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How often to shut down?

GGJstudios said:
There are no facts to support that statement.
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Apparently, you don't like IJReilly, but it doesn't matter. He's actually right in this case. ;)

Same thing happens with a fresh install of the OS, and then all your apps, then work and personal files. It's not just the amount of free space on your HDD that will affect speed. Just like Windows. What you said earlier about isn't correct. I don't like using Windows, but OS X does slow down over time just like Windows. Whether you notice or not depends on what you're doing.

PS: I don't shut down because I don't care.
 
Abstract said:
Apparently, you don't like IJReilly, but it doesn't matter. He's actually right in this case. ;)

Same thing happens with a fresh install of the OS, and then all your apps, then work and personal files. It's not just the amount of free space on your HDD that will affect speed. Just like Windows. What you said earlier about isn't correct. I don't like using Windows, but OS X does slow down over time just like Windows. Whether you notice or not depends on what you're doing.

PS: I don't shut down because I don't care.
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so you're saying that he is right but it is so little that you dont notice?
 
For me, mostly yes. However, you said he was wrong and that there's no proof of what he said (riiiight), which is wrong.

It's noticeable when you're doing high-load tasks. It doesn't affect my websurfing or my iTunes, which I have open more often than anything (i.e., always). That's why I don't restart. I just don't see the need. However, he's still right, and you are.....well.......the other guy.
 
newmacfilm said:
I'm new to Mac, having purchased the new 17" MBP last month. The majority of my time is spent at my desk with the machine plugged in, I go mobile here and there.

When I'm finished working for the day, should I shut down my mbpro completely, or just close it and put it to sleep? I saw somewhere someone talking about rarely ever having to reboot their mbpro. Having come from a clunky HP windows laptop, I was constantly rebooting and out of habit always shutting down at night. Does that tax the machine making it turn off and on every night/morning?

As a quick aside, there's nothing wrong with keeping the machine plugged in all day? i.e. should I periodically let it run on battery for any reason?

Thanks for your feedback.
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Well I don't like to stress my hardware in the laptop, so I shut it down every night, and discharge the battery.

Now, as for the desktop its always on and running something. This can range from torrenting to ripping a DVD movie and converting video files simultaneously. The quad G5 is just an amazing workhorse.
 
Abstract said:
It's noticeable when you're doing high-load tasks. It doesn't affect my websurfing or my iTunes, which I have open more often than anything (i.e., always). That's why I don't restart. I just don't see the need. However, he's still right, and you are.....well.......the other guy.
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i never said he was wrong. i said that im happy that it works for him. i dont see any difference on my computer.
 
derek1984 said:
When I leave for work in the morning, I always shut down. I'll turn it on as soon as I get home and go off the battery until it's about 20% drained and then fully charge it back up again. Once it's fully charged, I go off the battery. The only time I use my MBP when it is plugged in, is when I am charging it..Or during a calibration.

When I know I'll be away from my MBP for hours or days, I feel better when it's shut down. But I always leave my desktop on 24/7. I just don't feel like a laptop is made to be on 24/7 like a desktop.
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I'm pretty sure you're gonna kill your battery earlier this way, simply because you're cycling it so often. Its important to cycle the battery every once in a while, but you've got it on a constant charge-discharge cycle, that's total overkill.
 
ViciousShadow21 said:
and by the way i never said he was wrong.
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And I never claimed you did. I didn't even reply to you.

Also, that last bit was supposed to be a joke. I thought I edited that post and added a ;) in front of it immediately after I posted it because I thought someone may not get it , but I guess I didn't, or I hit cancel instead of "save".

Anyway.....
 
Abstract said:
And I never claimed you did. I didn't even reply to you.

Also, that last bit was supposed to be a joke. I thought I edited that post and added a ;) in front of it immediately after I posted it because I thought someone may not get it , but I guess I didn't, or I hit cancel instead of "save".

Anyway.....
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oh....well then im sticking up for GGJ haha.

i dunno, everyone is going to do what makes them feel good. and who are we to tell them that they are wrong or right. thats just how i feel.
 
I don't want to stick my head in a bees nest with my second post, but IJ Reilly is absolutely right.

EVERY operating system, including OS X, will experience memory leaks at some point. This occurs when software does not use memory anymore, but for some reason does not inform the OS the memory is released. This memory will remain allocated while it is not being used by anything anymore. Mind you, the OS will ONLY free allocated memory if the program using it will tell the OS it does no longer need it. If the program does not do this due to a bug or whatever, the memory will not be released, not even if they program originally using it is closed and no longer running.

