Re: [Phys-l] computers

[Michael Porter <listmoe@gmail.com>]

On Aug 7, 2007, at 8:56 AM, Anthony Lapinski wrote:
> My old laptop died (Mac),
> and I now have a new one. I am wondering if it should be shut down  
> every
> night, or simply be left on "sleep mode." The manual states to  
> "shut the
> computer down if it won't be used for a day or two."

I've used a few Mac laptops, and I never shut them down unless I'll  
be away for an extended period of time (e.g. a couple of weeks) or I  
need to restart as a result of some sort of update or upgrade. I  
suppose that the battery will slowly lose its charge over time, but I  
usually leave it plugged in so this is not a problem. As for damage  
or wear and tear, I cycle through my computers every four years or so  
-- if you keep yours for much longer you might notice a bit of  
degradation from one method (sleep/shut down) or the other, but I  
doubt it. Other things such as daily abuse will play a larger role.  
In the meantime, enjoy one of the great things about these computers,  
a really good sleep mode! It will save you hours (days?) of waiting  
over the life of your computer.

Mike

---
Michael Porter
Colonel By Secondary School
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada