On Demand
Booting Up
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Does your computer take FOREVER to boot up? CruchGear Editor John Biggs joins us to explain why it takes so long and how manufacturers are trying to speed up the process.
Let us know: What do you do while you're waiting for your computer to boot up?
Comment below!
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While my computer is booting up I work on my other 2 computers on my desk.
I work in a database environment and have three 20 inch screens on my desk-like a three way mirror.
I have NPR on all day long on one of them.
My compter comes on; it is while I'm waiting for Outlook to boot up - I've discovered Solitaire loads immediately, so I play that!
Classic question of a PC user!
coffee!
I listen to WNYC on the radio!
At work, I grab some tea/breakfast from the kitchen. At home, I have a MUCH longer wait (old laptop) so I do just about anything - make dinner, wash my hair, etc.
I bring my laptop to my carrel in the university library and then take my morning bathroom break while it boots up. Depending on how long it takes, maybe I'll get some coffee too.
Feed the cat.
i have a 9 month old, so usually i am off feeding, changing, or otherwise tending to him while it's booting up.
While my computer's booting up, I go to the men's room (it's been about an hour since I finished my coffee) and fill up my dog's water bowl too (it's great owning your own business).
I took my computer to the Geek Squad @ Best Buy for a tune up and they cleaned up my Start Up menu so now it boots up pretty quickly. But mostly I get more coffee or just do something else because it's too annoying to watch.
While my computer's booting up, I: load the dishwasher; fold my laundry; do the NY Times crossword puzzle; and play with the dog (not necessarily in that order!).
I don't turn it off and it's NOT a shame! I run the Berkely Open Interface Networking Client (BOINC) to donate my processing power to disease research, and would encourage anyone to do avoid annoyingly long bootups by doing the same.
3 - exactly!
I have a mac. It boots very fast - less than 30 seconds. And I do leave it on all night most nights. It is in sleep mode - it uses very little power and it is supposed to be left on because it runs automatic maintenance routines at night. Go Macs!
My Mac boots up quickly enough so that I don't normally need to divert myself. My PC isn't so bad either, once you get rid of the plethora of unnecessary programs that are part of the startup process... I'll usually go to the bathroom or get a soft drink, though, as a diversion.
A lot of people are going to complain in this section, but I'd like to add that if someone's boot time increases significantly over time (on the same computer), it's something not to be ignored: the hard drive could be failing, or a malware program may be running unbeknownst to the user.
Laptops have many weaknesses, including far greater costs than desktop computers, but one advantage is that they use far less power.
They also have had had sleep or hibernate features, going way back. Mac laptops have had an extremely low power sleep mode since the early 1990's, from which the computer can wake almost instantly.
So, laptop users -- especially mac laptop users -- don't even have to worry about the start up time. I know that I don't. And I only restart once or twice a month, at most.
But when I DO need to start, I listen to WNYC, of course!
Turning on my computer is my "Recession Breakfast" time. I keep a bowl of Frosted Miniwheets in my desk and fix myself a bowl while my computer boots. I always seem to wake up 10 minutes late and never have time for breakfast at home. It sounds bleak, but these days $3.25 for an Egg sandwich seems gauche.
We DO leave our computer on all night. We have registered with the World Community Grid.
It's a simple way to support scientists eager to advance their humanitarian research. They use the unused cycles of your computer to provide more computing power to researchers
In the four years that World Community Grid has been running, 10 research projects have launched, and many research milestones have been reached. You can get more info at:
www.worldcommunitygrid.org
Before this, I just made coffee.
Like Leo, I have a Mac, so it doesn't take very long, but in that time I pet the cat who will sit at my feet while I am on the computer.
It's a 2001 Compaq Presario 2700 laptop and seems to take forever sometimes and more than forever other times to boot up. I have finally learned to walk away while an unforgiveable amount of time lapses before the aol icons appear in the tool bar and head for short term common activities: make the bed, water a plant or two, drink some coffee, make the coffee. Then there is the waiting time for the aol window to appear. Hello Verizon DSL --what's taking so long?