In time, there will be so much memory allocated without being actually used, swap space is needed to keep the computer running. This memory does not even have to show up as used, as it can just be reserved. As a result, the computer will slow down and the only way to return to full performance is to reboot. An increasing swap space is a clear and dead giveaway for a memory leak.

These memory leaks typically do not occur too dramatically in the OS itself, and when they do they are usually quickly fixed by an update. However, some software does create these memory leaks and they sometimes do not get fixed quick or even at all.

This quickly explains why some people are having problems with this and other do not: not everybody uses the same software or the same version of software, and as such does or does not experience problems with memory leaks.

However, claiming such things do not occur with OS X and rebooting will not improve performance is ignorant and displays a lack of understanding how computer memory management works.

While IJ Reilly's problem is not likely caused by OS X itself, but by a particular program he uses, the simple fact remains that rebooting a computer, wether it is OS X, Windows, SunOS or whatever, can indeed speed up a computer significantly.
 
iFreemem, Onyx, and Mainmenu seem to do the trick for me :) the longest i have gone without turning off my laptop is about 2 weeks my oold mac mini a week i notice some slowing down if i dont maintain the system, i.e use the software i just mentioned but i run that.. and then im good to goo!! :)

PTP
 
throttlemeister said:
I don't want to stick my head in a bees nest with my second post, but IJ Reilly is absolutely right.
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Thanks to you and the others for a far more complete technical description of the issue than I have the knowledge to provide.

Whew, you'd think I was the one being a jerk about this. I've only been relating my experience with system performance and VM swap files, and trying to be clear about what I know and what I don't know about its causes.

The bottom line: this is advice -- it's your privilege to either take or leave it. Anyone has the right to agree or not, but there's no excuse for being nasty about it.
 
ViciousShadow21 said:
i dunno, everyone is going to do what makes them feel good. and who are we to tell them that they are wrong or right. thats just how i feel.
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But what if he came here to ask this very specific question, and wanted an answer. ;)

I'm almost certain IJReilly is right in this case, and if he has ever been pissy about this, doesn't everyone get a bit worked up when someone is sure he's right, and yet people are telling him that he's wrong, and usually a jerk? :p


Anyway, I will continue not to shut down regardless of what I know, and for the reasons I stated. Being given knowledge doesn't mean you're forced to do something. Nobody is saying you need to shut down because it'll dramatically affect your computing experience, or your life. Just do what you want to do with the knowledge that you've now gained.
 
Have I been pissy about this? I believe I stuck to the topic despite the frequently antagonistic attitudes of those who didn't agree with me. I read back through the thread and don't see where I've risen to the bait.
 
Abstract said:
Apparently, you don't like IJReilly...
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I have absolutely no dislike for IJ Reilly. At no time during our debate did either of us resort to name-calling or personal attacks. I can disagree with someone and still like them, as I'm sure IJ Reilly can do.
IJ Reilly said:
Have I been pissy about this?
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No, you haven't been "pissy" or out of line at all. You demonstrated that you can have a vigorous debate without being rude or childish. I respect that.
 
GGJstudios said:
I have absolutely no dislike for IJ Reilly. At no time during our debate did either of us resort to name-calling or personal attacks. I can disagree with someone and still like them, as I'm sure IJ Reilly can do.

No, you haven't been "pissy" or out of line at all. You demonstrated that you can have a vigorous debate without being rude or childish. I respect that.
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I thought I'd post this link that addresses some topics discussed in this thread (quite possibly the "proof" that GGJ was looking for?)

Argument #4 deals with the "need for reboot issue"
 
We disagree. There's nothing wrong with disagreeing, as long as it's done respectfully. Your link was nothing more than one person's opinion, from "a musician, writer, web designer, amateur photographer, entrepreneur and IT professional since 2001." That's hardly proof of anything.
 
GGJstudios said:
That's hardly proof of anything.
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What's funny is that you knock ppl for only basing their arguments on opinon...which is exactly what you're basing your argument on. :confused:

But, to you, your own opinion is probably just as good as hearing from God.
 
IJ Reilly said:
FWIW, I wasn't directing my observation at you.
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yea it was at me. i just dont like your attitude. ppl that state their opinions like they are facts irritate me and on top of that saying that other's opinions are wrong is even more infuriating. all we can go on is our experience. and for me shutting down my computer does nothing to help my computer run faster. like i said i run OnyX every once and a while and re-install my operating system every 6 months. that is what i have noticed helps the most. Nothing you say will change the way i feel about it. so just say you disagree and move on. there is no reason to call me a masochist or say that i am WRONG for doing it.
 
Well... since you are the one having your posts edited to remove rude comments, I would not accuse anyone else of a bad attitude.
 
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