Is Windows itself a power hog?

[ahhaa]

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes recently posted a very thought-provoking item about where computing is headed.

For one thought: we all talk about Windows bloat, but usually mean programs far bigger than they need to be, slower running than they should be, and constant updating to fix things that should have been dealt with in beta.
I never really considered that all that also relates to power consumption, and its getting to be a battery-powered world--

"running for days, not hours?"

Dell has previewed a new instant on technology that allows users to carry out basic tasks on their notebooks without having to boot up into Windows... It will allow users to have near-instant access to a Linux-based environment that offers email, calendar, attachments, contacts and a web browser, all without ever needing to boot into the main operating system. An added advantage of Dell Latitude ON its that it extends the battery life from hours to days.

... Having your browsing and email isolated from the main bulk of your data is highly desirable (as is browsing within a secure environment that’s resistant to malware such as keyloggers), as is having access to an environment that’s resistant to being crippled by a dodgy driver or misbehaving software could be very useful at times.

http://blogs.zdnet.com/hardware/?p=2400

Just how much power does does the Windows OS really need?

ps I'm reminded of my Tandy Model 100- worked for weeks on 4 AA cells.

[jagabo]

The hours vs days comparison is bogus. One of the biggest power consumers on most laptops is the display. They won't get that big a difference unless they go without a back light when running linux.

There is probably one place where using a minimal linux will save a significant amount of power vs Vista -- don't use the 3D section of the graphics chips for the desktop. Of course, you can turn that off in Vista if you want too.

[edDV]

As memory becomes cheaper, flash RAM can replace all or part of the OS drive allowing lower power and "instant" on since flash can retain state without reboot. If all you do is email and browsing with simple graphics, you can do that with a cell phone. If you run fancy desktops, run background video tuners while playing BluRay movies or play games, except a fast battery drain.

[RabidDog]

No windows is not a power hog, just the hardware required to run it. That hours to days thing is for a sort of semi os (linux) in Rom that allows quick access to playing mp3s, uploading photos and surfing [s:7d644edaa8]porn[/s:7d644edaa8] the web. I think for playing mp3s you dont even use the screen, just a mini display on the side.

You can have instant-on (ish) with windows if you use Standby..

[JohnnyMalaria]

Don't really see much difference/benefit over hibernation.

I hibernate my laptop all the time - in fact I only reboot when a mandatory corporate update is pushed to it and a reboot is needed. Typically once a month.

As far as power goes, I got 5+ hours on a transatlantic flight on the laptop's standard (i.e., not extended) battery - it usually gives about 2. The key to this was simple: dim the display as much as possible and turn off the wireless adapter. These are the two biggest drains. Working on a Word document etc doesn't put much strain on the system. And I just put it into hibernation when the meals came around.

[edDV]

Don't really see much difference/benefit over hibernation.

I hibernate my laptop all the time - in fact I only reboot when a mandatory corporate update is pushed to it and a reboot is needed. Typically once a month.

I do it weekly to let Microsoft do its updates.