The New York Times reports on computer manufacturers that are trying to decrease bootup times–the time it takes your computer to power on, load the operating system, and generally make itself ready for use. I just rebooted my computer and it took about 35 seconds, but I hardly ever power it down. My work computer probably takes a little longer to boot, but again, it stays powered on most of the week. And in both cases, I usually don’t mind waiting. Maybe that’s because I’m now old enough to remember when computers took a loooong time to boot, long enough to get up, go check the mail, come back, and wait some more. The current state of affairs seems more than tolerable.
But I’m probably part of a dying breed. I’m comfortable with having a few empty moments when I’m not doing something.
And ten years from now, when boot times are a thing of the past, I’ll wonder how I once put up with wait times of 35 seconds.
Being one of those penny wise, pound foolish type of environmentalists, it drives me crazy when people don’t turn off their appliances when they’re not using them. I follow my wife around the house turning off lights. Maybe this new innovation will encourage people to turn off their computers. It may not make a dent in global warming and oil dependence, but it makes me feel better. Save a penny a day by turning off your computer. That $3.65 per year could be what puts you over the top.