Leaving things in the on position.

[Triplex72]

Re: Leaving things in the on position.

Well, I do know that leaving gaming consoles on when you don't need them on will seriously decrease the lifetime of it. It burns out the laser.

[Squeek]

Re: Leaving things in the on position.

You're all pretty ignorant, you know that?

1) Leaving a computer on is better than turning it off each time.

False. There are so many reasons why.

a) Heat. Computers get hot. Even with fans running, they get hot. It's never enough to get it to the breaking point with just a few hours, but leaving it on all the time is pretty bad for it.

b) Mechanics. Guess what, computers use mechanics to work! Guess what, mechanics wear out! Guess what, things still process in your computer while it's off! So those mechanics are working 24/7 instead of 4-10 hours a day.

c) Power. Le sigh. Monitors do not use the most power of a computer station. Ever notice that computers have a massive power supply with a massive number of cables stretching out every which way and UPSes on every powered component? The average computer has between a 300 and 500 watt power supply in it. Monitors average 100 watts. LCD monitors are only ~50 or less. That's nothing compared to 500. Heck, light bulbs average more than that.

2) Leaving a video game console on is bad for it.

Depends. Is there a game running? Then yes. If not, then no. The laser only kicks in when other components tell it to. Those components usually do that when you insert a disc. The laser doesn't stay on all the time. Run a game console with the cover off and see for yourself. But don't look into the laser or you'll go blind.

Also, same deal with the consoles here as with computers. There are mechanics in there that stay on all the time, constantly doing things. It's better just to turn things off.

3) Leaving on the lights is better for the lights and saves electricity.

MYTH BUSTED. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MythBus...ights_On.2FOff

Through numerous tests, the MythBusters calculated that the power surge from turning on a light would only consume as much power as leaving it on for a fraction of a second (except for fluorescent tube lights; the startup consumed about 23 seconds worth of power). Furthermore, the wear and tear of turning the light on and off repeatedly did not reduce the bulb's total life expectancy enough to offset the increased electricity usage. Therefore, it is far more economical to turn a light off rather than leaving it on.

Turn stuff off when you're not using it. Always.

[x So Sick x1]

Re: Leaving things in the on position.

Hmm well my computer has been on 24/7 for about 3 years and it's the cheapest computer i could even buy in a 100 mile radius (200$ new) and when i bought it i said i would run it till it didn't work then buy a new one. At 200$ for a computer, it could last just a year or two and still be way worth the bargain.

But that has nothing to do with this. Yes i leave my computer on and no it hasn't had an overall noticeable effect on my computer.

Oh and cell phones are SUPPOSED to be left on, unless you just want to conserve your battery in it, but it shouldn't affect your overall battery endurance when fully charged.

[Squeek]

Re: Leaving things in the on position.

Wireless devices really don't count in this. Anything with a rechargeable battery that you take with you isn't what matters. Cell-phones are one thing that should never be off, because then nobody could call you. Simple as that.

Also, you wouldn't see a noticeable difference in computer performance after three years unless you had it in a terrible environment. What you see a difference in is electricity usage. I've turned my computer off every time I finish using it (usually only once a day, but when I'm in school, can be 2-5 times a day as I turn it off before I go to class) and I don't notice a difference either. My old computer is from 2000 and it gets turned on and off multiple times a day, and it still works just fine. There's no "startup wear and tear" like there is with some things in a car. BIOS sends 1s and 0s to your hardware making sure it works, and it replies with 1s and 0s saying it does. That's startup. Then your harddrive spins just like it always does.

Heck, do you leave the shower water running when you're finished? Do you leave the sink running when you're finished? It's the same concept here. Save electricity and turn stuff off when you're not using them. It does not affect the longevity of the product.

[buttonmasher0]

Re: Leaving things in the on position.

i leave everything on because my main computers have a retarded like cooling system that if you don't leave the computer on its gonna feel like ice when you touch it next time and even when its on its still freezing, as for my laptop i leave it on but rarely plugged in since the less you plug it in the more the battery life, i leave my cell on until it dies cuz i really don't even notice the battery state unless it starts beeping annoyingly

[GuidoHunter]

Re: Leaving things in the on position.

a) Heat. Computers get hot. Even with fans running, they get hot. It's never enough to get it to the breaking point with just a few hours, but leaving it on all the time is pretty bad for it.

