net News
Fred Showker is co-editor of "MUG Info Manager," the User Group Network News service, and a founding Apple User Group Advisory Board (UGAB) member. He was an original founder of the User Group Forum on AppleLink Personal Edition which became America Online in 1988 ... read more
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