Notebooks – In bed with Teenagers!

Notebooks are a mobile device and are used in all sorts of places. A common place for teenagers is in their “private” space – normally their bedroom and often on their beds. This allows them to ‘chat’ with their friends while they are doing their homework.

There is the constant danger of them going onto unsavoury sites, bullying, etc. which is whole other topic on it’s own. However, I want to concentrate on something less sinister, but something that can kill the notebook and risk the loss of all of the photos, music and assignments your teenager has stored up!

This little deadly is called dust - that’s right dust. Every house has it, we all see it, but we all ignore it!

A notebook cools itself by sucking in air – and therefore anything else (like dust, hair, etc) that is in the air. Just like a lint filter in a dryer, these air extremities get caught up and build up and will eventually block all air flow. When this happens the notebook keeps sucking but it can’t get cool, so it keeps getting hotter and hotter until it turns itself off.

If that happens often enough then it will destroy the components inside the notebook and possibly the hard drive itself, and if that happens, you want to make sure you have a good back up of everything!

The biggest cause we see, is teenagers using the notebook in an unventilated areas, e.g. on their bed, couch or even on their laps for extended periods. As the vents for the notebook are underneath the vents get blocked very easily and can only suck in whatever it is sitting on, bedding, cushions and clothing.

Make sure the notebook is sitting on a smooth surface where there is airflow underneath, and if it starts getting real hot or shutting down by itself, then get it to an authorised repairer before it’s too late!