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Is it better to sleep or turn off your iMac
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I'd say; both.
All Mac's, I'm told do a little clean up operation when they pass midnight and are on, letting them sleep gets them to do it when they next awake.
So if i was using it again soon or the next day I would let it sleep.
If I was away and not using it for some time, I would save the electricity and switch the power off.
For what it's worth, the iMacs & towers we use at work are on continuously - no sleep, no nothing. We just reboot 'em every now and then. No problems =]
It's a good idea to sleep laptops IMHO as they're not as well ventilated, but desktop machines should be fine to leave on continuously. My experience generally is you have more problems with sleep than when just leaving them on (occasionally a machine doesn't want to wake up)
Bought my iMac on June 6th this year. I just turn the screen off at night or when I go to work (shift-ctrl-eject).
I've had XP desktops that were left on for over a year.
If ventilation and temperature is not a problem, I would say let it stay on with the screen turned off.
Tom
I've had XP desktops that were left on for over a year.
If ventilation and temperature is not a problem, I would say let it stay on with the screen turned off.
Tom
Can someone please answer this one, does it harm/damage or shorten the lifespan of the Imac in anyway to keep the Imac on, only screen turned of at night?
It damages it more to turn it off and in daily. The hardest thing for a circuit is to go from cold to hot. That's where the wear occurs. Leave it on and let it go to sleep.
See my post above.
In addition, we've had one computer in the lab where I work turned on since 2000 save for a power failer in the building. My girlfriend's laptop has been left on since June 13 with nmo ill effects.
No, no ill effects.
Tom
I leave my PowerBook on all night download files for work. During the day it runs to download or convert TiVo files. So it is working 24/7, and had a dead case fan.
TEG
TEG
overnight if im not downloading i put my imac to sleep
if im downloading/need to be online i just put my screen to sleep...
only shut off imac or restart when its laggy or feel like i need to...
if im downloading/need to be online i just put my screen to sleep...
only shut off imac or restart when its laggy or feel like i need to...
I only leave my iBook on if I'm downloading something. Otherwise, it gets turned off at night.
During the day however, it sleeps. Say, if I was using it and decided to go do something else for a while, I'd just close the lid and let it sleep.
During the day however, it sleeps. Say, if I was using it and decided to go do something else for a while, I'd just close the lid and let it sleep.
I don't think it has a palpable effect on the life span of the machine. I've got a Sawtooth G4 and a 7500 that were both power-cycled at least once almost daily, and they still function fine. If I pulled my SE out of storage, I have little doubt it would power on.
It will affect your utility bill to a small degree. You can calculate that based on your local rates and the power consumption of the machine.
It will affect your utility bill to a small degree. You can calculate that based on your local rates and the power consumption of the machine.
Aside from the screen it is best to leave it on or in sleep mode
You see, the computer is overpowered every time it is turned on so it sorta shocks it. This can make the parts brittle over time. sleeping is less damaging than a full reboot.
You see, the computer is overpowered every time it is turned on so it sorta shocks it. This can make the parts brittle over time. sleeping is less damaging than a full reboot.
This is great info with some technical background, question however, doesn't the computer slow down if you don't reboot it, because when you reboot the processes are 'cleaned'.
And is there a difference between letting it on or put it to sleep, performance/technical (not power consuming) wise?
Well supposedly after every 12 hours of sleep macs "clean up" a bit but yes after a few weeks (or days depending on what you have saved) it will slow up
But i have had my iMac on/sleeping since I got it aside from T-Storms, Vacation, and updates that require reboots
leaving it on all the time can also damage the components so just set it to sleep after 1/2 hour or so and manually sleep it from the Apple menu when u know u wont use it like if u are going to do something outside or work and stuff like that