Suggestions

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Level 4

1,106 points

Suggestions

I couldn't find under the "support" tab - but I had a couple of suggestions for Apple regarding features, and wanted to know where I could send that information.

For instance - I think a "desktop snapshot" (please bare with me, I don't mean taking a picture of the desktop, I know we have that) feature would be great:

My idea of desktop snapshot would be:

A program that you can run, just before you shut down, that takes a virtual snapshot of your computer. This will load up everything you had open, exactly how and where it was when you shut down.

My problems is that I do a lot of ground travel - and I know that it is not advised to travel with the computer in "sleep" mode. So I want some way of shutting down, traveling, and restarting at my destination exactly as I left my computer. For instance if I have safari open with 5 tabs on different websites, I would like it to open to that. Or if I have an email open, I want that open , so that I don't have to shut down and try to remember exactly what I was doing when I get to where I'm going.

I think it's a great idea, that's why I wanted to share it with you guys, and most importantly, apple.

MBP 2.0GHZ, Mac OS X (10.4.7)

Posted on Oct 8, 2006 2:29 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Peter Moyer

Level 4

1,350 points

Oct 8, 2006 2:55 PM in response to homertime33

Here is the link to Apple feedback...http://www.apple.com/feedback/

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Answer 2

Oct 8, 2006 3:03 PM in response to homertime33

Hey, now that is a good idea!

I've been in that situation before where you're working on something, maybe at a friends house or something and you have to leave to go somewhere else before you've finished and you don't want to lose the thread of what you're doing, but you have to power down and travel and when you get to your next location, you're trying to remember everything from where you left off. If you had some way of powering up from where you left off, you'd be set and ready.

Like the sound of that.

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Answer 3

Kappy

Level 10

361,741 points

Oct 8, 2006 3:12 PM in response to homertime33

This feature already exists with the Intel Macs and later model Powerbooks released after October 2005. It requires using the Terminal app to change a parameter that will force the computer into hibernate mode when the lid is closed. When the lid is re-opened the computer will turn back on and reload the hibernated image (takes longer than a normal wake from sleep) leaving you with everything as it was at shutdown.

Open the Terminal app (Utilities folder.) At the prompt enter the following commands pressing return at the end of each:

Check the current hibernate status:

prompt >pmset -g | grep hibernatemode

The resulting mode should be "3" which is the default mode. To change it to full hibernate enter:

prompt >sudo pmset -a hibernatemode 1

You will be prompted to authenticate by entering your admin password. It will not be echoed. Repeat the first commandline to verify the change was made.

Now whenever you close the lid the computer will enter Deep Sleep mode which saves the current system state. When the lid is opened the saved state is restored (this takes a liitle more time and you may also see a progress indicator on the screen.) To invoke "normal" sleep you must use the Sleep selection from the Apple menu or restore the hibernatemode to its original default.

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Answer 4

homertime33 Author

Level 4

1,106 points

Oct 8, 2006 4:07 PM in response to Kappy

My understanding is that the only mode that you should transport a computer in is "off".

But then again, I believe hibernate shuts down the hard drive, so not sure if this also solves the potential problem.

Regardless, apple's suggestions for transport is "shut down" so I want to be sure that I comply with that... wouldn't want a scratched HD to explain, with no information left on it.

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Answer 5

homertime33 Author

Level 4

1,106 points

Oct 8, 2006 4:20 PM in response to MonoEvolver

Yes, this is exactly what I'm talking about... I'd love to see this as a future feature.

I have submitted feedback to them as follows:

Because it is not suggested to travel with our MacBook Pros in "Sleep" mode to prevent hard drive damage, I feel Apple should produce a "Desktop Snapshot" feature.

Let me explain its purpose, and what it would do/How it would work.

The purpose: To return to exactly what you were doing after a system Shut-Down.

Why: Because I cannot travel, due to Apple's suggestion, with my computer in Sleep mode due to potential hard drive damage. I would like to travel and return to my destination with my computer in the exact state that I stopped using it.

How it should work: The user presses a "Desktop Snapshot" button - and the computer records all programs open, all safari links, EVERYTHING. For instance if you have iPhoto open and on a particular photo, it opens to that; and if iTunes is running in the background, it starts up running in the background at the same song, and same time in the song that you left it in. After recording the "Snapshot" the computer shuts down. When the computer is turned "ON" when you reach your destination, the OS loads as usual, but opening every program within the snapshot that was recorded right before the shutdown.

Why there needs to be a button: Clearly every time we shut down we don't need to open up to the last place we were working prior - so this should be a user selectable feature. I would even offer to suggest that there could be an "always on" feature, for those people that just want to shut down all the time with programs open, and have the computer restart exactly the way they left it.

I appreciate your time in reading my idea. I think this would be a very powerful and useful feature - especially for users like me that travel frequently.

Thanks for listening Apple!

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Answer 6

Kappy

Level 10

361,741 points

Oct 8, 2006 7:52 PM in response to homertime33

In the deep sleep hibernate mode the computer is off and the hard drive is parked. It is not the same as normal sleep mode.

Actually, regardless of the sleep mode the purpose of the Sudden Movement Sensor is precisely to shut down and park the hard drive if the computer is dropped or subjected to a sudden movement. There's little chance of damage to the hard drive.

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