Sleep mode vs shut down?

[imuscle74]

I've ready complex articles about this. I have a macbook pro 15" (mid-2009) I just bought 2 week ago. I know for sure that if I'm taking this computer around such as from home to school, I will shutdown the computer for harddrive safety purposes.

Otherwise at home, left on a desk all day and not carried around, is it "healthier" for the computer to put it in sleep mode at night instead of shut down? I know you gotta reboot every so often if you leave it on sleep mode though.

I've read some people put their macbook pros on sleep instead of shutdown for months. Is this safe?

I've also heard that shutdown and turning the power strip off (keeping laptop unplugged) at night is good for the computer? I know it may use about 1 watt during sleep mode while plugged in or something? This is so confusing!

[iCaz]

Sleep mode is 'Usually' Safe, However it can do some damage to the Hard drive, I'd Recommend either Shutting it down or leaving it turned on + Less energy is used when you leave it turned on (Computers use more energy to turn on/off than to stay turned on )

[lsaoner]

my experience: i'm always use the sleep and i haven't any problem. (2 years macbook)

[akoer]

Sleep mode is 'Usually' Safe, However it can do some damage to the Hard drive, I'd Recommend either Shutting it down or leaving it turned on + Less energy is used when you leave it turned on (Computers use more energy to turn on/off than to stay turned on )

However some files can not work under sleep mode.

[Sykx]

To add to the sleep experience I am constantly traveling around campus and pulling my Mac Pro 15" as well out all the time, thus to make things easier for myself I have always had it in 'sleep mode'. I do restart the computer but very seldom. This is because I just simply forget to... lol

However, I have had this computer since Autumn of 07 I believe and not much of any issues at all that I can recall.



Dave

[awesomeSlayer]

I usually leave my MacBook Pro off when I carry it around.

[iJasonTATE]

I usually put my computers to sleep during the day in between usage, then at night I shut them down.