What About Those Terms?

     Office workers encounter a dizzying number of power
management terms.

On,   Ready,   Active,   Idle,   Standby,   Doze,   Suspend,   Sleep,   Deep Sleep,   Low-Power,   Energy-Saver,   Power-Saver,   Hibernate, Energy Star Mode,   Energy Star Cool-down Mode,   Preheat Mode,   Conservation Mode,   Energy Save Time,   Weekly Timer,   Delay Timer,   Idle Timer,   Power Save Interval,   Energy Star Timeout,   Period of Non-use,   Activity,   Inactivity,   Automatic Power Down,   Auto-off,   Soft-off,   Off,   …

How does ‘doze’ compare to ‘idle’?
Is ‘suspend’ a higher or lower power level than ‘sleep’?

      Some of these are synonyms and some have different meanings from device to device. More people would be able to correctly and confidently use power management if terms used in interfaces were fewer, clearer, and more consistent.

Society Benefits From Standard Controls

      When they work well, we pay them little attention—they are simply part of the fabric of our lives. Consider:

Gear Shifts

      These interfaces are not identical, but simply similar. There are many variations—for aesthetics or function—but the basis of standard elements provides ready understanding and easy use.

Nearly Standardized?

      The power indicator on computer monitors has both widespread use and clear meaning. Most monitor power LEDs are green when the monitor is switched on, amber (orange) when in a low-power mode, and off when switched off. This doesn´t differentiate among low-power modes, but provides a clear, first-order indication of power status.

Off	Standby/Low-power mode	On