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Five PC Power Myths Debunked

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."

31 of 551 comments (clear)

  1. a PC actually wrote this article by cornercuttin · · Score: 5, Funny

    this article was written by a self-aware PC who is tired of the human race's waste of time and energy.

    1. Re:a PC actually wrote this article by genner · · Score: 2, 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?

    2. Re:a PC actually wrote this article by jeffshoaf · · Score: 2, Funny

      Paging Sarah Conner...

      --
      Putting the "anal" back into "analyst"...
    3. Re:a PC actually wrote this article by Mononoke · · Score: 5, 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?

      I'm sorry Dave. You can't do that.

      --
      NetInfo connection failed for server 127.0.0.1/local
    4. Re:a PC actually wrote this article by ServerIrv · · Score: 2, Funny

      For my home computers this is great, but this won't work in a corporate environment. Say an employee loses 1 minute per day booting up a computer and logging into the network. That one minute adds up to over 4 hours per year (52 weeks * 5 days * 1 minute = 260 minutes -> 260 minutes / 60 minutes = 4.3 hours). If employers are paying their employees minimum wage then cool, otherwise they will only do this for a "save the earth" stamp on their door, not from a financial standpoint.

    5. Re:a PC actually wrote this article by mcgrew · · Score: 2, Funny

      1. Turn on computer
      2. hang up coat, fill coffee cup
      3. log in
      4. ???????????
      5. Profit!!

    6. Re:a PC actually wrote this article by gfxguy · · 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."

      --
      Stupid sexy Flanders.
    7. Re:a PC actually wrote this article by Trailwalker · · Score: 2, Funny

      "Want fries with that?"

      Less than two seconds.

  2. How to save even more! by Cornwallis · · Score: 2, Funny

    My favorite line from TFA is the last one: "The Forrester report "How Much Monday are Your Idle PCs Wasting?" is available for $279." Please raise your hands if you know someone who would buy that!

    1. Re:How to save even more! by mrchaotica · · Score: 3, Funny

      Just how much Monday do you think you are currently wasting?

      I dunno about you, but I'm currently wasting some Friday!

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    2. Re:How to save even more! by jsiren · · Score: 2, 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.

      --
      Usage: km/h for speed (kilometers per hour); kph for very slow impulses (kilopond hours).
  3. Winter by Anonymous Coward · · 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.

    1. Re:Winter by Poltras · · 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...

    2. Re:Winter by blueg3 · · Score: 2, 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!

    3. Re:Winter by genner · · Score: 4, Funny

      Mine used to get hot because of the girls.

      That will happen when they show up with torches and pitch forks.

  4. Sorry I can't turn off my PC by theaveng · · 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. ;-)

    --
    FOX NEWS.com should be BANNED from television and internet. Have the Congress take it over and give us Truespeak.
  5. I felt a disturbance in the Force . . . by PeeAitchPee · · Score: 5, Funny

    . . . as if millions of Folding@Home and Seti@Home clients suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.

  6. Bad News For Vista by stewbacca · · 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?

  7. Re:Not just power issue by geekmux · · Score: 4, 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...

  8. Re:No thanks to the spam by gEvil+(beta) · · Score: 2, Funny

    Learn how to save $25 to $75 by purchasing the $279 dollar report that the article is hawking. No thanks. This article has no business even being on Slashdot. It isn't news, it is an advert.

    Only $75? I can save you $100!!! PayPal me $179 for the report today!

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    This guy's the limit!
  9. Re:Typo? Pshaw! by Anonymous Coward · · 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.

  10. Re:The units! by Yvan256 · · Score: 5, Funny

    What do you mean, an european or an african kW?

  11. Re:Typo? Pshaw! by Anonymous Coward · · 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.

  12. Re:The units! by Hoi+Polloi · · Score: 4, Funny

    You are complaining about scientific unit names to Slashdot? Have you seen some of the names for Linux apps?

    --
    It is by the juice of the coffee bean that thoughts acquire speed, the teeth acquire stains. The stains become a warning
  13. Re:The units! by sjames · · Score: 5, Funny

    So does that mean on my last trip I drove 720 MPH?

  14. California energy crunch by Anonymous Coward · · 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.

  15. Re:Bad economics by Spazmania · · Score: 4, 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."

    --
    Moderating "-1, Disagree" is simple censorship. Have the guts to post your opinion.
  16. 1.42kW?! by Junior+J.+Junior+III · · Score: 2, Funny

    Great Scott! Wait til the PC hits 88mph, then you're going to see some serious shit!

    --
    You see? You see? Your stupid minds! Stupid! Stupid!
  17. Re:Not just power issue by blueg3 · · Score: 2, 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.

  18. Re:The units! by Anonymous Coward · · 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 ?

  19. Re:The units! by jsiren · · Score: 3, 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!

    --
    Usage: km/h for speed (kilometers per hour); kph for very slow impulses (kilopond hours).