[newmacbookowner]

I recently purchased a new macbook for law school and currently have it set to not allow the computer to sleep, only allowing the display to sleep after 15min. I would like to not have it sleep so I will not miss any messages over ichat. My question is am I doing damage to the laptop by not allowing it to hibernate, especially while it is being carried in a case/backpack? Thanks in advance for any helpful responses.

[ibook_steve]

No matter what that setting is, the machine will always sleep when the lid is closed (unless you're operating in closed lid mode with an external display connected). There is no harm in keeping the machine awake while open and sitting on your desk. But when the lid is closed, it should sleep for transport.

Steve

[imitchellg5]

Like Steve said, when the lid is closed, the MacBook goes to sleep automatically, no way around it. But otherwise, there is no reason to be worried. If you keep it running 24/7 I would give it a rest occasionally just to let things cool down.

[mduell]

Download InsomniaX to keep it awake with the lid closed; not everyone wants to lose all their network connections every time they close their laptop.

Originally Posted by imitchellg5 

I would give it a rest occasionally just to let things cool down.

Thermal cycling is generally going to drive everything to failure faster than maintaining a constant temperature (unless the constant temperature becomes excessive).

[newmacbookowner]

thanks for the responses

[ibookuser2]

Originally Posted by mduell 

Download InsomniaX to keep it awake with the lid closed; not everyone wants to lose all their network connections every time they close their laptop.

Note that while having the machine running with the lid closed while it's sitting on a desk is nothing that it isn't designed to do, running it inside of a backpack or bag would be a very bad idea. A laptop needs air circulating around it to keep itself at safe temperatures. Most of the electronics may be fine at the temperatures they'd reach inside a closed bag, but the hard drive especially will have a dramatically shortened lifetime at higher temperatures.

[cms]

Originally Posted by ibookuser2 

Note that while having the machine running with the lid closed while it's sitting on a desk is nothing that it isn't designed to do, running it inside of a backpack or bag would be a very bad idea.

Why? Closing the lid or selecting sleep from the Apple menu or Command+Option+Eject sends the laptop to sleep. The hard disk has zero activity and there are no other processes involved. As long as the laptop is in a properly cushioned/padded bag, is definitely properly asleep before it's moved, and there is no chance of the lid popping open while in transit, there is very little risk of any problem at all. In my own experience, I have never, ever encountered a problem resulting from putting a sleeping iBook, PowerBook, MacBook or MacBook Pro in a bag to transport it from one place to another. I'm a mobile Apple techie, and am often working in 3 or 4 different locations in the course of a day. I don't want to be constantly shutting down and restarting my machine just because I've had to drive a few miles to my next on-site location. Why else would the computer be designed to sleep (apart from "sitting on a desk" while not in use....?

My MBP will sleep peacefully in its bag all day with no problems. Sleep mode uses very little battery, so it's also a good way of maximizing the time between charges. In reality, my MBP is only shut down when I need to boot into Vista to run Windows natively instead of in Parallels, when I have to restart following software updates, routine maintenance, etc., and when every once in a while I give my MBP a proper clean.

[MacosNerd]

Originally Posted by cms 

Why? Closing the lid or selecting sleep from the Apple menu or Command+Option+Eject sends the laptop to sleep. T

You should read the thread before responding. mduell provided a link to some software that will prevent the laptop from going into sleep mode when the lid is closed. The OP can then do what he wanted to do. Keep it running with the lid closed and put it in a backpack.

I'm with ibook_steve and say this is a bad idea, the heat trapped will almost certainly cook the laptop because of the lack of air movement.

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by cms 

Why? Closing the lid or selecting sleep from the Apple menu or Command+Option+Eject sends the laptop to sleep. ... My MBP will sleep peacefully in its bag all day with no problems.

The post you're responding to says "running inside a bag," not "sleeping inside a bag." RUNNING while enclosed would be VERY bad, as it would prevent the computer's cooling system from working very well, if at all. Otherwise, sure, let it SLEEP inside your bag. That's no problem. But RUNNING inside ANYTHING is a Very Bad Thing.

[mduell]

Originally Posted by ibookuser2 

Note that while having the machine running with the lid closed while it's sitting on a desk is nothing that it isn't designed to do, running it inside of a backpack or bag would be a very bad idea.

My laptops work just fine inside a bag for two minutes while I move between rooms or buildings. I'm not suggesting doing it for 8 hours straight.

Originally Posted by ibookuser2 

A laptop needs air circulating around it to keep itself at safe temperatures.

Perhaps with your iBook, but any Intel laptop will slow down and/or shut down if temperatures of various components rise too high.

Originally Posted by ibookuser2 

Most of the electronics may be fine at the temperatures they'd reach inside a closed bag, but the hard drive especially will have a dramatically shortened lifetime at higher temperatures.

Source? Per Google's experience, it takes 3 years for the failure rate of drives operated at high temperatures to catch up with the failure rate of drives operated at low temperatures.