Community weekly poll: Poll: Do you turn off your computer when it's not in use?
- 1/25/08 3:02 PM
Mostly I turn it off
by lorrwill - 1/26/08 3:09 PM In reply to: Poll: Do you turn off your computer when it's not in use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Reason: energy consumption and its electronics unfriendly by-product: heat. I usually leave it on when it is doing some background thing that should be completed (rather than canceled and started over) and I don't want to wait. Deep system scans, defraging, etc. During the day I may or may not depend on hibernation based on how long I think I will be away from it.
As far as all of our energy sucking devices, a former coworker distributed an article about how much you can save by turning everything not in use off and unplugging it, including powerstrips. The article (and I am sorry I do not remember the source, nor do I have a copy) tracked the tiny trickle of electricity that is still used by electronics when they are "off" in the average house over a year and it was enough to take notice.
Even though I live in a tiny apartment given the logistics of crawling around to unplug and replug things in, I have not been able to pull this one off.
YES otherwise problems
by Andy61 - 1/26/08 3:35 PM In reply to: Poll: Do you turn off your computer when it's not in use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
If I leave it on after about 5 or 6 hours it starts getting sluggish. Then it starts freezing up. I have 2 gig of memory so that should not be the problem. I can live with it. My eyes can use a rest anyway.
No I don't turn off my computer
by brunobrown - 1/26/08 3:39 PM In reply to: Poll: Do you turn off your computer when it's not in use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
No I don't turn off my computer ever because when my computer is not in use it is using world community grid helping to find cures for diseases such as cancer
http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/
Pete
How could Hackers gain access on Hibernate?
by frontblatt - 1/26/08 3:47 PM In reply to: Poll: Do you turn off your computer when it's not in use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I do not think that Hackers can get into a computer when it is on Hibernate!
I have remote access turned off so that no one can even get access when the PC is turned off.
Don't turn off when not in use
by rmathews3 - 1/26/08 4:13 PM In reply to: Poll: Do you turn off your computer when it's not in use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I hibernate my computer when not in use, but do not turn it off. The reason for this simple, it takes too long to start up. It takes at least 3 to 5 minutes for my PC or Mac to start up, not only because fo the operating system, but also all of the trash programs. I have tried turning them off and taking them out of startup, but then my computer gives me this grave warning that my computer may be at risk every time it starts up with those programs disabled in startup, even though it is trash like AOL messenger. If someone made a computer that started up in less than a minute (preferably 10 seconds), we would all be better off. I think this is what the software folks are missing.
I don't turn it off anymore
by GoYanks34 - 1/26/08 5:09 PM In reply to: Poll: Do you turn off your computer when it's not in use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I used to turn my computer on and off until I was informed by a friend's husband, who works in the computer field, that this is not good for the computer. I put it on standby when it's not in use and only turn it off if I won't be using it for a few days. It does not use much more energy on standby than turned off - my eletric bill is still about the same. It os also more convient because it takes a while for all the programs to load when it starts and on standby it's right where you left off. I have had fewer problems operating it this way as well. I never get the fatal error message or have problems with peripherals loading incorrectly either.
Do you turn off your computer when not in use?
by Will Chambers - 1/26/08 5:41 PM In reply to: Poll: Do you turn off your computer when it's not in use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
20 years ago I was told turning a computer on and off was hard on the electronics. That was when the power supply was never more than 250 to 300 watts. Several years ago I started turning my computer off at night and my electric bill dropped 15%.
i leave it on
by eugpenn - 1/26/08 5:46 PM In reply to: Poll: Do you turn off your computer when it's not in use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
i leave it on, so there is not stress on the computer by turning it on after being turned off. as for global warming, it's for the idiots who fall for algore's lies while he invests Heavily in the enviro companies and makes a Fortune off the idiots who believe him
Why I don't turn off
by IronManCurtis - 1/26/08 6:03 PM In reply to: Poll: Do you turn off your computer when it's not in use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I'm an electrical engineer. I leave my computers on. Why? Because, believe it or not, they last longer. When you turn on electronic devices, it takes a few seconds for things to stabilize. During this brief time, there are large current inrushes and such. These strain your electronics, eventually causing failure. I have computers that have been powered up for decades that still work fine. My friend, who scrupulously powers down, is constantly repairing his.
