Can Apple Give a Straight Answer?

[Amie]

OK, I know this topic has been beaten to heck and overdone. BUT ... believe me, I've done extensive research and I STILL cannot find a straight answer.

The question (and please refrain from throwing large objects at me): Which is better for a new iBook G4--sleep or shut down? I know everyone has their own preference, but does anyone know what APPLE recommends? Every time I research it on Apple/Mac Web sites or ask any employee at the Apple store, I can't get a straight answer!

This iBook G4 is my first Mac laptop, and I want to take good care of it and do what's best to prolong its life, etc.

Please ... if there IS an answer out there, let me have it!

[Canada-Man]

I remember reading on Apple's website that my computer (iMac G4) was built to use Sleep instead of Shut Down if you use it regularly. I guess it is the same thing for the iBook. I don't think shutting your iBook down everyday will damage it but there is a lot of time wasted waiting for it to boot every day.

[bobw]

If you use it daily, SLEEP

[ElDiabloConCaca]

Apple recommends shutting your computer completely down if not in use for an extended period of time -- around 6 to 8 hours.

Otherwise, let it sleep.

Can't remember where I read it or where I heard it, but I'm not gonna reiterate information that I do not believe to be true. Sorry, can't provide a link directly to an Apple document that specifies these times, but they're safe to go off of.

My desktop is only shut down during times of potential brown/blackouts, and sleeps for the rest of the time when not in use... mind you, I don't have deep sleep support either, so my fans spin constantly. Only the monitor turns off and the hard drives spin down in sleep mode -- been this way since 1999 and never had a single hardware problem (with the exception of one dead hard drive, but that's expected and has nothing to do with sleep).

[fryke]

If you let it sleep for more than five days or so without the power connected, you'll find it's shutdown (battery empty). But if that case isn't likely, sleep is the best thing since the original "cool-aid".

[mindbend]

Sleep.

I have never shut down my iBook in over a year. (Restarted a few times for software updates, of course.)

There is no particular reason to shut down your laptop (or desktop for that matter) other than maintenance or avoiding lightning and that sort of thing.

Admittedly, this is my own position. I do not know Apple's official position.

We've got seven Macs here and NEVER shut any of them down. If somebody does recommend a full shut down, I'd like to know specifically why. I'm not convinced there's really any benefit.

There's nothing like pulling your laptop out of the case at a client meeting, lifting the lid and immediately being able to get to work. I think it's actually my favorite feature of the iBooks/Powerbooks.

[Decado]

my old teacher at media-school used to say that it was a biger strain on the harddrive booting up and shutting down than letting it constantly run. but i don't know if he knew what he was talking about.
i never shut down unless i plan to leave it for a week (so i will not have to plug it in the first thing i do when i get back). this way as much information as possible is stored in the RAM and the computer wont have to access the harddrive as often, and that is a good thing (tm).

[Captain Code]

If you sleep then your hard drive still spins down so there's probably not any more wear besides the fact that it doesn't have to load the OS if it's slept