I realise that laptops have been around a long long time, but I still think that referring to laptops as laptops rather than mobile computers is a mistake. You see we refer to desktop computers as well, desktop computers, to me it makes sense and here is why.
Essentially, laptops are not designed for your lap, they are portable computers to be used at a desk.
Recently I’ve had a number of laptop users having hardware issues ranging from overheating, crashed hard discs, knackered batteries, broken screens and damaged power sockets and power leads.
The worst place to use a laptop is on your lap. Every time you move you risk tugging the jack socket when plugged into the mains or bouncing the heads on the hard disc when you jolt the laptop. Some have protection against this, but moving a laptop whilst it is turned on can subject the HDD to gyroscopic forces across the axises of the drive. I never recommend moving a laptop whilst it is turned on.
Next is overheating. There is evidence around of people suffering quite serious burns or reactions to the heat generated by a charging laptop. When the heat becomes uncomfortable many people will grab a cushion or pillow to insulate themselves from the heat. The problem with this is that a cushion or pillow is an insulator and will cause the laptop to get hotter and hotter especially if the side vents are covered by said cushion or pillow. If the fans are running full speed on a laptop, then the vents may well be blocked by fluff or a physical barrier such as clothes or cushions. Do not place a laptop onto a cushion or your bed to use it, move to a table and allow the air to circulate around the base of the laptop. Heat will also damage the battery and shorten its life.
Now I know not everyone is an Apple fan, but one of the best design features on their laptop range is the Magsafe power adapter, the slightest tug on it and the magnetic power connector disconnects from the laptop charging port, unlike non Apple laptops where a tug on the power lead can result in broken leads or at worst a dislodged or broken power socket on the motherboard of the laptop. Again this is another reason why a laptop should not be used on your lap especially when charging..
Batteries are another issue, you should charge and discharge a laptop battery, not leave it plugged in permanently. Never attempt to charge a battery that is already at 100% charged even if your device has charge protection. You see the systems needs to apply a charge before the circuitry knows it is full, this process can cause over charging. This applies to most modern devices. Also never fully discharge and recharge a lithium ion battery regularly. It should only be necessary to do a deep cycle to re-calibrate a battery every 30 or 40 charges. I recommend letting a battery discharge by at least 60% to 70% before attempting to recharge. This allows the circuitry to work correctly. If you want to have your laptop permanently attached to the mains, you may be able to remove the battery. This will prevent potential overcharging and overheating the battery. Remember though, if you have a power failure you will not be protected.
Sadly a friends son had the feared HDD clicking noise and it finally died. When I told him he had lost everything on the computer he was lost for words. He kept asking have I lost my music, have I lost my photos. Of course the response is yes, if the HDD fails you will loose everything on your computer. Unfortunately he had not even created the manufacturers recovery discs. I will have to talk to the manufacturer to find out if they will sell him a set of recovery discs. This was a hard lesson to learn, especially where photos are concerned as they a irreplaceable. Music can be downloaded again (Assuming you own the original of course.).
I’m afraid that I blame the manufacturers and retailers for not explaining the importance of creating recovery discs. It should be the first thing you do when you start you laptop for the first time. This can also apply to desktop computers where the manufacturer has not included any recovery discs in your package. Buy some DVD’s (You normally need 2 or 3) and following the instructions to create your restore discs then at least you can restore the computers operating system should you suffer a hardware failure. Manufactures should continually bug you to create these discs until it is done.
