How Long Will My Drive Last?

What about your hard drive?  Jim Hamm is concerned, and he shares his ideas, "Here is an article talking about how long the hard drive will last in your computer. Answer: about 3 years or so. The author said he talked to a 'drive' engineer whether it's better to leave the drive running all the time, or turning the computer off at night. According to the article, it doesn't seem to matter. I don't know 'beans' about drives, but it seems to me that something spinning all the time at 5400 rpm or so has got to wear out faster than if one shuts the computer down for several hours a day. But, who knows? I wonder what Apple might have to say about this question?

"I turn my Mac off each evening and start it up again in the morning. The article states there is wear and tear on the bearing doing that, which apparently negates the benefit of shutting it off. Still, I feel better using this procedure. My MacBook Pro is four years old now, so I'm listening for any 'grinding' noises which will probably indicate imminent failure. Sheesh!"