Sounds kinda like starting and stopping a rolling train. The grind is in bringing it up to speed and stopping it again. The object in motion will necessarily be strained by getting it up to speed from a standstill and then stopping it again. My two cents, which I'm certain is what it's worth.
There is pressure by ConEd to not drain energy just for the convenience of having electronics ready to go all the time; they call it seepage. It's minor, but here electricity is expensive. I have notice a drop in my energy bill by unplugging things like microwaves and other devices. It's not a big deal if the times indicators blink when plugged in. Who cares, the coffee doesn't have to be made before I wake up. This being said,I would rather have a drive that lasts longer by avoiding spin-up.
