Inspired by phone book thread..

[C.Ann]

If you have a lap top - and you're home all day - do you put it in hibernate mode or leave it on all day - even when you're not using it so you could quick look up a phone number or something?

Mine is always off - completely - unless I'm using it..

Just wondering about others..

 

[N&B'smom]

I don't shut mine down unless I'm going on vacation, otherwise it's always on but asleep when I'm not using it.

 

[aprilgail2]

Only time I shut any of my computers off is when I am going away on vacation....after about 5 minutes of no activity they go into hibrenate but I never shut them down. I have a desktop in the other room and has only been turned off when we have a power outage-otherwise that one is on 24/7

 

[Angelhalo]

Mine is on all day and night. It is just hibernating until I need it. DH is an IT guy and he does the same, so if he's ok with it, so am I. LOL!

 

[C.Ann]

Okay.. This must be another one of my "OCD-ish" qualities.. I'm afraid that:

A: It would catch on fire..

B: Have to be replaced sooner because it's on (kind of like a car idling) all the time..

Where's that other thread I started? I should probably add this "problem" to it..

 

[Carly_Roach]

If I'm home all day and I'm on and off it for one reason or another it's on standby. If I know I won't be using it for a few hours I shut it off. Saves electricity.

 

[Rora]

I always shut mine down, unless I'm using it, of course!

I still have the laptop my parents got me for college- I rarely use it. I prefer desktops!

 

[C.Ann]

If I know I won't be using it for a few hours I shut it off. Saves electricity.

Well that's another thing too.. It seems I recall reading over on the Budget Board how it really does make a difference in your electric bill.. Forgot how much, but it was enough to make me wonder if I should mention it to my Dson-in-law.. He often comments on their electric bill and I know that his desk top is on standby or hibernate or whatever all the time - as is my DD's lap top..

 

[mickeywho?]

I am on and off my laptop all day so during that time if I am not using it I put it to sleep. (that sounded strange...) At night, when we're asleep, all of our laptops and desktops and ipods are off! We restart them as we need them the next day. And yes, it makes a huge difference to the electric bill. We have 2 desktops, 2 laptops, an ipad and mulitple ipods/iphones...I really notice a difference to our bill after coming home from vacation.

 

[mrodgers]

Okay.. This must be another one of my "OCD-ish" qualities.. I'm afraid that:

A: It would catch on fire..

B: Have to be replaced sooner because it's on (kind of like a car idling) all the time..

Don't know about laptops as I don't have one, but I leave my desktop on all the time. I mean on by completely running. It's not in standby and not hibernating. I've had trouble before where bringing it back up from standby or hibernate it doesn't fully come back on.

My first PC was in 1995, which was a Compaq Pentium 75 MHz. I replaced it in 2005 with the current PC which is a Compaq AMD 3500+. They both have ran continuously at all times since we are on and off the computer all the time and it takes just as long to recover from standby or hibernate (especially hibernate) as it does to boot from off. I have never had a computer catch fire and obviously running one PC for 10 years and the 2nd PC for 5 years, it obviously hasn't affected the longevity of them.

Need replaced because they are way outdated, yes. Need replaced because of them wearing out from being on, no.

 

[4nana]

We have his and hers in our office and a laptop in living room. We usually leave 2 on sleep or hibernate during day.

We used to keep them on all the time, however I will always remember in 2004 a dear Dis'ner, 'Emmasgrammy', DD&SIL had a terrible house fire in wee hours of morn caused by computer . It truly touched all our hearts, as sadly she lost her dear DD and 1 or 2 sweet DGD's . I vowed then to always turn computers off every night, as to me it's not worth taking a chance.

 

[MushyMushy]

Hmmm, I'm not sure if I'm putting it in sleep mode or hibernate. I tap the power button, which will close everything down, but it doesn't shut the laptop down completely. It starts up relatively quickly. Occasionally I'll just shut the monitor, then all I need to do is tap the pointing device.

The only time I really shut it down all the way is when I need to restart due to updates, or if I'm going to travel with it.

 

[johnsontrio]

I hate using laptops , too many funky finger commands you have to learn. I love my desktop with the giant monitor and having everything in the same place around it, my notepad, my files, the stapler, the phone. I love my office area and being able to look out the front window to see what's going on in the neighborhood. Maybe this has some application to your OCD thread....

Everyone else in my family has laptops...

 

[FireDancer]

Okay.. This must be another one of my "OCD-ish" qualities.. I'm afraid that:

A: It would catch on fire..

B: Have to be replaced sooner because it's on (kind of like a car idling) all the time..

Where's that other thread I started? I should probably add this "problem" to it..

Actually it is the exact opposite. The majority of hard drive problems occur at startup when you hard drive goes from 0 to 5400 (or 7200) RPM. As we shift to solid state drives that will be less of an issue along with much quicker boot times but for now I always leave mine on. I'm the I.T. coordinator at work and all the computers stay on there too.

It is important though that your laptop has good ventilation so don't leave it on the sofa or bed overnight if it is on. Leave it on a hard surface. This all of course comes with the disclaimer that you laptop functions properly and has a working fan. If it is prone to overheating because of bad design or bad ventilation keep it off.