Power-Sleep-Internet Queries

[MeaganGWhite]

Hello,

I have several questions about the power settings for my MacBook as they relate to internet usage, etc.

1) What is the difference between putting my display to sleep and putting my computer to sleep?
2) When I put my display to sleep, will the internet still run? Say, for example, will ichat still be visible to users who wish to send me messages?
3) I have custom settings to put the display to sleep after 25 minutes, and then the screen saver comes on after 30minutes. Is a sleeping display the same as a screen saver?
4) Does putting the computer to sleep mean the internet functions - like ichat - go off?
5) Is there a risk of reducing computer life my never putting the computer to sleep? I leave the house all day and would rather just put the display to sleep after so many minutes, with the screen saver? Is that enough?

Merci!

 

[True Bassist]

1) Putting your display to sleep means your display is off but your computer is still running. Putting your computer to sleep puts your entire computer into a low-power state. I would put my display to sleep during the night if I'm downloading a file off the internet but I need to keep the computer on. I would put my computer to sleep when I am not using it.
2) Yes - all the programs will still run etc. but you will not be able to see anything as the display if off.
3) No - sleeping display is where the screen is off. Screen saver is where the screen displays images / pretty pictures etc. and is therefore still on.
4) Yes - when you put a computer to sleep it is "off" in the sense that no programs will function. The purpose of sleep is so you can quickly resume working in a matter of seconds.
5) If you leave the computer on and put the display to sleep, it will reduce the computers life but by how much is hard to say - probably very little. With macs (particularly the new Alu models) you can open up your MB / MBP and resume working from sleep within a matter of seconds. I would suggest you put it to sleep to stop the HD spinning and other hardware parts functioning (as these are what go wrong after periods of long use) and then simply wake it up when you come to it.

Also, remember that with macs, you do not need to turn them off unless you are restarting after software updates. Their sleep status is much more reliable than say a windows machine and so do not need to be turned on and off everyday. Simply put it to sleep or close the lid when you are not using it.