While Windows users often close down their PCs at the W end of the day, those with Macs tend to leave them on indefinitely. Many Mac users engage in this behavior because they want to pick up where they left off, but also because experience has shown them that Macs tend to cope well with this kind of behavior-probably because Apple has designed macOS and Macs to be very efficient in terms of energy use and performance. But is this a good idea?
There are three options open to every user when they've finished using the computer for the day: Leave it on, put it to sleep or turn it off. Want to know which one to choose? Read on.
DO I NEED TO SHUT DOWN MY MAC OR MACBOOK?
Over time, processes and apps can clog up your RAM and cause performance to drop slightly, especially on older Macs. As a result if it's been a few days since you last shut down your Mac, you may feel like your Mac is slowing down or not working optimally.
You can rectify this by closing and relaunching apps, shutting down some of those copious browser tabs you have open, or rebooting your Mac.
macOS does a good job of managing memory use, but sometimes the only way to really give your device the clean slate it needs is to shut it down and start it up once more. This will clear out the RAM and allow some processes that might have become stuck to get going once more.
It's also the case that some updates can only be applied when you reboot your Mac, so turning your Mac off and on again every so often will ensure that everything is working as it should.
But how often should you shut down?
SHOULD I TURN OFF MY MAC AT NIGHT?
This story is from the June 2023 edition of Macworld.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the June 2023 edition of Macworld.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
JBL Xtreme 4 speaker: A powerful portable for parties
The fourth generation of JBL's Bluetooth travel speaker is beefier, better protected from the elements, and louder than ever.
How the iPhone's Headphone Safety setting can affect a Bluetooth speaker
A setting designed to prevent damaging your hearing can also throttle external speakers.
REVIEW: iPHONE 15 STRAIGHTFORWARD EXCELLENCE
SUPERB CAMERA SETUP + DECENT BATTERY LIFE + FAST PROCESSOR = (RELATIVELY) AFFORDABLE QUALITY.
REVIEW: 15-INCH MACBOOK AIR (M3) SIMPLY THE BEST, BUT BETTER
THE M3 UPDATE TO APPLE'S MOST POPULAR LAPTOP LINE IMPROVES ON GREATNESS.
FUJIFILM INSTAX MINI LINK 2: PORTABLE PRINTER WITH RETRO CHARM
Photographer Chase Jarvis (fave.co/ 3xegpdk) said, \"The best camera is the one you have with you.
ALOGIC MATRIX ULTIMATE: A FOLDUP CHARGER THAT DOESN'T NEED A PLUG
I've reviewed a bunch of impressive portable multidevice wireless chargers recently, and this newcomer, the Matrix Ultimate, lives up to its name.
5 MWC announcements that should have come from Apple
The Android show highlighted some new tech that we want to see in Apple products.
We haven't seen the last of the Apple Car
From Al to CarPlay, Apple’s efforts weren't for naught.
AI is coming to the iPhone-and it could change everything
Generative Al is set to impact every corner of Apple’s ecosystem.
U.S. Justice Department sues Apple over its 'iPhone monopoly'
The DOJ is joined by 16 state and district attorneys general in claiming that Apple has violated Section 2 of the Sherman Act.