Laptop Tips that Will Keep Your Mobile Office Running Smoothly

Whether your portable computer is new or a few years old, following a few tried and true laptop-tips can help it last for years. Having a laptop is more convenient for most active people than being tied to a desk with an unportable computer. Students, novelists, salespeople and entrepreneurs rely on their laptops to do their work or homework, stay in touch with friends, write memos and analyze spreadsheets. A good laptop can be as powerful as you need it to be. And that’s why laptops are more expensive (sometimes much more) than a desktop PC. Just look at the flyers from office supply stores and electronic retailers to compare the pricing. Because a laptop is expensive to replace, it’s important that you know how to take care of it. It’s an investment that can pay for itself many times over. Your laptop takes a lot of gentle abuse that you might not think about. Keep in mind that if you have a laptop, you’re likely taking it with you on plane rides, to a coffeehouse, and on overnight trips and vacations. And chances are, you’re plugging in devices and switching media (disks and thumb drives) more often than you’d do on a desktop. All the more reason to know how to take care of your trusty working companion. Here are some tips to help you do that. They’re not just advice about not spilling hot coffee or chips and guacamole on your keyboard, or not tossing your laptop across the room to a friend—many are suggestions that most of us wouldn’t even think about. Following these simple tips can keep your laptop running and working for years to come and prevent you from having to spend $1,000 for a replacement.