Five PC Power Myths Debunked 551
snydeq writes "Turning off PCs during periods of inactivity can save companies between $25 and $75 per PC per year, according to Energy Star, savings that can add up quickly for large organizations. Yet most organizations remain behind the times on PC power management, in large part due to common misperceptions about PC power, writes InfoWorld's Ted Samson, who outlines five PC power myths debunked in a recent report from Forrester, ranging from the energy savings of screen savers, to the energy draw of powering up, to the difficulties of issuing patches to systems in lower-power states."
a PC actually wrote this article (Score:5, Funny)
Comment removed (Score:2, Funny)
Winter (Score:5, Funny)
In the winter I leave my computers on. I don't think I am "loosing" any energy that way since it's used to heat my house.
Sorry I can't turn off my PC (Score:5, Funny)
>>>"Turning off PCs during periods of inactivity can save companies between $25 and $75 per PC per year"
How am I supposed to download last night's episodes of Smallville and Supernatural if I have my PC turned off during the day? Jeez. Insensitive clod. ;-)
I felt a disturbance in the Force . . . (Score:5, Funny)
Re:a PC actually wrote this article (Score:3, Funny)
this article was written by a self-aware PC who is tired of the human race's waste of time and energy.
Would it still be self-aware if we turned it off?
Re:a PC actually wrote this article (Score:2, Funny)
Re:a PC actually wrote this article (Score:5, Funny)
I'm sorry Dave. You can't do that.
Re:Winter (Score:5, Funny)
My dorm room used to get so goddamn hot because of this.
Mine used to get hot because of the girls. Aaaah! Wishful thinking...
Bad News For Vista (Score:5, Funny)
FTA: Modern computers are designed to handle 40,000 on/off cycles before failure
With all the reboots required, that means I am limited to three Vista reinstalls?
Re:Not just power issue (Score:5, Funny)
If you spend 10 mins per day turning you pc on and setting up your work environment, and 5 mins closing everything, the cost of your time spent on this task will negate $25 saved ten times.
Takes you five minutes to close everything? Jeez, my users just flip the button on the power strip. Log off and shut down in 3 seconds or less...
Re:No thanks to the spam (Score:3, Funny)
Only $75? I can save you $100!!! PayPal me $179 for the report today!
Re:How to save even more! (Score:4, Funny)
I dunno about you, but I'm currently wasting some Friday!
Re:Typo? Pshaw! (Score:5, Funny)
It makes perfect sense. I just read it to mean that power usage increases every hour by 89 watts, and that by the time it's been left on overnight for 16 hours, the power usage of an average desktop has increased to 1.42kW. (If you think I'm joking, do the math -- that can't be a coincidence ;-))
This kind of growth of power usage means it is extremely important to turn off your PC every night, otherwise by a month later the power consumption will be approximately 64kW, which will probably result in it melting through your desktop unless you have very good cooling.
Re:a PC actually wrote this article (Score:3, Funny)
Re:The units! (Score:5, Funny)
What do you mean, an european or an african kW?
Re:Typo? Pshaw! (Score:5, Funny)
This kind of growth of power usage means it is extremely important to turn off your PC every night, otherwise by a month later the power consumption will be approximately 64kW
64kW should be enough for anybody.
Re:The units! (Score:5, Funny)
You are complaining about scientific unit names to Slashdot? Have you seen some of the names for Linux apps?
Re:The units! (Score:5, Funny)
So does that mean on my last trip I drove 720 MPH?
California energy crunch (Score:1, Funny)
So, I was working for $FEDERALBUREAU, it was in the summer and California was having another of its interminable energy crises.
I'm on a conference call, and the conversation goes something like this:
Executive Boss-Woman: "So, until Christmas we'll be turning off all of the microcomputers at night."
Me: "Um... why? We do all of our necessary updates during off hours."
EBW: "Well, to save power, help out those fool Californians."
Me: "Um... it's pointless. There's a reason they have those rolling blackouts at four in the afternoon and not four in the morning."
EBW: "Well, we're not taking siestas at four in the afternoon!"
Me: "Precisely. Let's just pretend you never brought this up."
The practical upshot, of course: we did all the updates during the day, the users were all torqued at the 20-minute logins, and the EBW eventually found gainful employment somewhere else.
Re:Bad economics (Score:5, Funny)
How is this insightful?
I can't imagine. I meant it as a double-entendre: I pointed out that most office computer users are making far more than minimum wage, hence the ratio is a lot higher that 1:5. At the same time I implied that you, specifically, were making minimum wage. I was hoping for a "funny."
Re:a PC actually wrote this article (Score:3, Funny)
1. Turn on computer
2. hang up coat, fill coffee cup
3. log in
4. ???????????
5. Profit!!
Re:Winter (Score:3, Funny)
Well, since the air conditioner is trying to push heat with the gradient (from a hot room to a cool outdoors) instead of vice versa, it should have great efficiency!
Re:a PC actually wrote this article (Score:5, Funny)
You must have missed the posts from a few days ago...
It's been determined that step 4 is "ask for a government handout/bailout."
1.42kW?! (Score:3, Funny)
Great Scott! Wait til the PC hits 88mph, then you're going to see some serious shit!
Re:Not just power issue (Score:3, Funny)
Note the "per year". Looks like the article isn't the only one with unit trouble.
$3000/yr for 15 min/day equates to the ballpark of $50/hr. Don't worry, though. You're only off by a few orders of magnitude.
Re:The units! (Score:1, Funny)
i was talking to someone earlier who thinks that solution to global warming is to "burn the carbon dioxide". yes, that's right, burn it to get rid of it, right ?
Re:Winter (Score:5, Funny)
Mine used to get hot because of the girls.
That will happen when they show up with torches and pitch forks.
Re:How to save even more! (Score:3, Funny)
"The Forrester report "How Much Monday are Your Idle PCs Wasting?" is available for $279."
Apparently enough that the proofreader had to be fired.
Re:The units! (Score:4, Funny)
The average desktop draws 89 watts per hour. If it's left on overnight for 16 hours, it consumes 1.42kW.
At which point the fire department shows up.
(Public Service announcement follows)
When surfing, always keep a keen eye on the current gauges!
Remember: Only you can prevent computer fires!
Re:a PC actually wrote this article (Score:3, Funny)
Less than two seconds.