Shutting down MBP

Question

I have read that Apple recommends only shutting down your system when it will not be used for a few days? Is this correct?
Why?
This is my first MBP, but with previous Windows laptops Ive always shut down when not in use - even if its just for a few hours.
With the MBP I tend to shut down overnight....

Answer 1

IftiBashir wrote:
I have read that Apple recommends only shutting down your system when it will not be used for a few days? Is this correct?
Why?
It's more like there's no reason to shut down the machine. Even if it's not connected to power, with a full and new battery a MacBook can remain in sleep mode for up to a week, so if you're going to use it tomorrow morning there's no reason to shut it down.
There are in fact several reasons to not shut it down.
When you shut down your computer, you must wait for it to start back up and log in. If you simply let it sleep, what you have in the morning is an "instant-on" computer: Just wake it and you are on the network and ready to go. The Unix system that Mac OS X is based on is designed for constant use so you can run it for weeks or months. While other people complain about their computer's boot times, if you don't have to boot the computer your startup time is zero.
Also, when working on a project I usually have many windows arranged in several open apps. If I was to shut down, all those windows and apps must be closed, and when you start up again, all those apps must be relaunched and the project document windows re-opened and re-arranged. This probably adds up to hours of time over a year, and what a pain! Why put up with that?
There is also the question of caches. You will find that the slowest application launch is the first time you launch it after a restart. If you exit the app and start it again, you will find the second instance (and the third etc.) takes less time to start the app. This is because OS X is caching the application code. When you shut down, the cache is discarded, and you're back to the first-time slow start. So the more you shut down, the more you get to experience the slow, un-cached first-time app launches.
I sleep my MacBook Pro at night, and in the morning, not only do I have instant-on, but everything I was working on is exactly as I left it, and my frequently-used apps start instantly. I've gone on cross-country business trips where I never shut down the laptop during the entire week until I get home, because sleep is very reliable. And there is no need to wait for startup when I just want to check something quickly when on the move.
That's why it's recommended that you sleep instead of shut down.
You do want to shut down your MacBook if you will not use it for several days, because sleep mode will eventually drain the battery and you might lose unsaved work, even though there is a Safe Sleep feature.