Acer 710 Series manual Heuristic Power Management

Heuristic Power Management

Heuristic Power Management

This computer has a built-in heuristic power management unit that monitors system activity. System activity refers to any activity involving one or more of the following devices: keyboard, mouse, floppy drive, hard disk, peripherals connected to the serial and parallel ports, and video memory. If no activity is detected for a period of time (called an inactivity time-out), the computer stops some or all of these devices in order to conserve energy.

This computer employs an innovative power management technique called Heuristic Power Management or HPM. HPM allows the computer to provide maximum power conservation and maximum performance at the same time.

Power management methods used by most computers are timer-based. You set inactivity time-out values for the display, hard disk, and other devices. The computer then "sleeps" when these time-outs elapse. The problem with this is that no two users are alike. Each of us has his or her own habits when using the computer, which makes timer- based power management ineffective.

With HPM, your computer manages its power according to the way you use your computer. This means the computer delivers maximum power when you need it, and saves power when you don’t need the maximum — all without your intervention. There are no timers to set, because the HPM system figures out everything for you.

Note: We recommend you enable heuristic power management to prolong your battery life.

Chapter 2 Operating on Battery Power 39