Does Unity 2d use fewer system resources than Unity 3d? If it requires less in terms of system resources, would switching to Unity 2d increase the battery life of my Laptop?
Definitely. Apps that are resource-hungry increase load on the hardware side (processor, bus activities, memory allocation, etcetera) and these lead to increased power consumption. If you want to optimize you battery life, I would suggest these things:
Use a minimal GUI without as many fancy effects. In 11.04 you can select Ubuntu(Classic) during log-on.
Turn off your wireless adapter and bluetooth adapter. Surprisingly, these adapters can suck out most of your battery life. Only turn them on when you are using them.
Dim the screen to the lowest level that's practical and comfortable.
Don't work in such a way that multitasking of processes in necessary, unless you need to do so.
Turn off sound or use earphones. Using built-in speakers requires more power.
Try this out and you will be surprised at how long your laptop battery can last (provided the battery is not dying).
Hope this helps.
