Joachim_Joe

Q: What is the advantage of the Power Nap feature?

I don't understand the point of the new Power Nap feature? What are its advantages?

 

Why would I need Time Machine to continue doing backups, every hour if I am not using my computer while it is in hibernation, the files don't change and I am not updating any files. I only really need one backup before it goes to sleep and then continue when I resume working. The computer consumes more power and the whole point of power saving features is just to use less power, while the computer is not being used.

 

I am aware that I can turn the feature off but I was just wondering what this feature is about... there is not much information about this feature.

Thanks

Mac OS X (10.6.7)

Posted on Aug 13, 2012 11:55 AM

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Q: What is the advantage of the Power Nap feature?

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  • by BobHarris,Helpful

    BobHarris BobHarris Aug 13, 2012 12:28 PM in response to Joachim_Joe
    Level 6 (19,633 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 13, 2012 12:28 PM in response to Joachim_Joe

    Power Nap from Finder -> Help -> Power Nap on Mountain Lion (same information is most likely available from Apple web pages):

     

    • Check for new email
    • Updates calendar events
    • Updates iCloud events

     

    If and Only If you are connected to a power adaptor, will Power Nap use Time Machine to backup the above mentioned updates.

     

    Power Nap ONLY applies to Macs booted from Solid State Drives

  • by Joachim_Joe,

    Joachim_Joe Joachim_Joe Aug 13, 2012 1:08 PM in response to BobHarris
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 13, 2012 1:08 PM in response to BobHarris

    Thanks for your reply.

     

    Yup that's what I read... but it does not really go into detail.

     

    So if it finds new email does it wake the PC? Does it notify me? What about calendar/iCloud events?

  • by deggie,

    deggie deggie Aug 13, 2012 1:16 PM in response to Joachim_Joe
    Level 9 (54,744 points)
    iPhone
    Aug 13, 2012 1:16 PM in response to Joachim_Joe

    No, it does not wake you are anything, with the least amount of power possible it puts the mail, Cloud, calendar (and optionally updages) on your computer without any sound, screen coming on, etc. It will even work with the lid closed.

  • by BobHarris,Helpful

    BobHarris BobHarris Aug 13, 2012 1:24 PM in response to Joachim_Joe
    Level 6 (19,633 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 13, 2012 1:24 PM in response to Joachim_Joe

    Chances are uses the build-in time-of-year (TOY) clock on the motherboard (like a wrist watch keeping track of time while the Mac is powered off or sleeping), to wake up the Mac every so often, where it will do a quick network poll of the various services, do its thing, then schedule the next wake-up and go back to sleep.

     

    I'm also guessing (total speculation) that if you have an Airport Extreme base station with Bonjour Proxy services support, that the AIrport extreme could be listening for incoming requests on some known ports that the Mac already has open, and if the Airport Exteme recieves a packet for the Mac it could send a Wake-On-LAN packet to wake up the Mac.  But this is totally speculation with respect to new email and/or iCloud events that get created from a different iCloud device.

     

    As for notifying you, I guess maybe if you have audible alerts it might make noise, but I suspect it does not light the screen as that would be an increased power draw.  Then again deggie seems to have more information.  Perhaps first hand info.

     

    Since I do not have an SSD based Mac I cannot actually test this.

     

    Message was edited by: BobHarris

  • by deggie,

    deggie deggie Aug 13, 2012 1:26 PM in response to BobHarris
    Level 9 (54,744 points)
    iPhone
    Aug 13, 2012 1:26 PM in response to BobHarris

    You are correct, it uses the clock to check for any incoming items once per hour, it even says so in the Apple description. You don't have to have an Airport Extreme base staion, it will work with any router. Nothing in the router is required. It does not do any notifications, that is the whole point of the "Nap" part of Power Nap.

  • by Joachim_Joe,

    Joachim_Joe Joachim_Joe Aug 14, 2012 5:54 AM in response to deggie
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 14, 2012 5:54 AM in response to deggie

    Thanks for information BobHarris and deggie, very helpful and descriptive answers. I understand this feature better now and I can see it is working from the logs.

     

    I was wondering how it made itself present but it stays quite, makes sense.

  • by Joachim_Joe,

    Joachim_Joe Joachim_Joe Aug 14, 2012 5:55 AM in response to Joachim_Joe
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Aug 14, 2012 5:55 AM in response to Joachim_Joe

    If you guys are interested I also found this:

    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5394?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

     

    I came across this link on another forum and here is a lot more information about this feature.