I feed my dog and make a cup of coffee.
I wait for my other computer to boot up.
Think about buying a Mac.
Brush my teeth!
Feed the dogs.
Macs seem to boot up surprisingly fast, so there is no need to do anything while booting up.
Feed the cat.
I have two computers, a Mac and a PC. While waiting for the Mac to boot up, I sit there for a sec.
While waiting for the PC, I go wash my car, have a workout, take a shower, go shopping.. and when I come back the PC is almost ready.
This question is inappropriate for a modern Mac user - it's only a few moments.
I have about enough time to scratch my nose. That's because I have a Mac. When will you PC users learn??
Only Windows machines take a longtime to boot and shutdown. OSX and Linux/Unix systems boot up much more efficiently.
I take my vitamins. There is nothing more boring than taking vitamins except watching my computer boot up.
I make coffee.
The reason why your PC takes so long to boot up comes from all the CRAP Microsoft puts in their operating system.
Less so for MACs but even with them there is too much crap.
This is not a problem with my ASUS Linux laptop.
I love it! Boots in less than a minute. All PCs should run on Linux.
Yes, I leave my Windows computers left on 24/7.
I could do the dished in the time it takes to boot up.
Steer clear of Vista -gets even slower.
Clean out the litter boxes, load the dishwasher, forget that I ever tried to turn it on :)
I turn my computer on when i get into work, then I hang up my jacket in the closet. By the time i get back to my desk, it's ready to go.
Thanks for this oppty to vent! I pound softly and curse quietly and realize how much of my life is being WASTED. I was warned Trend Micro would slow my computer...it loads whenever it wants and it feels like MY COMPUTER IS BEING TAKEN HOSTAGE. I now rather deal with viruses than this torture.
I tried being productive and do other things but I fear losing my train of thought. Will listen to show carefully.
Are boot times really an issue? Ask what people do while they're waiting for a file to download! In an instantaneous society, upload and download times affect people more than the boot sequence.
(In full discretion, I remember the 20-minute-long boot time for loading Atari Logo form cassette. Maybe I have more patience than others :-)
I don't turn my iBook off. What's wrong with leaving it on? The sapped energy? But what if I unplug it?
I do leave my computers on all the time. I didn't know that was a problem anymore. My monitor is off, the computer is sleeping in "Power Save Mode". Is sthat still bad?
I live with all filmmakers who have to wait hours at a time for Final Cut Pro to save or 'render' their footage.
We're now making t-shirts that say, 'Render Time is My Time!' We want to reclaim our downtime and not sit in front of the computer feeling like the apocalypse is approaching.
Our votes are to mix an Irish coffee and pick up a book.
I do 25 pushups.
I use Apple computers exclusively. My boot-up time (at work) is practically instantaneous compared to my wife's Dell, approx. 20-30 seconds.
At home I leave my Mac on 24/7.
I use the sleep function on my laptop. It takes only a few seconds to get back up.
every heard of amiga....
For me, it is a long queue of boot ups: starting with the computer, then I walk to the espresso machine, and warm it up, then to the coffee grinder, then to the radio...
My computer is now a Mac, which takes less than 30 seconds to boot up - as opposed to a Windows PC, which may takes several minutes.
I never wait because I never shut off my Mac. I simply close the lid and it goes to sleep. Opening the lid wakes the Mac from sleep in a second.
My desktop machines stay on and asleep as well. It's been months since I've rebooted my desktop Mac and weeks since I've rebooted my Mac laptop.
I'm one of the "bad" people who don't turn off their computer. Working in the IT field, I have come to terms with power management and it is very easy to limit power usage when not in use. Plus, I run a media server...so if you run a server it normally never turns off
I leave it on and put it to sleep. Mac
While my work PC boots up I start my mac and do my banking, e-mail friends/family, check the news and wonder why my company gave me a PC.
Brian, GET A MAC... Incredible. MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC MAC
I cheat. I have my computer set to come on 15 minutes before I get to work and shut itself down 15 minutes after I leave. It is a Mac, so it is fast enough even on those weekend days...
