| Pages in topic: < [1 2] | Poll: Do you usually turn your computer off at the end of the day? Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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Mario Chavez (X) 
Local time: 21:46
English to Spanish
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| I vote superstition | Sep 19, 2017 |
Michael Wetzel wrote:
I don't know if it's personal superstition and ignorance or a valid point, but I started making an effort to turn off my computer every night (or to officially restart it in the morning when I'd forgotten), because I though that always leaving it on causes problems with automatic updates and other computer stuff.
If that is the case, it also quickly leads to a vicious cycle in which very rarely turning your computer off leads to its becoming ever slower and taking more and more time to start (and even to turn off), leading you to turn it off even less ...
Is there anything to that?
…tongue firmly planted in cheek, of course.
Unless you own a dinocomputer (pre-90s), I wouldn't worry about overheating or slowdowns, which in turn have different causes, not ongoing power supply.
For instance, overheating may be caused, among other things, by the cobwebs or dust bunnies accumulating in your computer's fans. Solution: grab a can of dust cleaner and spray away. Use a breathing mask so as not to breathe in dust mites or spider cocoons.
Slowdowns in Windows operating systems are caused not by keeping the machine plugged in all the time, but by a series of causes, such as the Windows swap file is too small, debris left from uninstalled programs, not enough RAM memory, slow external hard drives or some vampire program that grabs too many cycles and doesn't let go of them once you close the program.
I've been working with computers since 1992 and rubbed shoulders with software engineers for six years. I'm not an IT techie, but I know my own machines in and out.
| | | | Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 21:46
English to Spanish
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| Environmental reasons | Sep 19, 2017 |
Rebecca Hendry wrote:
I always turn off my computer at the end of the day. Often I'll shut it down at lunchtime or if I pop out/away from my desk, too.
There's no need to leave it on, using up electricity all night. Plus there is something satisfying about shutting it all down and walking away. I can always check and reply to any emails on my phone if necessary.
However, my computer is pretty speedy so starting it up in the morning really is no trouble at all. This wasn't the case a few years ago, when I could easily walk away and make a cup of tea in the time it took my old PC to boot up.
Psychological reasons are a very valid point; it's like closing the shop door for the day and head home without further distractions.
On a computer using up electricity all night, it depends. Idle power on my Lenovo IdeaCentre K330 (i7 Intel processor) is 119 W, whereas load power is 320 W. The website I made power consumption calculations for (found here: http://powersupplycalculator.net/) recommends a 400 W power supply. So I guess I have to upgrade mine.
I don't turn my computers off at night because a) my whole apartment has a power surge protector (attached to the main box) and b) my monthly homeowner's fee covers all electricity. Yay!
| | | | Rebecca Hendry
United Kingdom
Local time: 02:46
Member (2005)
Spanish to English
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| I have the same superstition | Sep 19, 2017 |
Michael Wetzel wrote:
I don't know if it's personal superstition and ignorance or a valid point, but I started making an effort to turn off my computer every night (or to officially restart it in the morning when I'd forgotten), because I though that always leaving it on causes problems with automatic updates and other computer stuff.
If that is the case, it also quickly leads to a vicious cycle in which very rarely turning your computer off leads to its becoming ever slower and taking more and more time to start (and even to turn off), leading you to turn it off even less ...
Is there anything to that?
I don't know if this is true but I have the same feeling/anxiety. It's another reason I always make sure to shut down properly every day.
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For health and environmental reasons.
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| We're all doomed | Sep 19, 2017 |
What chance does the planet stand when even educated professionals would rather waste copious amounts of electricity than go to all that trouble of opening a few windows in the morning?
Have to say I'm shocked.
By the way, you need to turn your pc off at the wall. I was surprised to find out a few years ago that they can still consume quite a few watts even when turned off...
Another way to save energy in the office is only to boil the actual amount of wate... See more What chance does the planet stand when even educated professionals would rather waste copious amounts of electricity than go to all that trouble of opening a few windows in the morning?
Have to say I'm shocked.
By the way, you need to turn your pc off at the wall. I was surprised to find out a few years ago that they can still consume quite a few watts even when turned off...
Another way to save energy in the office is only to boil the actual amount of water you need when you make a cuppa. ▲ Collapse
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I don't have a tv, so I switch to Netflix at the end of the day. The problem is I spend all day in my office. I can't wait to buy a TV so I can relax in the living room.
| | | | Gitte Hoveds (X)
Denmark
Local time: 03:46
Danish to English
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Without fail. Have never once left it on overnight. Maybe it's because I'm a tidy freak. Maybe it's because I feel bad enough at leaving it on from first thing in the morning till last thing in the evening.
