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stevebishop · Apr 10, 2007, 09:33 AM

Hi I'm new to the MacBook - recently switched from a PC. I'm really loving it. I have a query: when should I use sleep and when should I shut down? Is it best to shut down overnight or just sleep?

Thanks
Steve

chabig · Apr 10, 2007, 09:35 AM

Sleep. The ability to wake rapidly from sleep is one of the hallmarks of the Mac.

I get a kick at airports watching other people pull Windows laptops out of their bags and waiting 5 minutes while it boots up. I just open my lid and start working.

Others will vote behind me.

Big Mac · Apr 10, 2007, 09:36 AM

There's not that much of a difference between the two, except for the minimal amount of power used to keep RAM powered and bus snooping on the CPU on. It really depends on your preference. If you'd rather unplug and power down for the night, do that, but if you'd prefer not to interrupt your workflow in the morning, just use sleep.

slpdLoad · Apr 10, 2007, 10:04 AM

I believe the MacBooks also have a safe sleep that is in between a normal sleep and shutting down. Safe sleep allows the contents of the RAM to be written to the Hard Drive, allowing your current state to be saved and still not use any power.

Kadman · Apr 10, 2007, 10:26 AM

I would sleep it as a regular practice. That's what I do for my Macs and PCs. Not sure what the post below is for given that Windows systems have also been doing this for a very long time.

Originally Posted by chabig

Sleep. The ability to wake rapidly from sleep is one of the hallmarks of the Mac.

I get a kick at airports watching other people pull Windows laptops out of their bags and waiting 5 minutes while it boots up. I just open my lid and start working.

Others will vote behind me.

Big Mac · Apr 10, 2007, 10:30 AM

Originally Posted by slpdLoad

I believe the MacBooks also have a safe sleep that is in between a normal sleep and shutting down. Safe sleep allows the contents of the RAM to be written to the Hard Drive, allowing your current state to be saved and still not use any power.

Right, but unlike Windows Hibernate, Safe Sleep only works if there's a power loss.

stevebishop · Apr 10, 2007, 10:42 AM

Thanks for all the responses - you have been most helpful: sleep it is!

Steve

frdmfghtr · Apr 10, 2007, 02:12 PM

Originally Posted by Kadman

I would sleep it as a regular practice. That's what I do for my Macs and PCs. Not sure what the post below is for given that Windows systems have also been doing this for a very long time.

It's because on a Mac, sleep actually works. I've had not-so-good experiences with it (sleep or hibernate) on Windows laptops running Win2K or XP, but that may have changed since I stopped using either on a regular basis.

I agree with the masses, go with sleep. One hint is to wait for the light to start pulsating before moving it; when a Mac sleeps, it saves RAM to the hard drive in case the battery is removed or depleted while in sleep mode. When the machine is awakened, it wakes directly from sleep if power was continuous, or from SafeSleep (the Mac version of Windows' hibernate) if power was interrupted.

Some have reported that they run into trouble sometimes when moving the machine while in the process of going to sleep; I've not seen this personally, but I usually wait for the machine to start "snoring" (the light to pulsate; some call it a "heartbeat") before moving it.

slpdLoad · Apr 10, 2007, 03:16 PM

Originally Posted by Big Mac

Right, but unlike Windows Hibernate, Safe Sleep only works if there's a power loss.

Ah, that was the part I was fuzzy on. Thanks.

chabig · Apr 10, 2007, 03:52 PM

Originally Posted by slpdLoad

Ah, that was the part I was fuzzy on. Thanks.

I would say it differently: Safe sleep always works, but it only protects you from a power loss while asleep (i.e., the battery is removed or goes completely dead).

As for Windows, yes it has had sleep for years. But my observation is that a lot of Windows laptop users don't use it. They simply shut down.

ghporter · Apr 10, 2007, 04:06 PM

"Suspend" is supposed to be the Windows version of sleep. I've never gotten it to work right. Ever. Hibernate is slower, but not nearly as slow as shutting down and then starting up Windows.

I tend to sleep my MBP when I expect I'll be right back at it, but turn it off when I expect it's going to be a while before I might want to run it again. I may change this practice when I'm not hauling it all over the place in my backpack but that's what I do now. As was pointed out, sleep really works on Macs. It is also such a low-power state that you should be able to leave your Mac asleep for an extended period, even on battery.