I set my computer to Boot up about 30 minutes before I get to the office, so that everything is up an running and warmed up. I also set it to shutdown about 30 minutes after I leave. All the computers in my office are set to that.
I have a laptop so I put it on hibernate, it takes like 30 seconds to restart. But the WI-FI took a while so I started using an ethernet cable instead.
Leaving the computer on is a point of contention between my husband and I. I want to leave our laptop on at all times because I love being able to open it at the drop of a hat and look up what movie won the oscar in 1973 (The Godfather.) We have a Mac so it only takes a couple of seconds and that's too much for me.
When I had a MSFT PC I used the time to curse Bill Gates.
Leaving a PC on all the time is OK if S3 Standby is enabled and working. Key word is 'working', it is difficult sometimes for even a PC tech like me to get it working correctly all the time.
But it is worth it. S3 Standby mode means that everything in the box is off: fans, cpu, drives, etc.
Once thought of as only good for notebooks, it is worth looking into getting all of our PCs to go into S3 Standby mode.
P.S. New PCs wil boot up just as fast, if not faster, than the latest Macs.
What is the electrical pro/con of leaving my mac in "sleep" mode? the screen is off, processes are stopped, but the machine is instantly on when awoken. I have a status report widget and I've noticed that the machince has been on continuoulsy for 26 days or more. How much energy am I sleeping away? Thanks.
Not to beat a dead horse, but I do recommend that you switch to Mac. My iMac is 3 years old, and it still takes only 15-20 seconds to boot up --- although usually I leave it in sleep mode overnight, so I just click a key and away I go.
I agree with your guest--it's a minor miracle that this even happens every time you initiate the process. But how does the computer even "know" to take that first step and load the first line of programming that takes it from inert object to useful machine?
I cry.
Spyware, long waits for booting up... moot points because I own a MAC!
My routine in the moring is to turn on the computer, then feed/watch my aquarium fish.
The fish are always a nice way to relax before 'the grind'
Most of the machines that turn on instantly only do between one and a few hundred functions. When a computer starts up it's preparing to do an unknown & potentially infinite number of tasks.
Oh, and when my computer is booting up, I usually take that time to laugh or cry uncontrollably.
BS on the MAC - i work on 2 PCs my wife on 3 MACs and they all have different boot up times depending how old they are
It's true Macs don't have long boot up times, but when i open my MICROSOFT applications on my mac, especially Entourage (which i prefer to the native Mac mail program) it take a LONG time! meanwhile, i go to the web and get WNYC going!
i don't know if something is wrong with my PC but switching between programs or going from world of warcraft to the MS internet explorer takes a maddening long time
People with exorbitantly long boot times should really get a new computer....
Oh you poor PC users. When will you ever get it?
It's not a "religious problem" - just plain fact - Macs boot up quickly.
However at work I need to go through this start up agony. I've learned to leave the frustrating staring into the screen behind, and just work on other things, or, take it as an opportunity to have a "meditative moment".
Grind my coffee beans, make coffee while my "self-tweaked" pc loads faster. It's an old Windows 98 Second Edition and loads faster than my Windows XP as I tweak it to receive Internet streams like opening a huge pipe to receive water.
Your guest will know
I agree with the MAC people! Get a MAC!
i work on a MAC. fewer viruses are targeted for MACs. consequently, spyware on a MAC has less to do, and your computer boosts faster.
I keep more than one computer running at all times. This IS the 21st Century, isn't it? (sad but true!)
Your guest beat me to it: I use folding@home. Just Google it, with @ sign. I used to use the alien one, SETI@Home, but protein folding seems more useful. My iBook doesn't use much energy when I'm not using it, and it's asleep, so distributed computing is a good excuse not to turn it off. By the way, what ever happened to the OnNow technology Microsoft was developing to make them more like TVs? I think I'll just stick with my Mac for now. It smiles at me when I turn it on, the Sarah Palin wink of the Mac icon indicating that, no, I don't have to wait.
Boot up your PC?!?! You shouldn't have to turn on your PC every morning. It should already be on.
