Smartphones and tablets are great for their size and tech power, but there is still no better way to punch out a long email at break neck speed, or finish that chapter of your novel in your local coffee shop than on a good old laptop. Easy enough to slip into a backpack or carry bag, and with a full size keyboard, and enough power to launch a small rocket nowadays, it is definitely my weapon of choice. Sadly with the amount of words I type, my machine does take a solid beating, so here are a few tips to ensure your laptop survives 2014.
Protect Your Gear
There are many ways to look after your gear. The first step is to find a decent cover which will house your laptop. Not only will it save it from dust when not in use, but when travelling it will give it some extra protection against any knocks it may take.
Even though it is called a laptop, try and use it rested on a solid surface which does not radiate heat such as a desk, as when keeping the device on your lap, it can generate unnecessary heat and fry your hardware. Never leave the device on your couch, bed or carpet floor, as this may also cause too much heat for your gear to handle.
Also ensure you insure your device, sadly technology can fail for no apparent reason, and you certainly do not want to be left without a device due to hardware failure. Hard drives fail, memory fries, motherboards and graphics card can overheat. There are quite a few components in a laptop, meaning multiple things that can go wrong.
Save Your Battery
Another part of a laptop that most users have grievances with is their battery. To ensure you make the most of your batteries life, ensure you turn off any unnecessary features such as Bluetooth or wireless when you are out of range of a connectable Wi-Fi network. Ensure that when your battery is fully charged, you unplug it, as it will help save the batteries life in the long run.
Keeping a battery on charge constantly means you will not run out of power any time soon, but it also means wear and tear on the battery. Dell, HP, Sony and Toshiba have all had recalls of their devices or batteries in the past due to overheating and batteries frying in the past, so sadly it is something that every company struggles with.
Protect Your Software and Work
To deal with malware removal, ensure you download up-to-date antivirus to protect yourself from Trojans and spyware, as these can both cause a slow and timely death to your gear. There is nothing worse than getting a virus which makes your laptop ineffective as a piece of technology. Not only can viruses slow your laptop down, they can also wipe your data.
The last tip is more about the software and work you create on your beloved laptop, so ensure you sync to the cloud. In the case of your laptop meeting an untimely demise, at least you know you will be able to get all your information back with the click of a button. Save important documents to Google Drive, and sync any photos you may have to Dropbox. It will be soul destroying when you spill that cup of water and fry your hard drive, losing everything.
The basic message is to ensure you look after something you own and hold precious to yourself. Yes it is a piece of technology, but with something so slim and sleek, it can offer access to the information super highway at the click of a button.
