Portable PCs
Portable PCs, including laptops, notebooks, and palmtops, have many of the same pre-
ventive maintenance requirements as a full-sized PC. Most of the peripheral devices,
such as the hard disk, floppy disk, CD-ROM, keyboard, mouse, and ports, use the same
cleaningandmaintenanceactivities.Thecomponentsthathavespecialcarerequirements
are batteries, the video display, and case.Batteries
The batteries used in portable PCs do not last the life of the PC. They are expendable and
eventually lose their ability to be recharged. Today’s PC batteries are far better than those
used only a few years ago, but they still need to be replaced at some point. Many portable
PC users do not understand this.
The most popular battery type is the nickel metal-hydride (NiMH) battery. This bat-
tery can be recharged around 600 times before it will begin having recharge problems,
which means it will last about a year. The best way to get the most out of a battery is to
discharge it completely before you recharge it.
The newest form of battery for portable PCs is the Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) battery that
has a life of about 1200 charges. However, because of its cost, this battery is found only on
the most expensive systems.
The best preventive maintenance for portable PC batteries is another battery, but here
are some tips on how to get the most out your portable PC battery: Use a port replicator or the AC power adapter whenever possible.
The biggest drains on the battery are the disk drives. Avoid disk access
whenever possible.
If your portable PC includes built-in power-saving features or software, use it.
The power-saving features include such things as slowing the processor speed,
suspending the hard disk when idle, and others. When you don’t need the
speed, conserve the power.
If the portable PC is designed for the Green Star energy standard, it reduces its
power consumption as much as 99 percent when it goes into Sleep or Suspend
modes, which simulate a shutdown of the PC. The downside to suspending the
PC is the time it takes the PC to reawaken when you are ready to work again.LCD Display
Just like with a standard PC monitor, you should not use harsh cleaners on an LCD dis-
play. LCD displays can be scratched very easily and you should not use anything more
harsh than a general window cleaner (without ammonia) on a soft, lint-free cloth (such as
an old T-shirt). Even better is the Scotch-Brite HPEC cloth I obviously favor.Chapter 22: PC Care and Maintenance^595