Re: Mac Energy Saver Settings
- From: thuss <thuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Mon, 28 Dec 2009 10:25:20 -0500
Thanks for the info, Hamp. I have machines of both platforms; also
Linux. Sometimes I get irritated when the screen goes off and the
machine sleeps....but I know power is being saved thereby, and it will
save even more money as time goes on.
On Mon, 28 Dec 2009 03:25:02 -0800 (PST), alexander hamp
<alexanderhampp@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Trying to save the environment or just trying to save on the.
electricity bill? If you're one of the millions to own a Mac, there
are some simple things you can do to optimize your computer's power
usage.
Easy Power Savings
Trying to save a few bucks on the monthly power bill? If you've got a
Mac there are many simple options available to reduce the overall cost
of using your computer.
The first task is to open the System Preferences and click on the
Energy Saver icon. Depending on whether you have a desktop or a
laptop, you'll have a couple options available. All Mac computers have
the following options:
- Put the computer to sleep when inactive for...
- Put the display(s) to sleep when inactive for...
- Put the hard disk(s) to sleep when possible
Put the computer to sleep...
For most users, their computer does not need to be active and running
all the time. This is a common point of energy waste for any computer,
whether PC, Mac, Desktop, or Laptop. This option will put your
computer to sleep automatically assuming there are no programs running
that require it to stay awake. The effect is the same as if you
manually clicked the Apple logo and chose "Sleep".
The best option here is to consider the amount of time you'd typically
be away from your system before returning. If you are often distracted
from a computing task (by kids, pets, the doorbell, and so on,)
setting this value to 20-30 minutes will be sufficient. It will give
you energy savings but not require a waiting period to wake up the
computer. If your workload requires, it is easy to set this value
further out.
Depending on the roles your computer plays, you may even consider
disabling the sleep option entirely. I have one Mac Mini acting as an
iTunes media server which remains on all the time (for the AppleTV in
the bedroom.) Consider the workloads and adjust accordingly.
Put the display(s) to sleep
On every Mac the display accounts for a considerable level of power
usage - this is true whether it is a Mac with an integrated screen
(iMac or the laptop lines), a separate screen only (Pro and Mini,) or
both (Laptop with an external screen.) This option will simply disable
the screen or the signal going to it, depending on the screen type.
My general rule of thumb is again to determine how long I will watch a
screen without typing or moving the mouse. This can include reading a
web site, watching a video, listening to a podcast, etc. I will
usually set this value to 10 or 15 minutes as this fits my usage best.
Other people I've worked with can easily set it to 5 minutes and have
no issues at all.
It's worth noting that some programs will automatically keep the
screen awake for you regardless of setting - Front Row will do this if
you're actually watching a show or movie.
Put the hard disk(s) to sleep
This one is simple - unless your computer needs to be instantly
responsive (mainly, it's acting as a network server in any high-load
environment) keep this box checked. It does cause a slight delay when
returning to use the computer, but it does save significant levels of
energy, especially on laptop systems.
Even in the situation of my Mac Mini media server this option makes
sense. I'm not constantly using the hard drives even though I leave
the computer enabled. This allows me to save some power usage while
still keeping the data easily available.
Laptop Computers
It's worth noting that if you have a laptop, you have another option
available. In addition to the "Power Adapter" setting, you also have
the options for behavior based on the "Battery" setting. This means
you can easily have separate behavior based on whether your computer
is plugged in - just select which of the four options makes the most
sense for you. On my MacBook Pro, I have "Better Battery Life"
selected (Note, this is analogous to the "Better Energy Savings"
option when plugged in) and works beautifully for most of tasks.
There is also an Options section that mostly defines how the computer
will behave in certain circumstances. For example, if you select the
"Better Battery Life", there is a setting that will slightly dim the
display preserving a bit more battery life.
One final note of advice - if you're trying to reduce power usage and
you have laptop computers, make sure to unplug them in the evening if
they are not being used (ie, are asleep.) The power adapter will draw
electricity even when the battery is fully charged, wasting energy
further.
Source: http://www.thegreeno.com/green-articles/green-energy-articles/mac-energy-saver-settings.html
- References:
- Mac Energy Saver Settings
- From: alexander hamp
- Mac Energy Saver Settings
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