In this part...
I
t’s sometimes easy to think of a computer as only elec-
tronics: chips and circuits and wires. In fact, though,
moving and spinning mechanisms do much of the real
work — or at least the functions.I explain how hard drives, floppy disk drives (in the midst
of their disappearing act), CD/DVDs, keyboards, mice, and
trackballs work... and how to deal with their inevitable
failure. That’s right. It’s only a matter of time before mechan-
ical devices grind to a halt; with luck that comes shortly
after you’ve moved on to a new laptop. If not, see how
some of these parts can be replaced and others worked
around with external fixes. (I also squeeze in LCDs, which
are an interesting electromechanical hybrid.)12_589598 pt03.qxd 9/29/05 2:49 PM Page 112