Back to School: Caring for Your Laptops 101

Ever watch a college kid with their laptop? Now, they really know how to put their machines through a workout! They cram them into the backpack, plop them open in a quad full of crawling ants and flying Frisbees, and dangle their sandwiches over their keyboards at lunch.

As parents, my husband and I have made it perfectly clear to our kids: Computer #1 is on us; the next one is their responsibility. That seems to have increased their attention to care and maintenance by one or two notches.

Colleges are also trying to give kids a little PC education. In a preemptive strike many colleges are posting laptop rules to live by on their web sites. Here's some of the great advice culled from the websites of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and Ball State University :

 
On their 'DO NOT' list:

• No liquids, especially sweet, sticky drinks like soda, near your laptop.
• Don't crush your laptop by stuffing too many books around it inside your backpack.
• Don't pile heavy objects on top of your laptops when they're on your desk.
• Don't pick up or hold your laptop by the screen, or scratch, twist, hit, or push the surface of the display.
• Don't leave a pen or pencil on your laptop when you close it.
• Don't use your laptop near water.
• Don't leave your laptop in your car or store in very warm (above 95° F) or cold (below 45° F) places.
• Don't place your laptop closer than five inches from any electrical appliance that generates a strong magnetic field. (TVs and refrigerators)

On their 'DO' list:

• Condition your laptop battery, meaning charge and drain your battery a few times when you first get it.
  
• Replace the plastic cover when you exchange drives.
• Use a soft cotton cloth, such as a handkerchief, moistened with non-alkaline detergent to clean your computer. The Campus Computer Store recommends and sells Kensington's "Screen Guardian" cleaner for this purpose. Do not spray any liquid directly on the screen.
• Use a carrying case that provides good protection for your laptop, such as the backpack you received with it.
  
• Register your laptop with the manufacturer to receive upgrade notices.
• Keep pens, pencils and paper clips out of your backpack if your laptop is in it. Or, consider getting a protective neoprene sleeve for your laptop.
• Warranties and Guarantees typically won't cover things like spilling liquid on your laptop. You can add third party accident/theft insurance from a company like Safeware. If you do spill liquid on it, here's a smart how-to for cleaning up a laptop after a spill.
  
• Do not place your laptop on a pillow or other soft material when it's on, because this may block the airflow vents on the bottom of the laptop and cause the computer to overheat.
• When using your laptop or charging the battery, it is normal for the bottom of the case to get warm. For extended use, place the computer on a hard flat surface. The bottom of the laptop case acts as a cooling surface that transfers heat.