MacBook Air goes to sleep after 10 minutes of inactivity by default??? Why???

[sniffies]

Even when on power adapter, it still goes to sleep after 10 minutes of inactivity by default. I remember my MacBook Pro's default power settings were to never go to sleep when using power adapter. Is there a reason why it's not the case with MacBook Air.

The reason I'm asking is that I need my computer to stay on indefinitely to maintain uninterrupted internet connexion (for business). If I change the settings accordingly, will it harm the machine in any way?

Any input would be much appreciated.

 

[stridemat]

Click energy saver within System Preferences and adjust the settings so it doesn't go to sleep.

 

[sniffies]

Click energy saver within System Preferences and adjust the settings so it doesn't go to sleep.

Yeah, but that doesn't resolve my concern, which is: why did Apple decide to make 10 minutes a default on MacBook Air but not on MacBook Pro? What is behind the idea? Is it because leaving MacBook Air on indefinitely may damage it somehow? I don't know.

 

[GGJstudios]

Yeah, but that doesn't resolve my concern, which is: why did Apple decide to make 10 minutes a default on MacBook Air but not on MacBook Pro? What is behind the idea? Is it because leaving MacBook Air on indefinitely may damage it? I don't know.

No, it's to preserve battery life. You can adjust it to your preference.

 

[sniffies]

No, it's to preserve battery life. You can adjust it to your preference.

Would you know how badly it decreases computer's battery life by any chance? Ta.

Also, why didn't Apple apply the same settings to MacBook Pro. It would preserve its battery life too, right?

 

[GGJstudios]

Would you know how badly it decreases computer's battery life by any chance? Ta.

It completely depends on what apps/processes/widgets you have running, as well as screen brightness, WiFi, bluetooth, etc. The default sleep is so you're not burning up battery life when your MBA is unattended. Some want it to sleep after 5 minutes of activity; some after 30 minutes; some never. The default settings are just how it comes from Apple. They're meant to be changed to meet the individual user's needs. What Apple chooses as a default is meaningless.

This should answer most, if not all, of your battery questions: Apple Notebook Battery FAQ

 

[sniffies]

No, it's to preserve battery life. You can adjust it to your preference.

I just wanna make sure that by 'battery life', you mean the battery lifespan, not the 6-7 hour battery usage, right?

By the way, thanks for the link. Gonna give it a read.

 

[GGJstudios]

I just wanna make sure that by 'battery life', you mean the battery lifespan, not the 6-7 hour battery usage, right?

By the way, thanks for the link. Gonna give it a read.

No, it's to extend the amount of time you can get on a charge.... the "6-7 hour battery usage", not the lifespan of the battery. If you leave your MBA unattended for 30 minutes and it's not in sleep mode, it burns more of your battery's charge than it would if it spent the same 30 minutes in sleep mode. The less battery charge you use for unattended time, the more you have available for when you're actually doing something with your computer.

 

[TheRealDamager]

It won't hurt anything - just set the settings so they work for you.

 

[firewood]

Yeah, but that doesn't resolve my concern, which is: why did Apple decide to make 10 minutes a default on MacBook Air but not on MacBook Pro? What is behind the idea? Is it because leaving MacBook Air on indefinitely may damage it somehow? I don't know.

It's more consistant to have the MBA behave the same for the new user, whether plugged-in or not.

Plus it's more "Green". Reducing parasite power plug draw seems to be a new marketing spin that Apple is working (as with their new AAA battery charger).

Unless the more knowledgeable user wants to do otherwise by simply changing the default System Prefs.

 

[sniffies]

No, it's to extend the amount of time you can get on a charge.... the "6-7 hour battery usage", not the lifespan of the battery. If you leave your MBA unattended for 30 minutes and it's not in sleep mode, it burns more of your battery's charge than it would if it spent the same 30 minutes in sleep mode. The less battery charge you use for unattended time, the more you have available for when you're actually doing something with your computer.

Then I don't think you read my original post properly, as I was specifically talking about Power Adapter as a power source, thus making 6-7 hour battery usage irrelevant.

 

[GGJstudios]

Then I don't think you read my original post properly, as I was specifically talking about Power Adapter as a power source, thus making 6-7 hour battery usage irrelevant.

Yes, I read all of your original post carefully. Obviously, the benefit of the short time to sleep is for battery use. There's no benefit to any specific sleep setting while on AC power, other than the user's preference. Apple simply picked a number to use as default for both. Again, the default is meaningless. It's simply a starting point, from which you can change to suit your preferences.

Another benefit of having a short time to sleep when on AC power is if you have it set to require a password to wake from sleep (not a default setting). That way, if you have to walk away from your Mac for a period of time, it will sleep and require a password to wake, providing a measure of security.

 

[sniffies]

Yes, I read all of your original post carefully. Obviously, the benefit of the short time to sleep is for battery use. There's no benefit to any specific sleep setting while on AC power, other than the user's preference. Apple simply picked a number to use as default for both. Again, the default is meaningless. It's simply a starting point, from which you can change to suit your preferences.

Another benefit of having a short time to sleep when on AC power is if you have it set to require a password to wake from sleep (not a default setting). That way, if you have to walk away from your Mac for a period of time, it will sleep and require a password to wake, providing a measure of security.

Thank you. One of the reasons I created this thread is that I have OCD that makes me want to leave everything at default. Since Apple's default is 10 minutes, I got concerned as to why have limited time on power adapter at all.

Thanks, everyone.

 

[GGJstudios]

Thank you. One of the reasons I created this thread is that I have OCD that makes me want to leave everything at default.

You can still leave everything at default. It's just that when you change the setting, you've created a new default! So your OCD should rest easy, using your default, rather than Apple's default.

 

[hfg]

It's all about marketing!

The current "hot button" in small computers (started by the netbook) is long battery life, so Apple wants to be able to advertise that the Air has great battery life when consumers compare it to netbooks. Then, the default settings as shipped on the Air are set so as to actually realize the advertised run time for the purchaser when he first starts using it. After more experience is gained, the user can then adjust the setting to their liking or usage.

-howard

 

[DarwinOSX]

Thats almost as silly as the OP freaking out over the default settings. The run life is the run life regardless of what the default setting is.

It's all about marketing!

The current "hot button" in small computers (started by the netbook) is long battery life, so Apple wants to be able to advertise that the Air has great battery life when consumers compare it to netbooks. Then, the default settings as shipped on the Air are set so as to actually realize the advertised run time for the purchaser when he first starts using it. After more experience is gained, the user can then adjust the setting to their liking or usage.

-howard

 

[Xenc]

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MacBook Airs come equipped with SSD storage and LED backlit displays, allowing them to wake significantly faster from sleep than laptops with traditional hard drives and screen lighting. This is why Apple have set the default sleep time to ten minutes. It ensures the most amount of usage from a single charge without inconveniencing the user.

If it doesn't suit the way you are using your machine, increase or disable it.

 

[chrfr]

Also, why didn't Apple apply the same settings to MacBook Pro.

All currently shipping Macs go to sleep by default in 10 or 15 minutes.