On Sunday, June 30, 2002, at 09:17 AM, Kyle Hansen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:
> Reasons to shut down your Mac every night (even though Apple says it's ok > so > sleep it): > 1. It is a waste of electricity. I could care less. I pay for it. > 2. If their is a power surge, spike or outage in your area it could > damage or > destroy your computer. I have a quality surge protector/UPS, one that even cleans up the incoming sine wave. Not everyone opts to purchase these, but I feel very safe using it. > 3. Shutting down and restarting your Mac dumps the memory heaps and > resets the > system solving a ton of potential issues. It is a good idea to restart now and then. I can gauge the performance by the fluid (or not so fluid) movement of the dock with magnification turned on. It tends to slow down a bit after running all day. Logging out and back in restores the fluid movement. About the only time I do a restart is when I have to because of an update or software installation. > 4. A colder computer is a happier computer. Constant heat form even > nominal > operation will reduce the longevity of your mac. This has never been *proven*. There are two schools of thought on heat. Yours, and mine which thinks that the cool down/heat up cycle induced by powering off for the night will have the same effect that the sun/heat plays on roads, only on a much smaller scale. Two things reek havoc on the radar systems that I repair. Excessive heat (which is countered by the 23 gallon liquid coolant system and ambient air flow through the circuit card assemblies) and powering down for the night. In these logic boards that are much more sensitive to temperature variables than that of a computer this makes a big difference. The difference between running for a couple weeks without requiring any service and having to call us out to repair it after they turn it off when it is not being used. Our answer to them is to keep the thing running. We like that when they do because that means I am not going out on a site call for a repair as often. Our laptops, not being as sensitive as these cards, would probably take a much longer time between failures due to temperature, and may not even be noticeable. The difference between us is that I acknowledge these facts, and when someone asks, I don't try to push my opinion on them. I offer them both sides, and let them choose. > 5. Leaving your Mac on all the time is the equivalent of leaving your car > idling all the time. The tires won't wear, the transmission won't wear, > and > your headlights won't burn out, but it's still running. Actually, it's more like keeping a warming block on your engine and engine sensors, so that you don't have to wait the customary 4 minutes warm-up before your car's computer starts running its program based on the sensors, and not the pre-programmed set of information it stores in ROM. > 6. Personal experience tells me so. I have been an Apple Certified Tech > since > 1991 and a Mac user from the Pre-Mac days. I can say the same thing, except since 1988, and the ACT part, which really has no bearing on the individual components that makes up the logic board. No I haven't been a Mac user since those days (switched over in 99) but the same laws of physics apply to components regardless of who puts them together. I will not be drawn into a flame war on this, so this will be my last input on this particular thread. I just wanted to make sure both sides are covered, and that the original poster has the information that he/she asked for. In sum, both schools of thought have their merits, and you must choose what makes you feel better. If you are looking for an excuse to turn off at night, and this does it for you, then by all means go for it. My wife holds the opposite view of mine, and turns hers (imac) off every night, and even just after a couple hours of use at time. My iMac stays on 24/7 (never sleeps) while my iBook stays on 24/7 but sleeps at night, and when not in use. The Wife's been running good since 1999, mine since 2000, and iBook since Nov 2001). The Kids iMac stays on 24/7 (with sleep) as well...just because he is too lazy to turn it off. These machines are probably not built with sensitive enough components that would really make a difference either way, and the effects would not be felt for 6-10 years if any. Walt ------------------ Sorry I got lost in thought. It was unfamiliar territory. -- G-Books is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... 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