Last time my electricity bill came in, it had this little comment: "You use considerably more electricity than people in general". Or something to that effect. Knowing that I always automatically switch off lights when I leave a room or even just a part of a room, and have no oth... See more Without fail. Have never once left it on overnight. Maybe it's because I'm a tidy freak. Maybe it's because I feel bad enough at leaving it on from first thing in the morning till last thing in the evening.
Last time my electricity bill came in, it had this little comment: "You use considerably more electricity than people in general". Or something to that effect. Knowing that I always automatically switch off lights when I leave a room or even just a part of a room, and have no other gadgets around that I can think of that gobble up electricity, I can only imagine that the computer is the culprit. And I'm not going to let it gobble away uselessly all night.
Besides, there must be something good in regular rebooting. Why else is the first question my IT dudes ask me when I have a computer problem: "Have you rebooted it?"
I've even noticed that if I've been working in SDL Trados Studio for a while and switch to some other software, everything slows down. Rebooting usually fixes the problem. Google Earth notoriously makes my computer slow, and any consultation with it inevitably generates a need for a reboot.
And no, my computer is not a million years old. Mind you, it has been with me for 3 years now, so maybe it is coming to the end of its useful life. But until it actually dies on me, I will keep switching it off every night. Without fail. On the wall. ▲ Collapse
| | | | Mario Freitas
Brazil
Local time: 22:46
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
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| Yes environmental and psychological reasons indeed | Sep 19, 2017 |
Rebecca Hendry wrote:
Yes - for psychological and environmental reasons.
Same here, Rebecca. It just doesn't sound right to leave it on.
I bought an SSD drive so the PC is ready to go before I even have time to pour myself some coffee. No reason to leave it on wasting power and exposed to hackers.
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| No: that's when my data get backed up | Sep 20, 2017 |
No: that's when my data get backed up - I have a program that automatically backs up all my data, and it kicks in after midnight, when I'm not actively using the computer.
| | | | Mario Chavez (X)
Local time: 21:46
English to Spanish
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| And for those of us Mac types… | Sep 20, 2017 |
Riccardo Schiaffino wrote:
No: that's when my data get backed up - I have a program that automatically backs up all my data, and it kicks in after midnight, when I'm not actively using the computer.
One of the main reasons I am a Mac user (yes, I translate and do typesetting on my Mac) is how easy it is to use the Time Machine application and let the system run automatic backups. In years past, I was able to use previous backups to restore my system. Sadly, Windows operating systems lack this user-friendly approach.
But I don't keep my Mac on to run backups. Even if a backup operation is in midstream, my turning off or hibernating the machine won't have a negative impact on it. Again, the beauty of Macs.
As for leaving an always-on computer open to hackers and other illicit types, we need to educate ourselves a bit better regarding current hacking techniques. There are lots of myths and misinformation about the subject.
Have a good night, everyone!
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OFF at night,
Sleep mode when on a break
| | | | | psychological and practical reasons | Sep 20, 2017 |
Psychology.
Same here. Yes, you beast of a computer you. I use you, you do not use me. I am not your slave, you are mine! At the end of the day, I like to flip the "off" switch. If I come back to the internet later, it's not on my work computer, so I have switched psychologically.
When I started, I initially worked from home. After a few years, I rented an office in town and then, switching off the computer was part of the end-of-day routine. Working from a home office once ag... See more Psychology.
Same here. Yes, you beast of a computer you. I use you, you do not use me. I am not your slave, you are mine! At the end of the day, I like to flip the "off" switch. If I come back to the internet later, it's not on my work computer, so I have switched psychologically.
When I started, I initially worked from home. After a few years, I rented an office in town and then, switching off the computer was part of the end-of-day routine. Working from a home office once again, that habit has remained. My work computer is fast to shut down and fast to wake up, so we switch on and off together.
Practicality.
The power thing plays a role too. I actually work from a laptop and do not leave it plugged in once charged. It is a couple of years old and it remains charged for a good number of hours in a day, enough sometimes for a short but intense day of work. If I were to leave my computer running overnight, when I set up shop the next morning, I will need to recharge it earlier. That's a waste of energy. When it ccomes to the planet, every little bit helps. ▲ Collapse
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