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Community weekly poll: Poll: Do you turn off your computer when it's not in use?
- 1/25/08 3:02 PM
Shut off Computers
by fastphoto - 1/30/08 4:44 AM In reply to: put it to sleep by davidbocekYes, we shutdown/put to sleep whenever we am away from my computers. Each computer is set to go to sleep after 5 minutes of inactivity. That way the computer is ready to work and only uses a small amount of electricity to keep our computer world warm and spinning. The HD’s and monitor pull far more energy than the rest of the computer. The only computer that runs 24/7 is our WHS (no monitor, keyboard or mouse) that makes daily backup of all network computers (6). It also has our personal website available and is used by several friends and family that work weird hours, so that is why it runs 27/7. All computers are set to update and backup at 07:00 daily to prevent waking in the middle of the night and sometimes staying on the remainder of the morning.
BUT the big consumers of energy are plasma TV’s, air conditioners and refrigerators. And do not forget the puny light bulb (lamp) that consumes energy and should be turned off whenever leaving a room, it also produces heat that causes the A/C unit to run more, and then we have florescent ceiling lamps that use less energy IF not turned on and off whenever you leave the room for less than 30 minutes.
We have started using lower wattage lamps throughout the house, set the heat pump to 68 degrees and the A/C to 77 degrees. We replaced a good 50 gallon electric water heater with a whole house hot water on demand unit that reduced our energy need considerably.
As I am retired and have plenty of time, I rebuild computers for friends and family using as much “stuff” from their old computer as possible. If they like the case, I replace the power supply to match their new needs, etc. But I never throw anything into the trash that can endanger the environment. Yes, even the triple A batteries go to the recycle center.
I used to but since I have Vista,
by joanie707 - 1/25/08 7:49 PM In reply to: Poll: Do you turn off your computer when it's not in use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I was told to leave it on, because that is when it does all the updating and other tasks--So whats the word now?
Weekly poll
by BridgetW - 1/27/08 9:44 AM In reply to: I used to but since I have Vista, by joanie707I too am curious about whether or not it's OK since I use Vista. I have always shut my computer completely down, but now I have Vista and it says to put it to sleep and only shut it down if you're going to be away for several days OR if you're installing hardware. I'm putting it to sleep, but I'd feel much better if I was sure it was OK to turn it off daily (wear and tear on my computer??? My old one was fine for 10 years!)
Poll
by Daylight51 - 1/25/08 7:52 PM In reply to: Poll: Do you turn off your computer when it's not in use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I always turn my comp off overnight, simply to save energy. I often use stand by when breaking from computing for short periods.
Turning off the computer/laptop
by elevations2000 - 1/25/08 7:52 PM In reply to: Poll: Do you turn off your computer when it's not in use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I am one to save on my electric bill (half of the bill is TAX)by shutting down my desk top when it is not in use and the same holds true for my lap top.
I know that the hard drives did at one time have a life expectency of only 3yrs., but that was with the old 386. Todays technology should keep them running for much longer.
Technology keeps pushing us along with new products. So, we buy them because it is not only the new "keeping up with the Jones'" but attempting to remain at least in line with what is happening.
So, powering down/off is a great idea if you want to spend the extra money on new technology.
Joe
Powering off computers
by rphunter - 1/26/08 12:51 AM In reply to: Turning off the computer/laptop by elevations2000All three of my computers run 24/7, even when I am on vacation.
The main users of power in a computer system are the hard drives, and monitors, including in laptops. If you have power-saving modes on them, then keeping just the memory and processor alive requires about as much power as a 55 watt incandescent light bulb. As I use my computers throughout the day, and night, turning them off and on would use more power than just leaving them on in power-saving mode. On my newest computer, even the processor goes into a slower, less power using, mode when it isn't busy, lowering both temperature, and voltage.
If you use your computer only once or twice a day, then it may save power to turn it off between uses. Usage pattern, and power-saving option usage are the main considerations.
Multiple Reasons
by Technogeek24 - 1/26/08 10:50 AM In reply to: Powering off computers by rphunterI have several PC'c, I always shut down the ones with large hard drives. After a few hours a large hard drive can burn your finger, (that can't be good). The smaller ones >13gig run cool for days. The older machines being used for specific purposes do not overeheat and can be left on. But I often shut them down to save on electric bill.
