I've raised this before, but I can definitely tell when my MacBook Pro is using more power, as it warms my legs.
There are a few programs which cause this to happen. One is the program for mapping objects in the sky - Stellarium - http://www.stellarium.org/en_GB/ It's rather a good program though, and it's not usually on all the time.
Listening to R3 via HD streaming in Firefox, with the Flash plugin is another leg warming experience. It has been suggested to me that this is largely due to the Flash plugin, though I'm now not so sure.
I need to check whether other sound tools, such as iTunes give similar behaviour.
Apart from providing heat in the cold winter days (!!) this behaviour causes the fans to come on very audible, on an otherwise almost completely silent machine. In the summer, in hot rooms I fear for the safety of my processor.
Users of desk top machines might not notice this, and some have a power requirement which doesn't vary too much under "normal" use.
With PCs I have used/owned in the past, there were software tools for monitoring the processor temperature. I don't know if there's anything similar for Macs - though the capability must be there, as otherwise the fans wouldn't come on at all.
Does it matter? I'm not sure - though if it significantly reduces the life of my kit I will be concerned.
There are a few programs which cause this to happen. One is the program for mapping objects in the sky - Stellarium - http://www.stellarium.org/en_GB/ It's rather a good program though, and it's not usually on all the time.
Listening to R3 via HD streaming in Firefox, with the Flash plugin is another leg warming experience. It has been suggested to me that this is largely due to the Flash plugin, though I'm now not so sure.
I need to check whether other sound tools, such as iTunes give similar behaviour.
Apart from providing heat in the cold winter days (!!) this behaviour causes the fans to come on very audible, on an otherwise almost completely silent machine. In the summer, in hot rooms I fear for the safety of my processor.
Users of desk top machines might not notice this, and some have a power requirement which doesn't vary too much under "normal" use.
With PCs I have used/owned in the past, there were software tools for monitoring the processor temperature. I don't know if there's anything similar for Macs - though the capability must be there, as otherwise the fans wouldn't come on at all.
Does it matter? I'm not sure - though if it significantly reduces the life of my kit I will be concerned.