Okay to put macbook in sleep in backpack & sleeve?

Yes, that is the way it is designed to be used. There are Mac users who have never shut down their system unless adding new software or other reboots are required. Unlike a PC, the MAc OS X never needs to be shut down. Closing the lid and putting it to sleep are the preferred way to do it -- it is then completely "off" and you can go ahead and put it in a sleeve or backpack and go.

There are umpteen posts on this a search would bring up. A few uninformed people will argue you need to shut it down. The reality is, Mac portables are designed to never need to be shut down, just put to sleep.

Well, here is an article that states that once a notebook's indicator light is pulsing, you may move it.

http://support.apple.com/kb/TA25026

Honestly, yes, phone support and the geniuses will tell you exactly the same thing as we are. There are not many differences between sleeping and shutting down, aside from the longer time to start up if you shut down. Everything that moves stops moving when in sleep mode, and no more processing goes on. Therefore, no more heat is generated. The only thing that remains powered up is the RAM (to facilitate fast awakening) and USB (so that the computer can be awakened). Go ahead, just sleep the machine! That's what everyone I know does and there have been 0 problems so far.

For more information:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2412

--Travis

Yes, it's fine. One thing to add to Ron's statement, +"Closing the lid and putting it to sleep are the preferred way to do it -- it is then completely "off" and you can go ahead and put it in a sleeve or backpack and go."+

Be certain it's fully asleep - right when you close the lid, the MBP writes the contents of RAM to the hard disk (Safe Sleep). That takes 30 seconds or longer, depending on how much RAM you have installed. During that time, the LED light on the right-front of the case will be solid. You should not move your MBP during that period, since that may trigger the HDD sudden motion sensor and interrupt the process, resulting in your MBP waking up later (i.e. in the backpack). Once complete, the light on the front will begin 'pulsing' - at that point, the MBP is asleep and can safely be moved.

Does anyone know if it is ok to just shut the lid of your macbook pro aluminum unibody - let it go into sleep and then put it in a sleeve and backpack instead of shutting down all the time?

I carry mine with me in an Incase sleeve every day. It is 110% fine to carry it with you anywhere. Pay attention to neuroanatomist's advice, or use SmartSleep. I've had uptimes on my machine of 30+ days between updates. Updates are really the only reason to restart the machine.

--Travis

As you are well aware we don't all concur on this matter.

Actually, I'm quite sure we do. There is no reason why a MBP (notebook computer) cannot be put into a sleeve and carried with you. That is what it is designed to do, and it does it well. I should know, that's exactly what mine does every day for 8 hours.

--Travis

I have carried five successive Apple notebook computers with me everywhere I go for the last sixteen years, always in sleep mode, never shut down. No Apple notebook I have ever owned has spent as much as 1% of its lifetime in a cold shutdown. All of these computers have had long, productive lives, outlasting my own use of them and going on to provide good service to new owners. There is no reason to shut down an Apple notebook except when a software installation or hardware repair, upgrade or modification requires it, and there is no disagreement among informed people about this.

Message was edited by: eww

I am just one to always ere on the side of caution. However I will reconsider as sometimes it would be more convenient for me to place in sleep mode. I'm curious what the official position of Apple is. Would phone support and a Genius at the store agree with us? I just bought my first Apple notebook last October and welcome any advice!

Kind regards,
1grandidle1

"The Protestant work ethic demands that people shouldn't be idle, ergo they shouldn't think."
Will Self

I took my MBP out of my bag this arvo thinking it was in sleep, and it was massively hot to touch and had obviously shut down (I got the 'OSX unexpectedly quit' on power back on.

Anyway, after some playing it would appear that my bluetooth mouse had 'woken' the laptop. One thing to be aware of I guess. Caught me out good and proper.... Must remember to turn off the mouse in future too.

It's not the mouse. You have to turn off Bluetooth on your MBP when not going to be used totally -- or it will turn back on to search out other bluetooth devices as well. It's best to get in the habit of only turning on Bluetooth when you are using it, and turning it off when you are done.

I hear what you're saying but that's not my experience.

My issue was only because I finally got the rage with my mighty mouse and switched to another logitech one - left the mightymouse in my bag switched on.

I can reproduce it at will. Sleep.

Click mouse button.

Computer wakes up.

I'm convinced that's what happened today. I'm less convinced that the computer wakes up to search out bluetooth devices. Also, I've tried searching for my MBP while asleep to see if that wakes it up - and it doesn't.

I didn't imply it turns on to seek out Bluetooth devices -- I meant that ANY other bluetooth device that you have (some headphones, stereo systems, etc) that seek out a Bluetooth signal might activate the bluetooth if you activate them....like the click of your mouse, other bluetooth devices that attempt to pair might also do the same thing if turned on -- which is why you should turn the bluetooth off on your MBP...It's a certainly that your mouse does!

Thinking that thru again, are you suggesting that I try and pair WITH the laptop may bring it out of sleep? I.e. new device searches for a bluetooth device and it wakes your MBP?

I don't get that :s

MacRS4,

A common issue. Just go to System Prefs --> Bluetooth and click Advanced. Uncheck "Allow Bluetooth devices to wake this computer". Same thing under System Prefs --> Keyboard & Mouse. Click the Bluetooth tab, and make sure that "Allow Bluetooth devices to wake this computer" is unchecked. Problem solved!

--Travis

Ah yes, aware of that one. Downside is though is that when I'm at home I can't wake it up in clamshell with the mouse or keyboard! It seems you solve one problem only to cause yourself another 😉

I'll stick with remembering to turn the mouse off I think 🙂

Thanks though.

I like to play a game when I go on a business trip. I restart the MacBook Pro before the trip, and I don't do it again until I get home. I can always make it through all the airports, buses, meetings, hotels, taxis, etc. all the way out and back, over the course of a week or so, without ever restarting or shutting down, just sleeping it.

So I'm convinced there is really no risk with only sleeping it.

(I have seen the Bluetooth wake problem though, it's a pain in the rear so I had to turn off Bluetooth wake from devices.)