Published by Kay Brenner on 02 Jul 2008 at 05:40 pm
Reduce your Laptop costs
Laptops are great if you’re always out and about or want to save some desk real estate with the tiny foot print a laptop takes up as opposed to a bigger desktop system. There’s just something cool about folding up your computer to go outside in the summer breeze to type up your essay or to blog about the events of the day. But there are disadvantages to having a laptop.
The main issue is represented by its battery. As they do not need to be plugged in order to work, laptops rely on the energy coming from the battery. So far, most laptops, when in use, consume their batteries in several hours. After that, you have to plug them in again, for recharge. Another great disadvantage is that laptops are easy to steal, as their weight would not encumber a swift thief. But let’s see how you can enjoy your laptop at optimal parameters.
Energy Saving Strategies
As said before, laptops work with batteries that are not fit for long runs. Still, you can enjoy your laptop for a longer time, if you know how to squeeze your battery juice to the fullest. This strategy that we are about to show you can save you a few hours of stress until you reach a place with an outlet where you can recharge the battery.
One method you can use to keep your battery from dying too quickly is to dim your screen to its lowest configuration. Your laptop’s screen sucks up the most power, so if you don’t need a super bright screen, dim it down to conserve battery juice.
Backup, Backup, Backup!
Portability is the greatest feature of laptops, but these gadgets are also more fragile than your desk computer at home. A little mistake and your precious laptop crashes on the sidewalk, when you least expect it. Oh, no! What a disaster! Even when nothing seems to have happened on the outside, always check the status of your hard drive, after an episode like this one. While you can buy another hard drive or send the laptop into service, your data, that was stored on that hard drive, is lost forever. Avoid these nuisances by saving it often on USB portable drives or CD-R and DVD.
Hire a Watchdog
Are you glad when you find a wi-fi hotspot? Of course, because you can have all the advantages of your laptop and log on to the Internet, while enjoying a fine day out of the house. But Internet holds many threats, so, if you do not want any harm happening to your files, or nasty spywares installing, against your will, on your laptop, install a firewall to guard your computer. Also, avoid sharing files freely on the net, as this is like inviting small time hackers to play with your secrets documents. You can do so by simply turning off this option.
There are even more threats to deal with concerning the documents you carry on your laptop. There is more than virtual danger, as laptops can be easily stolen. People that you do not want to rummage through your files will have instant access to all of them, if they steal your laptop. The solution is to protect the files by encrypting them and protecting them through a password that only you know about.
Fend Off the Heat
Another thing about laptops that can become quite annoying is that they tend to heat up after just a few hours. It is not at all pleasant to keep a hot item on your knees while outside is summer, so, if you did not buy special laptop sleeves, find any piece of clothing that can keep the heat from the laptop off your body.
Laptops are simply more convenient than desktop computers and nobody can deny it. PC producers are more and more oriented towards making the old style computer more space saving, but, even with the revolution of LCD screens, you still need a sturdy desk to keep all the components in the same place. As for laptops, with the advice we have given you this far, you will get to enjoy them even more.