You love your laptop, but do you tend to it well enough? Here’s how to keep it ship-shape and long lasting:
Place laptops away from liquids and moisture. For most laptops, a single spill can be
disastrous. Don’t expose it to direct sunlight.
Use an external mouse whenever possible, so that the touchpad does not wear out fast.
Often, when you close a laptop, the keys touch the screen lightly, leaving permanent marks on the screen over time. Prevent that by placing a piece of soft cloth over the keyboard before closing.
Use a laptop cooler, if your room is not air-conditioned. The cooler is a stand, sometimes combined with fans to prevent a laptop from overheating.
Use a good a laptop bag—a well-padded one protects the device from bad weather and any rough handling.
Unlike desktops, which can run for weeks without being shutdown, it's best to switch off a laptop when not in use. Don’t place it in its bag while in “sleep” mode.
Wipe the screen periodically using a soft cloth. Vacuum clean or use a cotton bud to clean between the keys.
Reduce battery discharge by adjusting settings for optimal power and screen brightness. Also, it helps to use only one or two windows at a time, unplug USB devices that are not needed, switch off Bluetooth and keep speaker volume down.
Fans of Cliff Richard and Asha Bhosle beware—a new study suggests that work colleagues form personal opinions based on musical taste. US researchers recently studied office workers who shared music via Apple’s iTunes. They found that workers were interested in matching playlists with people—so users tried to manipulate their image through their music libraries. One man, sensing that his library was “not cool,” added more music to create a “balanced” picture. “Sharing music is a strong personal statement,” according to researcher Beki Grinter.
