Chapter 2
Chapter 2: How to Treat a Laptop ..................................................................................
In This Chapter
Doing the right thing for your laptop’s health
Avoiding electrostatic shock
Performing acts of kindness, care, and organization
A
laptop computer is a bit like a baby: a very highly evolved, extremely
intelligent, and almost infinitely capable infant, but a baby nevertheless.Though it has all, or nearly all, of the same parts as an adult.. .err, full-
size PC, it’s smaller.Its internal parts are very tightly packed together.
Some of its components are made of materials much lighter and more
delicate than those intended for PCs.The entire machine is encased within a plastic or other engineered
material.
It is small and portable, and though unlikely to wander off, it can be kid-
napped or misplaced.And so, like a baby, your laptop needs a bit of extra care and attention. I don’t
want to mislead you: Computer engineers have done a tremendous job of
protecting your investment and data. Modern laptops include very durable
cases, cushioned hard drives, and other security and defensive features.Don’t Try This at Home — or on the Road .................................................
Start out by considering some things you should notdo to your laptop. Most
of these are mere common sense, but everyone needs to be reminded from
time to time that a laptop isn’t immune to the laws of physics. They’re pretty
tough, but they still can be damaged by water, cracked by a fall, or erased by
a strong magnetic field.