The last couple of weeks with the shop at extremely low temperatures, maybe I should have funneled the heat into assisting the furnace.
power off/down
by charle.s - 1/28/08 12:49 AM In reply to: Powering off computers by rphuntero.k. here's the deal firstly a computer laptop uses/costs approx 10p
per hour to run but like me I finish work at 4.30 friday and I've no
intention of working until monday so yep computer gets turned off.
secondly as far as hacking is concerned no antivirus software is sufficient to stop serious hackers remember front door back door cos a
serious hacker will always find a way in so the tip is if using for online banking scramble your data then log out.As far as plasmas and other energy saving devices are concerned they are only as energy efficient as the user!.But there is more fundemental argument here.
House price where I live have rocketed!,but theres nothing to justify the rise like income/salaries everyone wants a wage increase but againg are we producing more!.ok gas electric etc are all going up but is the gas any different maybe its an intelligent gas or super electric?,nothing has changed only our demands!when people start to realize this we might get somewhere I value houses and the only element I can think of is greed so if people start to cut back and to lower prices then we'll get back to basics.( think of the sixties seventies) but prices going up inthe eighties again nothing to justify them what are we doing thats so different?.
Depends
by JeffDeWitt - 1/25/08 7:59 PM In reply to: Poll: Do you turn off your computer when it's not in use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
My big system at work I leave on, it takes forever for that old IntelliStation to start up, the network forces lame corporate wallpaper on it (which looks even worse stretched across two monitors, and one of the monitors is dying... it works perfectly as long as it's left on but if it's turned off it doesn't like to stay running after it's turned back on.
At home I just close my laptop when I'm done with it, unless I'm actually taking it somewhere, then it's shut down.
Computer poses chance of electrical short
by circuit30 - 1/25/08 8:06 PM In reply to: Poll: Do you turn off your computer when it's not in use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I had a monitor short and explode. Fortunately it occured while I was
sitting in front of it. Since then I don't want to be asleep or gone and have a similar occurance. Perhaps a small problem, it I have first hand experience with this potential.
Yes, I turn off my computer when not in use.
by rosie82 - 1/25/08 8:09 PM In reply to: Poll: Do you turn off your computer when it's not in use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I turn off my computer when not in use. I used to do it to avoid premature cooling fan failures. The computer I now have will hibernate, so I do not have to worry so much about the fans anymore. However, I will still turn it off when not in use, primarily due to unexpected power failures which tend to happen more often than I like.
My computers are always in use
by mknorr - 1/25/08 8:09 PM In reply to: Poll: Do you turn off your computer when it's not in use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
My computers are always on as they are always in use, doing SETI@Home calculations. But when I get no data I always turn them off.
No, it's a MAC and turns itself off appropriately
by genou souris - 1/25/08 9:57 PM In reply to: My computers are always in use by mknorrOne of the features that caught my attention when researching for a new computer was the mechanical design of the G5 dual core Power MAC. The Power Mac G5 features a thick anodized aluminum alloy enclosure, designed to provide rugged security as well as conduct heat from inner compartments to the surrounding environment. The new enclosure is built around four independently controlled thermal zones for advanced airflow management, with fans in each zone that are individually controlled based on a combination of thermal and power monitoring, resulting in the Power Mac G5 running two times quieter than the previous Power Mac G4. Since most of the heat is conducted to the case and the case has extensive air-holes for air currents to efficiently remove internal heat generated, the fans are seldom on saving power. This feature alone will make-up for small dollar savings up-front between the two major competing computers based on one of the responses of this forum indicating approximately $400 per year in cost of power to keep the PC on full time. So the gal that prodded the computer community about inattention to energy use, my response is get a MAC, or become the first woman Thoreau near some similar quiet Malden-pond and describe how we might better simplify...simplify as David suggested without the sophisticated modeling needed to cope with increasingly complex problems; e.g. white light generation from RGB LED mixing that is predicted to save 25 % of current oil used in the US.
I'm never done using them!
by dburr13 - 1/25/08 8:10 PM In reply to: Poll: Do you turn off your computer when it's not in use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I never shut mine off...When i'm not using my computers they are running the BOINC distributive computing client...and have been doing so 24/7 for the last 4 years...So except for my laptop...my PC's never sleep.
Sleep Only
by LarryQW - 1/25/08 8:13 PM In reply to: Poll: Do you turn off your computer when it's not in use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I have a UPS that measures the actual power being used. My high power dual core computer uses 110 Watts (or higher under heaving processing) and my 24" LCD monitor uses 60 Watts, or around 170 Watts total.
I have the monitor shut off after 10 minutes and the computer go to sleep after 30 minutes. In the sleep state, my computer only uses 15 Watts, as much as a night light. If I turn the computer completely off, it goes down to around 1 Watt, probably from all the other chargers plugged in.
I only turn off my computer if I'm going to be gone for a couple days. With Vista, I rarely need to reboot, maybe once a month for upgrades.
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