Downloading While Away

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Hi,

I want to be able to download a movie while I am away doing the grocery shopping without having it to go to stop.

1) Generally, when I download I leave it on battery power to prevent possible battery drainage. 2) Also, before I leave, I press the power button on my Macbook Air to prevent other people from using the laptop.

However, whenever I come back, the movie seem to have stopped downloading.

Here are my settings (shown below)

Screen Shot 2014-05-03 at 5.13.48 pm.png
 
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1) Generally, when I download I leave it on battery power to prevent possible battery drainage.

I think you mean you keep it plugged in? Should be anyway.

2) Also, before I leave, I press the power button on my Macbook Air to prevent other people from using the laptop.

Don't know what that does but just lock the screen. Set up a hot corner, it IS password protected right?
 

bobtomay

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What do you mean "I press the power button" - it doesn't stop there, you have to select one of the options presented - Restart, Sleep, Cancel, Shut Down.

If you're selecting Sleep - it's asleep - it's going to do about the same amount of work you do while you're asleep.
 
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I think you mean you keep it plugged in? Should be anyway.

Don't know what that does but just lock the screen. Set up a hot corner, it IS password protected right?

I keep it unplugged because 1) the battery last 10 hours 2) it is good for the battery to let it consume itself and 3) I usually only leave for 4 to 5 hours max


Hot corner? I have not heard about that

It's password protected yes. That's if you're talking about the 'user password' when logging into my account
 
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What do you mean "I press the power button" - it doesn't stop there, you have to select one of the options presented - Restart, Sleep, Cancel, Shut Down.

If you're selecting Sleep - it's asleep - it's going to do about the same amount of work you do while you're asleep.

Maybe it is different with the new Macbook Air but when I press the 'power' button for about 2 seconds, the screen goes blank/black and when pressing any key the login screen appears which one must type a password to log into my account. In short, I believe that is the alternative way of letting in go to sleep.

So you are saying that it will not stop downloading when it is alseep? For me, in my scenario, it stops downloading.
 

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Do you do any work while you are asleep?
 
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Haha oh I see

Is there a way to get around this. Namely, lock my account while letting the computer download. Hot corner?
 
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From my assumption, from implementing a hot corner, when I drag my mouse to the bottom right screen for instance, the screen saver appears which will require my password to log onto Mac OS. However, with this 'hot corner' method, the computer does not go to sleep. Thus, does not stop downloads/installations/uploads/video editing processing etc, is that correct?
 

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That should be correct - start a download and give it a try - wait a few minutes and log back in to check it out.
 
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I keep it unplugged because 1) the battery last 10 hours 2) it is good for the battery to let it consume itself and 3) I usually only leave for 4 to 5 hours max

...CLIP
Actually, it's NOT good for the battery. Apple uses Lithium batteries, which don't like a deep discharge. They prefer to be kept topped up. Apple recommends draining them once a month, but that's not for the battery, it's for the battery monitoring software to be recalibrated.
 
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I just discovered something. If I leave my Mac idle for a few hours to let it download, without plugging in the power adapter, the computer sleeps regardless of what settings I have. The only way to leave my Mac for a few hours or over-night and let it download is by plugging in the power adapter.
 
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I just discovered something. If I leave my Mac idle for a few hours to let it download, without plugging in the power adapter, the computer sleeps regardless of what settings I have. The only way to leave my Mac for a few hours or over-night and let it download is by plugging in the power adapter.

And leave it plugged in. As MacInWin posted above yours, its not good to let the battery run down in the Portable Macs. I have had mine plugged in 24/7 for the last 18months with a couple of weeks of nights away, and I still have 100% health of 5570 aMH I'm at 5565 aMH, so you need to get out of this Unplugging and thinking your doing you battery good. The more cycles you do, the less time it will last over the years.
Calibrate your battery as stated by Apple once every couple of months if need be, but thats all.
 
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Will do, that's important advice. Batteries for Macbooks aren't cheap to fix.

Where do you do find the detail of aMH?
 
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Actually, it's NOT good for the battery. Apple uses Lithium batteries, which don't like a deep discharge. They prefer to be kept topped up. Apple recommends draining them once a month, but that's not for the battery, it's for the battery monitoring software to be recalibrated.

And after all this time I thought it was the benefit for the battery. Learn something new everyday.
 
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Where do you do find the detail of aMH?

About this Mac when you click the  top left and then More Info.

Then under Power in the Left hand pane then Charging. It gives the Charge Remaining and Fully Charged,

Also there are Apps in the Mac App Store 1 called Battery Health or Battery Diag both free Battery Health Apps to check as well.
 
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What about the iPhone or any smart phone for that matter, is it bad to always consume most of it's battery?

Consuming more than 20% of the battery is inevitable at some point.
 

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What about the iPhone or any smart phone for that matter, is it bad to always consume most of it's battery?

Consuming more than 20% of the battery is inevitable at some point.

It's not a good idea. Don't let your iPhone drain down for two reasons:

1. Bad for the battery - as noted above by Jake.

2. Your iPhone will not work right until it comes up to around 20% more of charge.

I can't speak for other smart phones. Someone else who owns another type of smartphone such as an Android will have to chime in.
 
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Same thing for Android. It's better to keep the battery topped off than run dry. This is assuming you have a lithium battery.
 
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Actually, it's NOT good for the battery. Apple uses Lithium batteries, which don't like a deep discharge. They prefer to be kept topped up. Apple recommends draining them once a month, but that's not for the battery, it's for the battery monitoring software to be recalibrated.

I just encountered some text on the Apple support website which seems to be contrary to what you are saying. It mentions about keeping the electrons flowing up and down and mentions nothing about re-calibrating.

Screen Shot 2014-06-08 at 3.00.26 pm.png
 

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