The exception is motorized devices like hard drives. Make sure that it's set up to power down after a reasonable time (in control panel > power options). If you have a CRT monitor, shut it off oruse a screen saver so you don't burn the screen. I don't believe LCD's burn. I've never seen a burned LCD screen.
If you leave your computer powered up, make sure to clean dust buildup, and frequently check the power supply fan (a motorized device).
On or off when not in use
by bigduke - 1/26/08 7:14 PM In reply to: Why I don't turn off by IronManCurtisThe lap top I'm on now uses 27 watts when screen is off and 32 watts screen on. It is computing 7/24 a week.
Because it is a Mac, I don't have virus, etc problems.
Other computer is Power Mac with running power of 220 watts. Standby is 6 watts. Power factor when on is 0.99! Considering
that standby is about same as a night light. I sacrifice perhaps 0.1 Kwh which costs a bit over a cent a day.
Say about thirty cents a month. Not a huge cost.
Draw your own conclusions whether it is worth having almost instant on.
On the other hand we use the new spiral lamps that use a third the energy of a hot filament. Only hot filament lamps left are
in the icebox, oven and microwave, and one does not use them much. And a great device on the wall can turn off unused lights.
duke, who makes a dime squeal like a quarter.
EE? Folklore!
by rbsjrx - 1/26/08 10:24 PM In reply to: Why I don't turn off by IronManCurtisIf you're a EE, then you know that inrush current induced failures will mostly show up in infant mortality numbers. There's a well established saddle curve that shows high infant and end-of-life mortality in purely electronic devices. However, for the majority of a component's life, the mortality rate is very low. That's why a 168 hour power burn-in is standard for high reliability devices. Once past that, the device may be expected to last for decades until end-of-life effects begin to show up.
As you note, electromechanical components are different. Their failure profile depends on total operating hours and lubrication-related issues. Generally, they're more reliable when left on continuously, but there are exceptions to any rule. A HDD manufacturer's tech data sheet can provide some clues as how to best extend their life.
Hibernate and/or Turn It Off
by jimpimms - 1/26/08 7:12 PM In reply to: Poll: Do you turn off your computer when it's not in use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
If I'll be returning within a few hours, I'll manually hibernate it (it's automatic after 1 hour if I've forgotten). It takes less than a minute to restore the desktop to where it was. Otherwise, I turn it off.
Reply to community poll
by MaxineKL - 1/26/08 7:42 PM In reply to: Poll: Do you turn off your computer when it's not in use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I don't turn off my laptop, I hibernate it, which is quick (as is the restart), but I'm told is a very low-energy state. That seems to give me the best of both worlds, as my work stays accessible where I left it. Once every few days I shut down and restart.
no i dont
by Joshua Welch - 1/26/08 8:46 PM In reply to: Poll: Do you turn off your computer when it's not in use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
i dnt because my laptop and computer is always on downloading movies/music/tv shows. i have also noticed that i needed to install an air con unit on the wall to keep it cool and it works like a charm. i havent turned off my computer since 02nd october. no side effects at the mo but without good fans/water cooling the system would have problems.
Joshua
I shut it down
by mo1535 - 1/26/08 9:10 PM In reply to: Poll: Do you turn off your computer when it's not in use? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
If my computer is not off I always put it to sleep or on stand-by when I know I'm not going to use it for 15 min. or more. If it's less time I'm gone then I at least have it to turn off the monitor after a few minutes of idleness. I do this because I'm aware of the energy crisis and I'm sure if every person starts by saving energy while using their computer, there will be a noticeable change which will benefit the future.
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