Mac Book Pro Question ....

I've always been told to shut your computer (HP) down completely now and then so the ram will dump and reset.

Is this also true with a Mac Book Pro? If so, how often?
Thanks

13-inch: 2.6GHz
with Retina display
Specifications

2.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz
8GB 1600MHz memory
256GB PCIe-based flash storage1
Intel Iris Graphics
Built-in battery (9 hours)2

I find that rebooting (or shutting down) occasionally can be helpful (for various reasons). But the more installed ram you have…the frequency of reboot/shutdown is less.

This frequency also depends on how much you use your computer. A person using their computer 1 hour/day will need to do this less than a person using their computer 8-10 hours/day.

I use my computers all day long (early morning till late at night). I reboot one of my computers (with 4gig of ram probably weekly). Another computer with 8gig of ram…I hardly ever reboot.

This frequency can also be effected by how many apps you have open at the same time.

I would say when you start seeing lots of "beach-balls"…probably a good idea to reboot.

- Nick

Thank you ....
Your "Beachballs" post was most helpful.
Rick

Hi Rick - I rarely reboot my MBPro (early 2013 w/ 8 GB RAM) and keep it on the charger most of the time to prevent battery recycling; for me, the main reasons for a re-start are if an issue arises, an installation requires a reboot, of if I'm away for more than a few days (I'll shut it down). Same for our iMac. Dave

+1 for what RadDave said. I have an iMac that only shuts down if the power goes off and the UPS dies. Otherwise, 24/7. I also keep my MBP on mains power 99% of the time, never reboot unless driven to it by an install or some other event. I don't think rebooting recovers any memory that OS X doesn't already recover through memory management.

Why keep it plugged in all the time?

Well, for a MBP, the battery likes being constantly charged at the full level. It lengthens the battery life to keep it that way. With the screen blacked out (Energy Savings in System Preferences), the power consumption is minimal. With the iMac, same thing applies, except of course it has no battery. The iMac is host home automation, so it needs to be on 24/7 for that function alone. Fundamentally, I leave all my computers running, screens off, 24/7. The most likely time for an electronic component to fail is power on. The inrush of current is the highest load most components face, so minimizing that inrush current is a good thing for the individual parts of the computer.

Years ago back when we first got electricity and personal computers....there was a ton of debate over leaving a computer on or to shut it down when not in use. Most arguments for shutting it down had to do with clearing the memory and the fact a UPC was unheard of for the basic user - home or work. So power outages, surges and brown outs were a huge killer of computer electronics. Today with the availability of quality UPC's and surge protectors leaving a computer on is not such an issue.

Jake is correct in stating the biggest load on a computer is the initial inrush of power. Add to that cold components and the stress is even higher. When a computer is on, the components are kept at nice toasty warm temperature that is kept with in an operational optimum. Those warm components expand when kept warm which is expected. When they cool off, they retract like we do when cold. Now add the initial current for start up to cold components and if they are weak and ready to fail, they will fail. Also servers all over the world run for years without ever being turned off unless for maintenance or to be replaced.

I keep my work desktop main editor on all the time. My back up editor, I shut down as she does not get used every day and sometimes weeks go by before I need to use her. I have them both on one UPC so I am trying to conserve battery time for those moments the power goes off. My MB Pro pretty much stays on and plugged in all the time. My MB Air gets a work out. I close the lid to "sleep" it and I usually remove the charger and leave it off during the day. I like to type with it in my lap and the cord is annoying. I will plug it in at night with the battery level at anywhere between 60%-20%. That is just the way I like to use my Air. Not saying it is the best way for the battery life.

Lisa

Since the MB Pro I was referring to moves around a lot during the day we will start plugging it in when it will be parked for awhile and at the end of the day. We will also stop shutting it down at the end of the day and just close it up.

The switch to Mac has gone smoother than I would have thought, but it's the little things like this that have me baffled the most LOL. Thanks for the time.

I will plug it in at night with the battery level at anywhere between 60%-20%. That is just the way I like to use my Air. Not saying it is the best way for the battery life.

Click to expand...

Lithium Ion batteries measure their lifetime in "charge/discharge cycles." A cycle is one turn from 100% to essentially 0% back to 100%. But each such full cycle is really hard on the battery. So let's say you have a battery rated for 1000 cycles. If you use it each day going not below 50%, then recharging overnight to 100%, you'll get roughly 2000 of those cycles out of it. 100%-75%-100% will get you about 4000 cycles, etc. However, another confounding lifetime limit is that ALL Li-ION batteries start to decay in the total charge they will hold after about 24 months from MANUFACTURE, not from the date they are put in service. So if your battery spent 3 months on a shelf awaiting use, after about 21 months in your service, it will start to lose that top end. My battery, for example, was manufactured March 16, 2011, was put in service April 18, 2011, has had 55 total cycles since then (I'm a gentle user) and has decayed at the capacity from the design of 8450mAh to a current maximum of 8054mAh, or 95.3% of design. Not bad for a four year old beast, eh?

Your practice, keeping the lower end between 20 and 60% is pretty good if you need the portability. Frankly, my MBP is a desktop machine that moves relatively infrequently (it is, after all 17" big, which makes it about as portable as a cast-iron stove with handles).