I have a Dell Inspiron 2200.

I use it quite a bit (6-10 hours per day).

At times I am not using it for say 20 minutes to 3 hours.

I usually shut it down. If I am only going to be away for say 15 minutes or
so, I use standby.

Is there any rule of thumb as to which mode to use (standby versus
shutdown)?? I'm not worried about anyone else using my machine and generally
all files are saved before I leave the computer.

So it may come down to saving battery power versus increased wear and tear
for shutdown (and I'm not sure if there is a lot of wear and tear booting my
laptop -- is it the same as a desktop in terms of wear and tear and is it
significant)?

Mel