Mac OS X 10.4 Help
Tips for saving energy
You can save energy by putting your computer to sleep when you aren't using it. You set sleep preferences in the Sleep pane of Energy Saver preferences. Here are some tips for saving energy using your computer.
- If you're using a desktop computer, drag the sliders to set a time for your computer to go to sleep.
- If you're using a portable computer, choose a power source from the "Settings for" pop-up menu, and then choose an energy use from the Optimization pop-up menu that is appropriate for your use of the computer. If you want to specify the sleep time, choose Custom. In the Options pane, you can select the option to reduce the brightness of your display automatically before the display sleeps. You can also select to reduce the brightness of the display when you are using the battery. This dims the display slightly but you can continue to work.
- Click Schedule in Energy Saver preferences to schedule a time for your computer to shut down to make sure it's turned off when you're not working.
- In the Sleep pane of Energy Saver preferences, select "Put the hard disk(s) to sleep when possible."
- In Displays preferences, turn down the brightness of your display.
- Turn off AirPort when it's not in use. You can turn off AirPort using the AirPort status menu, Internet Connect, or Network preferences pane.
- Don't use a screen saver; instead, put your display to sleep.
After upgrading a portable to Mac OS X 10.4 or later, you might notice that the battery doesn't last as long as usual. That's because Spotlight is indexing all your documents, which can take several hours depending on the number of files on your computer. When the indexing is finished, your battery use should return to normal. To check the progress of the indexing, click the Spotlight icon (it looks like a magnifying glass) on the right side of the menu bar.
To see how much money you can save each year by using Energy Saver features on your Mac, use Apple’s Energy Usage Calculator on the Apple and the Global Environment website.