How-to: Computer -- Turn it off or Hibernate?

For those Microsoft Windows users out there, have you always shut down your computer only to wait through the eternity of letting it boot up fully again the next morning (okay, so 2-5 minutes may not be an eternity, but it sure feels like it)? Have you wondered if it's okay to leave the darn thing on and avoid "the wait"? Are the energy savings worth the shut down and re-boot?

According to Monte Enbysk, an editor for the Microsoft.com network, setting your computer to hibernate saves almost as much energy as shutting it down. (The best way to save energy is by unplugging it, of course, but who wants to mess with the scary cord tangle covered in wheeze-provoking dust and other unknown substances?) Enbysk checked with Energy Star, a product-labeling program sponsered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and they verified that computer hibernation powers the monitor down to about 5 watts and your PC to about 2 watts (depending on make and model).

To set up the hibernate option, open your Control Panel then choose "power options." The recommended time is usually to set hibernation for 30 minutes.

For more information, and to see several myths about computers and energy de-mystified, see "Do you need to turn off your PC at night?"