{"id":11267,"date":"2011-04-04T12:00:36","date_gmt":"2011-04-04T11:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=11267"},"modified":"2011-04-04T12:54:43","modified_gmt":"2011-04-04T11:54:43","slug":"whats-best-for-my-computer-hibernate-sleep-or-shut-down","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2011\/04\/whats-best-for-my-computer-hibernate-sleep-or-shut-down\/","title":{"rendered":"What’s Best for My Computer: Hibernate, Sleep, or Shut Down?"},"content":{"rendered":"

How to manage your computer depends a lot on your work habits.<\/em><\/p>\n

Q<\/strong>: My desktop computer just died, so I invested in a new laptop. I want to get my money\u2019s worth this time around. Does putting my computer to sleep help the battery life? What else can I do to save energy and make this computer last?<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

A:<\/strong> During most of my childhood, my mom relied on Cousin Phil to keep her powder blue Ford Mustang in top condition. Even back then, I knew the value of having a gearhead in the family. That\u2019s why I was so excited to make friends with Fred Peters<\/a>, a computer expert who also makes a mean baked ziti.<\/p>\n

In addition to teaching computing courses in Orange County, Calif., Peters happily makes house calls to revive frazzled computers and the people who rely on them. Here are his expert tips on how to keep your new laptop running as smoothly as my mom\u2019s Mustang.<\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sleep mode vs. shutting down<\/strong><\/p>\n

Peters notes that your work process will determine whether it\u2019s more efficient to use \u201cSleep\u201d mode or simply shut down the computer. \u201cIt is never fun to have to consistently wait any amount of time if the shut downs are too frequent,\u201d he says. “‘Sleep’ requires more power, but it boots up faster, while \u2018Hibernate\u2019 uses less power, but takes longer to come online.\u201d That same logic applies to shutting off your computer completely.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour computer will become obsolete before you wear out your computer by turning it on and off a lot,\u201d he adds. \u201cIt also doesn’t take more energy to start a computer than to keep it running.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sleep mode requires a constant, though reduced use of power (0-6 watts). Peters also notes that colorful screensavers do nothing to conserve energy. Accessing your computer remotely with the Wake on LAN<\/a> feature also can drain the power. To get the most for your money, Peters advises adjusting power settings so that it automatically goes into Sleep\/Standby mode after about 15 minutes of inactivity, and then shut it down at the end of your day.<\/p>\n

Bionic battery life<\/strong><\/p>\n

My car ran for nearly a decade on the original factory-issued battery. (These days, a 10-year-old computer is about as rare as a classic muscle car.) To get the most out of your computer battery, Peters says to you have to give it a workout. Don\u2019t keep your machine plugged in to an outlet. Instead, discharge the battery daily.<\/p>\n

Size does matter<\/strong><\/p>\n

By purchasing a laptop, Peters says that you are already ahead in the energy-saving game. Laptops use about 15-60 watts, while desktops use 65-250 watts \u2014 plus another 15-80 watts for a monitor. He also adds that you can further conserve energy by using an LCD monitor and ditching the high-end video card unless it\u2019s absolutely necessary. Also, turn off printers and other peripherals when they are not in use. To kill \u201cvampire power,\u201d Treehugger.com<\/a> suggests purchasing a power strip. With all peripherals connected to one source, it\u2019s easy to simply flip the switch on power hogs any time.<\/p>\n

Establish a backup process<\/strong><\/p>\n

In addition to Peters\u2019 great advice about conserving energy, I discovered the hard way that it also pays to save backup versions of your work. Invest in an external hard drive to hold your digital music library, special photos and other key documents. Frequent backups ensure that your data doesn\u2019t die with your laptop.<\/p>\n

While you are in the process of backing things up, create an emergency file (on good old-fashioned paper) that contains your computer\u2019s serial number along with other key data such as your credit card numbers and phone numbers to reach each company, along with contact info to your insurance company. Access to that information is vital, particularly in the event of an accident, fire, computer theft or other catastrophe.<\/p>\n

Peters warns that those key pieces of information are not safe on your computer. If you are like me and absolutely need a digital holding space for those nuggets of information, he suggests sites like LastPass<\/a> as your online vault.<\/p>\n

Happy computing!
\n\u2014 Morieka<\/a><\/p>\n

Go to Original \u2013 mnn.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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