Is it bad to sleep your computer and stick it in your backpack ?

D

djbeta

Registered
I have a nicely padded laptop backpack.. made by InCase. (cheap !! check it out if you don't have one) http://www.atlantia.ca/mfg/incase/default.htm

In any case, my powerbook's hard drive just crashed.. and I can't help but wonder if my habit of constantly "sleeping" the machine and sticking it in my bag might had caused a less-than-optimal situation for my hard drive's wellbeing.

Any thoughts on this ??
 
I would not put a computer--in sleep mode or otherwise--in either of those backpacks. Both seem to put bending stresses on their contents.
 
I carry my powerbook in sleep mode every day.

I don't know the pack you're using or the level of activity in your life, but I've not had a problem walking to and from the office and traveling through airports.
 
i've been pretty careful though sometimes i *do* carry a heavy backpack so i can understand the stress issue.. however, i've done it for a few years now with no major problems.. perhaps this hard drive failure was a freak occurrence.. ?

is it hard to replace the hard drive on a powerbook 1.5 ?

i tried to find info about this here and on the apple site but couldn't find it.. anyone have info on this thanks :)
 
When your PowerBook is in "Sleep" mode, you needn't worry about the hard drive. The drive is not spinning, and the heads are stowed away, just as if the whole computer was off.

However, I carry my PowerBook in it's own case. I avoid as much stress as I can on the thing.
 
If you've been storing it like that for a few years and haven't had problems until now, I doubt there's a connection. Maybe that's a little "small-picture" of me, but hey, sometimes hard drives just fail. If it happened immediately after you changed your storage habits, I might draw a link, but as it is I think you should just chalk it up to the almighty Laptop Gods being in a smitey mood. :)
 
While not a PowerBook, I've done that with my iBook since day one and not had a single issue. It's either in an attaché case which has a built-in padded holder, or in a backpack within a MacCase sleeve. If fact everyone I know with a laptop does something similar.

HardDrives are like anything else mechanical...they can and will fail eventually. You didn't say what model PB you have (12,15,17) but the 1.5GHz versions all seem to be non-user serviceable according to Apple's DIY support page. XLR8YouMac has some info on taking apart the 15" (article) and 12" (article) versions. There's also a few companies which offer a hard-drive replacement service where you ship the PB to them and they replace the HD and overnight it back to you. Usually runs cheaper than using your local Apple reseller/repair agent. MacResQ, MacService, MCE (service & DIY kits with instructions).
 
Mine never gets hot when it's sleeping, even after being in the sleeve for 50+ hours in my car in August. It doesn't really draw any power in sleep mode, so there's nothing to cause heat in the first place. I don't remember the exact numbers for sure, but in August I had it in the car, in the attaché, for something like 50 hours. It lost less than 20% on the battery meter.
 
I used to keep my iBook in sleep mode in my no-name backpack, tucked between a couple of hefty textbooks, for days at a time while riding a bike to and from university. It never gave me any trouble at all. Its now about 4 years old (it was a sept 2001 model iBook) and still going OK aside from the battery having all but died (hardly surprising, as Li-ion batteries really only last 3 years anyway).
 
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