Turning your PC off and on will simply decrease its life. The guts of your PC is simply a series of on and off switches. Having these power up and down every day puts needless stress on them and may eventually kill it (the power supply or system board, specifically).
Turn it on and leave it on. Enable your power management so that it goes to sleep after a certain period of non-use. Both you and your computer will live much longer and happier lives.
Donate your spare cycles to seti@home, folding@home, or worldcommunitygrid.com.
Seti@Home allow you to help in Alien research.
I work at an animation studio and we use both macs and pcs.
Boot up times suck on both machines. And both machines suck equally.
I love my Mac mini. It boots very quickly.
Being a type A personality (if I was a dog, I'd be a Jack Russell terrier), when my computer boots up, I do the sensible thing, a yoga exercise: salutation to the sun.
Oh, yeah, I do this in my office.
Initially no one said anything. Initially.
i use my computer for the SETI interface. Also if you keep less stuff (programs and files) on your desktop you will speed up bootup.
Use shortcuts instead of keeping program files on the desktop.
Turning off your monitor does save some energy even if the CPU is still running. Is there any way to do this on a laptop?
These are organizations that you can assist with your computer's idle time.
Searching for ETs
http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/
DNA synthesis
http://folding.stanford.edu/
Here is a list of many other projects
http://distributedcomputing.info/projects.html
I glare and mutter imprecations at the screen.
You can find out about current distributed processing projects at
http://distributedcomputing.info/projects.html
I dream of Mac!
MS-CONFIG IS YOUR FRIEND
Beware the age of instant gratification. Turn it on and while you wait make Cofee, go out for a brisk walk or jog, take a show , pray - for some, then sit down at the computer. Yourself first - technology last.
I use Ubuntu 8.10 OS and my pc boots up really fast never crashes, I don't need anti virus, and I can't get a virus other computers can't contact my pc.
consider open source linux, Ubuntu distribution.
I just do a little dance. I believe in making every moment count.
I punch a mac fanboy in the face.
just kidding.
or am i?
I don't worry about it. I do whatever: check voice mail, go to the restroom, hang up my coat, but I don't stress. At home, pet the cat, change clothes, get coffee, but I don't stress. By the way, I am an IT professional for 20 years. I have other things to stress over than boot up times.
If you use a PC, don't shut down! Instead, hibernate! This will save an image of your computer's current state on your computer's hard drive before turning off your computer. The next time you turn your computer on, your boot-up time will be a lot faster since your computer only has to read that image, which is a lot faster than booting up from scratch.
Leaving the PC / Mac on all the time wastes alot of energy. If you must leave it on at least put it in sleep mode. Leaving the screen saver on uses alot more energy as the processor, screen and perhaps the graphics card still needs to run.
Wow, i'd never heard of that sort of programs before! I have downloaded BOINC and will now be incredibly smug telling people about how my computer is saving the world.
I put my computer in "hibernate" which saves energy but lets it go back to windows in less than a minute.
what takes so long is to get Firefox to come up...friends said it would be faster than Explorer but not true...
i only reboot if I have a problem with running a program or if i take on an update.
Brian, you asked "Or do you leave it on all night -- shame, for shame!"
Yes, I do, and it would be shameful for me not to. Why? At standby power, the PC consumes perhaps 20 watts; over 10 hours this is 0.2 kilowatt-hour, which costs about 4 cents. Even if a "proper carbon tax" would double this to 8 cents, I consider 2 minutes of my time to be worth rather more than 8c. Who of your listeners does not consider his or her time to be worth more than this?
The focus on saving energy *regardless* of its human cost sounds noble, but it is misguided and the opposite of humane.
world community grid is the website where you donate your downtime to scientific research. You can pick which project i.e. Aids, human protenone or choose all.
I work on a mac and PC at the same time dering the day. when I boot them up at the same time in the morning they take the same time (with in seconds).
Its all about keeping your computer/s clean. If you dont understand what happens when you press that power button you should not say any thing!!
PS I can get my Mac to crass 1 or 2 dering the day. Mac people wont tell you that!!
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