Shut down those computers!

The seemingly age-old question: when should you shut down your computer?

The answer to this question has changed since it was first posed. It used to be that powering up computers took a lot of energy, and, in some cases, it was better to leave it on overnight. For computers from the last decade or so, however, that is no longer the case. Overnight, shut them down!

Here is Reader's Digest's summary: "If you won't be using it for 20 minutes, turn off the monitor. If it won't be needed for more than two hours, turn off the computer."

If you're not going to be using your computer for even a few minutes, put in to "sleep" or on "power saving" mode. It'll save you the start-up time while being more energy-conscious.