[X4U] My iMac is narcoleptic

[John Baltutis]

On 02/05/07, Mark Des Cotes <mark at astroprinting.com> wrote:
>
> OK, not really, but sometimes it seems that way.
>
> I have an iMac G5 at home. Ever since we started using OS X, back on
> our old slot loading iMac DV, we've (the family) been in the habit of
> putting the computer to sleep when we were done with it instead of
> shutting it down. That's fine, I know. But for some reason the rest
> of my family has started putting the computer to sleep each time they
> leave it. Even if they know they'll be back in 10 minutes or so. I've
> often left the computer to go do something or get something only to
> have my wife or one of the kids tell me "you left the computer on".
> Waking it up only takes a couple of seconds but can constantly
> sleeping and waking it do any harm?

Hard to say. Spinning HDs down and back up might have some effect on their
life-expectancy. FWIW, I've run my G4, 450 MP, for over six years, 24/7, except
when replacing HW or updating SW which necessitates a shutdown or restart, and
never sleep the computer or HDs, just the display. My mate, however, also never
sleeps the computer or HDs, but does shutdown each evening. Neither machine
suffers from "narcolepsy."