iMAC people A question.

[momrek06]

We bought an iMac 1/22 and we love it. We are new to Mac's having pc's all our lives (Dell).

So my question is "do you shut your iMac off every night or do you just put it to sleep" … I would like DISer's opinions/thoughts on this!

One reason I am asking is that yesterday 2/23, we got a "low-battery" warning on the mouse. The iMac is a month old, am I going to be putting batteries in the mouse once a month if I am just leaving it in "sleep" mode all the time.

With our pc, I shut that off all.the.time. Night time and during the day if we were not home, the computer was off.

TIA!

 

[diznygirl]

The mouse and the computer are two separate things. You can switch your mouse off underneath. We used rechargeable batteries in ours because it did eat up power.

 

[IdesOmarch]

At work we just let them sleep. Probably better to shut them off if your not going to use if for a while, but I'm no expert, just what we do.

 

[momrek06]

The mouse and the computer are two separate things. You can switch your mouse off underneath. We used rechargeable batteries in ours because it did eat up power.

Well you know, I tried that … I put the computer to sleep and then shut off my mouse (last night) and the screen went black … good. BUT a few seconds later the screen comes back on and there is a picture of my mouse with the words "connection lost" … and the whole screen was still up there … it did not go back to black.

I am charging my Ipod in the back of the iMac … does having the Ipod charging have anything to do with why I could not get that screen back to black and asleep … ugh …

 

[Sadie22]

I have used both Macs and PCs longterm and tend to leave my main computer on most the time. Accessories are switched off. If I am not going to be using the computer for a signifcant amount of time such as on vacation I turn it off and unplug it.

 

[Barbossa]

We shut our computers off every night.

 

[CrazyDuck]

I just walk away from it... I thin the screen turns off after a while... at least it goes black...

 

[momrek06]

I just walk away from it... I thin the screen turns off after a while... at least it goes black...

So I should try shutting the mouse off and the screen will eventually go black … ???

 

[nuttylawprofessor]

Well you know, I tried that … I put the computer to sleep and then shut off my mouse (last night) and the screen went black … good. BUT a few seconds later the screen comes back on and there is a picture of my mouse with the words "connection lost" … and the whole screen was still up there … it did not go back to black.

I am charging my Ipod in the back of the iMac … does having the Ipod charging have anything to do with why I could not get that screen back to black and asleep … ugh …

Plugging in or removing any device will generally wake a sleeping Mac. The system can still go back to sleep with the iPod plugged in or the mouse off. Whether or when your system would go back to sleep on its own is determined by your energy settings.

To change your "auto-sleep" settings, you need to change your preferences. Go to System Preferences and Energy Saver. From there you can decide when the display and/or computer will sleep after inactivity.

 

[momrek06]

Plugging in or removing any device will generally wake a sleeping Mac. The system can still go back to sleep with the iPod plugged in or the mouse off. Whether or when your system would go back to sleep on its own is determined by your energy settings.

To change your "auto-sleep" settings, you need to change your preferences. Go to System Preferences and Energy Saver. From there you can decide when the display and/or computer will sleep after inactivity.

Ohhh, thanks so much!!!

 

[nuttylawprofessor]

Ohhh, thanks so much!!!

 

[136368]

Apple claim that putting a computer to sleep on a regular basis should not cause any long term damage. In fact, when they released an old Power Mac that had a fault connected to the shut down/startup procedure, they actively recommended sleep mode.

 

[momrek06]

So one more question … while I love the idea of just putting the computer to sleep … how is that on your electric bill?

I know I saw a difference in my electric bill when I started shutting off my pc … I mean I had that on night and day … weeks on end. Started shutting it off whenever I was not in front of it and viola, a savings!!!

 

[LuvOrlando]

The guy at Apple's Customer Care told me to shut it down & look for updates once a month so that's what I do. The only other time I shut it down is if a storm is coming through because I don't want it damaged

 

[nuttylawprofessor]

In our experience as a formerly mixed-platform family, as long as the mac is sleeping, it isn't drawing tons more than if shut down. The Dell sucked(.) more power in sleep. My computer-geek spouse claims that it's because mac systems are designed to process much less while sleeping than a windows machine processes while it is sleeping.

 

[momrek06]

The guy at Apple's Customer Care told me to shut it down & look for updates once a month so that's what I do. The only other time I shut it down is if a storm is coming through because I don't want it damaged

This putting to sleep vs shutting down is debated all over the place … I just wish there was ONE answer.

Now that being said, our Apple Tech (and we just bought it a month ago) told us the complete opposite of you … he said "just put it to sleep at night" … so of course we have but we have failed to turn the mouse off hence already needing new batteries.

In the meantime, I have joined "APPLE DISCUSSIONS" their message boards and the "sleep or shut it off" mode is greatly discussed over there. And it appears to be 50/50.

Oh and yesterday, a window popped up to install updates and I did that!

 

[momrek06]

In our experience as a formerly mixed-platform family, as long as the mac is sleeping, it isn't drawing tons more than if shut down. The Dell sucked(.) more power in sleep. My computer-geek spouse claims that it's because mac systems are designed to process much less while sleeping than a windows machine processes while it is sleeping.

Oh I like hearing that!!!

 

[nuttylawprofessor]

Oh I like hearing that!!!

You may notice a bigger difference than we do, though. Our overall power bill is only about $100-150 per month.

Oh, and watch out on those Apple discussion boards. To sleep or not to sleep can get like the teacher debates around here.

 

[TexasErin]

Why am I thinking of 2001?

Hal: "I'm afraid. I'm afraid, Dave. Dave, my mind is going. I can feel it. I can feel it. My mind is going. There is no question about it. I can feel it. I can feel it. I can feel it. I'm a... fraid. Good afternoon, gentlemen. I am a HAL 9000 computer. I became operational at the H.A.L. plant in Urbana, Illinois on the 12th of January 1992. My instructor was Mr. Langley, and he taught me to sing a song. If you'd like to hear it I can sing it for you.


Seriously, I love my IMAC, so much more over my Dell that I had. We just kind of do a mix between letting it go to sleep and shutting it down. At our house, it really depends on who was last on it.....

 

[momrek06]

Oh, and watch out on those Apple discussion boards. To sleep or not to sleep can get like the teacher debates around here.

OMG … I had a migraine after reading over there … ugh.

Why am I thinking of 2001?

Hal: "I'm afraid. I'm afraid, Dave. Dave, my mind is going. I can feel it. I can feel it. My mind is going. There is no question about it. I can feel it. I can feel it. I can feel it. I'm a... fraid. Good afternoon, gentlemen. I am a HAL 9000 computer. I became operational at the H.A.L. plant in Urbana, Illinois on the 12th of January 1992. My instructor was Mr. Langley, and he taught me to sing a song. If you'd like to hear it I can sing it for you.