Re: To shut down or not?

[twohandsfree@hotmail.com (John)]

spam@luddite.ca (Simon Williams) wrote in message news:<1g71st3.1b5lro1ijb51mN%spam@luddite.ca>...
> Since my IIgs has a dead battery, I have to fix my control panel
> settings every time I start it up... I'm wondering if it's safe to leave
> it running for extended periods. It has a 1 meg memory card, MicroDrive
> HD card and a Super Serial Card installed. Doesn't seem to get too
> warm...
> -sw

Random thoughts from a hobbiest regarding on or off ...


                      -- Reasons to turn it off --

- Mechanical wear on HD and fans. The HD on my Focus cards are second
hand and I've read posts about, and experienced, HD failure. I believe
bearing wear on older HDs is a factor (but if it is badly worn ....
see below).

- Power or surge protection is a good idea (a running Apple *may* be
more vulnerable)

- You are wasting a small abount of power (green or mean)

- Monitors have a finite life (turn them off screensaver or not). 

- Apple batteries don't cost much. Meanwhile you can slap a AA over
the dead battery. Radio Shack has holders - ugly but cheap & available
locally.

- Warm plastic leaches plasticizers faster (uneven discolorization?,
cracking)

? capacitors dry out faster when warm (seems logical)



                    -- Reasons to leave it on --

+ every heat cycle extends tiny cracks in silicon chips. 

? Potentially damaging (?) power surges each time you flip the switch 

? Near death HDs seem to have trouble on start up. For example, one
Focus drive failed to boot, not when it was on. A second Focus card
has to be coaxed to boot too.