Leaving it on all the time will have your computer operate well within the range for which it was designed. The components were designed to handle temperatures much greater than operating temperatures for extended periods of time, so heat shouldn't be of any concern unless you're worried about dust clogging your fans or any other failure of a cooling mechanism.

b) Mechanics. Guess what, computers use mechanics to work! Guess what, mechanics wear out! Guess what, things still process in your computer while it's off! So those mechanics are working 24/7 instead of 4-10 hours a day.

And those mechanics are designed to handle millions upon millions of cycles, which translates to years of continual use. For humans and for machines there is an ideal amount of use under which "use it or lose it" dominates and above which "use it AND lose it" dominates. Sure, too much use will wear something out, but if you store your car for a year straight, don't expect to find it in running condition when you come back.

While periodically turning your computer off is probably better for your computer, I will not agree with the statement that leaving it running all the time is necessarily bad.

That said, my computer's always on. A silent bedroom is a creepy, bad bedroom. My nine fans make a good amount of noise, and I like it that way. I always turn my monitor and speakers off when I leave the apartment or go to sleep, but even if I leave town for the weekend I'll sometimes leave the computer on.

Six or seven years of this operation and it's still kickin' just fine.

Oh, and I always leave my cellphone on because I always want to be able to receive calls (sometimes I'll turn it off for class; cycling affects the microphones in class and thus the DVDs for the distance students). Plus, I have two batteries, so if one dies I don't have to wait for it to recharge before I can use it again.

--Guido

http://andy.mikee385.com

[Loot You]

Re: Leaving things in the on position.

my computer is on 24/7 no matter what, even if I'm gone for weeks at a time. there's also a fan in my room that is on 24/7, I need to clean it like every week though.

[DrugstoreCowboy]

Re: Leaving things in the on position.

Computer Online Time: 20 days, 10 hours, 59 minutes.
(according to AIM)

I try not to turn off my computer.
And honestly, I cant even remember the last time my phone was actually off. Maybe a few months ago?

[redwrist]

Re: Leaving things in the on position.

when your comp is on even with the intuernal <sp> fan things get warmer
it is said that if you turn your comp on and off the heating and cooling can **** stuff up. I just read that somewhere idk if its true

[Squeek]

Re: Leaving things in the on position.

Chips have a wide range of tolerable temperatures, ranging from much colder than room temperature to much warmer than room temperature. They're not likely to burn out just from rapid temperature change like your computer being on or off.

Guido:

1) It is an issue if you happen to keep your computer in a confined space like some idiots I know. HEY LET'S PUT THE COMPUTER IN THE DESK CABINET! THAT WAY WE HIDE THE WIRES!

Heck even my parents keep their entertainment stuff in a wall unit with a glass door. I keep telling them to keep the door open when they use it, but they don't listen. And they wonder why they've been through four DVD players in 6 years while I have never had one break down on me.

2) See above statement about it being "bad". It's just people using things incorrectly.

3) My whole point is that there's no noticeable difference in normal use other than electricity consumption, so why wouldn't you turn it off?

4) I always have a fan on me because I cannot stand silence. I have one on my desk and one on my bed. I have a ceiling fan, a vent fan for blowing out hot/cold air from my ventilation, and a backup fan.

[Doug31]

Re: Leaving things in the on position.

Am I the only one that turns off all computers every night?

[Squeek]

Re: Leaving things in the on position.

Am I the only one that turns off all computers every night?

Didn't I already say I do that?

I've been turning my computer off every time I'm done using it since I've had my first computer. Let's see, that was... 1990. So, 17 years.

[Doug31]

Re: Leaving things in the on position.

You probably did, but I was too lazy to read the whole thing.

[hoochan]

Re: Leaving things in the on position.

I put my computer into hibernation and I never turn off my cell phone.

[tsugomaru]

Re: Leaving things in the on position.

I leave my computer on out of habit. Back when I owned a laptop, I would always leave it on because it just took five minutes to start up, which was way too long. And after it starts up, I have to log in and that's another five minutes.

After almost 5 years, the time my laptop would stay on started decreasing and decreasing. At first, it'd stay on for about a day before forcing itself to shut down and soon enough, it could only run for about three hours before it'd shut itself down.

The computer I currently have in nearing it's first year birthday and I'm hoping it'll last as long as the laptop, if not longer. And maybe I'll start shutting down my computer if it helps last longer. Maybe.

~Tsugomaru