# Laptop need ventilation while "sleeping"?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-need-ventilation-while-sleeping/508579>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 2, 2009, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-need-ventilation-while-sleeping/508579 "2009-09-02T00:47:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-need-ventilation-while-sleeping/508579/21 "2009-09-04T02:17:43Z")

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I think s/he’s just commenting on the confusing terminology used by the computer industry to describe the same few things.

To be perfectly clear:  
Sleep (Mac) = Standby (old Windows) = Sleep (Vista)

Safe Sleep (Mac) = Hybrid Sleep (Vista). Both are upgrades to the original Sleep commands and NOT separate functions. Any time your Mac sleeps, it actually uses the new and improved Safe Sleep.

Safe Sleep + Unplugging the power cord/removing the battery (Mac) = Hibernate (Windows).

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**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-need-ventilation-while-sleeping/508579/22 "2009-09-04T02:26:22Z")

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And just to make sure I have this straight, Safe Sleep on the Mac is what allows me to store the laptop somewhere with limited ventilation, which is something that I wouldn’t have been able to do as safely under just plain Sleep, yes?

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**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\
**Post date:** [September 4, 2009, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laptop-need-ventilation-while-sleeping/508579/23 "2009-09-04T02:30:44Z")

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> [@Leaper](#):
>
> And just to make sure I have this straight, Safe Sleep on the Mac is what allows me to store the laptop somewhere with limited ventilation, which is something that I wouldn’t have been able to do as safely under just plain Sleep, yes?

Not quite. Both Safe Sleep and Sleep should allow this.

**Both are exactly the same when it comes to heat and ventilation.**

They only differ in how your computer reacts if it loses power: With Sleep, it’ll have to reboot from scratch (taking 30 secs to a minute or two); with Safe Sleep, it’ll recover much quicker (up to 30 secs, probably less).

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