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You keep your iMac on all the time?

S

silbeej

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Feb 3, 2007
797
0
Now desktops are best kept on all the time, while laptops overheat and such, but how do iMacs survive? Someone i know is interested in an iMac, but how do you treat them compared to other systems, as it is an all in one? Also, any suggestions about the new iMacs and how reliable then are you be appreciated.

Thanks
 
iMac for 2 years running most of the time (BOINC too). (20" Core Duo)

Another iMac for over 1 year running most of the time. (Folding) (24" Core 2 Duo)

PS3 folding half the year - most the time (it's my heater)

So far - no problems.
 
Haven't turned a PC or Mac off, other than for relocation or disassembly, in at least ten years. I usually keep my machines five years, and I've had one hard drive failure and one really cheap power supply failure in that time.
 
I leave mine on all the time.
Comes out of sleep mode in 6-7 seconds.

Only time I reboot/shutdown is for software updates.
 
I don't leave mine on all the time, but I wouldn't be worried about doing so. I have done with older iMacs in the past. The only reason I don't know is because I'm out at work most of the day so I have it go to sleep after 30 mins of inactivity.

Only time I actually shut the machine down is when I go on holiday or to restart after a software update.
 
I sleep it at night and only turn it off if I go away for a few days or there is a really bad electrical storm.
 
silbeej said:
Now desktops are best kept on all the time, while laptops overheat and such, but how do iMacs survive?
Click to expand...

This is news to me :confused:

You can turn your Mac off without fear, nothing will break. Or you can set it to sleep, once again nothing will break.

On the inside, an iMac is nothing more than a laptop with a desktop hard disk.
 
trule said:
This is news to me :confused:

You can turn your Mac off without fear, nothing will break. Or you can set it to sleep, once again nothing will break.

On the inside, an iMac is nothing more than a laptop with a desktop hard disk.
Click to expand...

Umm... I take it you haven't seen all the Asians that hide in them - have you?

Just a Laptop with a desktop hard drive - lol.
 
My iMac is always on, except for the occasional reboot or power failure. I think it's fine to leave it on.
 
MBP is always on... best up time was 20 days before an update took that away. However, it sleeps during the night and while I'm away. It won't be sleeping for a while during the night for a few days, as it'll be converting movies with HDV... long time, best done at night... I'll have a maximum of 16 hours to encode :eek:
 
On 24x7 here. Even when I'm not home, it's up as I use it as an SSH server so I can "surf" from work over my home connection. ;)

Been leaving all my machines on for as long as I remember. Never an issue.
 
In the past every PC I built has been left on 24/7 and on UPS backup, but since I bought my iMac I turn it off when I don't really need it on. It boots up fast enough for me to not really care about turning it off.

But with that being said, if I need it to be left on for a week it will be left on. If I go away for a weekend I turn it off. Besides I also have my Linux server running 24/7/365 doing stuff that I used to do on my main Windows PC's back before Mac
 
silbeej said:
Now desktops are best kept on all the time, while laptops overheat and such, but how do iMacs survive? Someone i know is interested in an iMac, but how do you treat them compared to other systems, as it is an all in one? Also, any suggestions about the new iMacs and how reliable then are you be appreciated.

Thanks
Click to expand...

I leave everything I have on all the time, including laptops. I have a 6 year old Compaq laptop, a Dell laptop that's 3 years old and a 1 1/2 year old Dell laptop. All are left on all the time (except when I shut them down to take with me someplace) and I've had no problems with any of them.

Not sure how my new iMac will deal with it, but I intend to leave it on all the time also. Except in poorly designed machines, the constant heat is in my opinion better than the stress caused by cycling.
 
My 2007 iMac has been on 24x7 since mid august! No problems yet. I had a tower G4 that ran 24x7 for 8 years and will still do more!
 
Big-TDI-Guy said:
iMac for 2 years running most of the time (BOINC too). (20" Core Duo)

Another iMac for over 1 year running most of the time. (Folding) (24" Core 2 Duo)

PS3 folding half the year - most the time (it's my heater)

So far - no problems.
Click to expand...

LOL! I worry leaving my PS3 on Folding Home, I worry I may be Burning Down Home by leaving that scorcher on...:p
 
Add me to the list of putting the iMac to sleep only at night when I sleep. As for shutting down I will only do so when I am going to be away from the house for more than a few days.
 
I have mine on pretty much nonstop but have it set to sleep after few mins.

Lately though safari seems to be stopping it from going to sleep though the system preference settings. It just sleeps the screen. But if i select sleep in the apple menu then it goes to sleep.
 
Freis968 said:
LOL! I worry leaving my PS3 on Folding Home, I worry I may be Burning Down Home by leaving that scorcher on...:p
Click to expand...

In no word of a lie - my PS3 keeps my room 10-20 degrees (F) warmer than the rest of the house. It's actually saving me a lot of $. I keep the main thermostat at 48-50F - and my room is always 60+. (where I hide most of the time anyhow)

Tack that on with my iMac folding too - ain't that bad. My participation in Folding seems to die off around March-April. I wonder why? :D
 
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