Hundreds of thousands of laptops are issued to students every year.
Spending the time, resources and money to do so is a valuable investment
into children's development in today's digital age. This article shares
common causes of damage and the best ways to prevent them from
occurring.
Protecting a laptop from damage is much more than
reducing costs and administration time. The laptop will form a core part
of a child's school life and will hold a large amount of information
and material important to them.
It is impossible to stop all
accidents from happening. However, by identifying how accidents can
occur and educating parents and children, steps can be taken to protect
these valuable assets
Look Out For Cables
One of the
common causes of a laptop being damaged is by someone tripping on a
power cable which has been left on a walkway, suspended in the air or
coiled up at their feet.
Most laptops provide between 4 and 8
hours of battery life when fully charged. This means there will be times
the laptop must be plugged in when being used.
Even when not in
use, damage can occur if the laptop is on charge. Carefully positioning
the laptop, cable and power outlet is very important in an effort to
prevent this.
Position the laptop close to the power outlet
to prevent the need to stretch the cable and cause it to hang in the air
- a very effective trip wire!
When charging a laptop, place it on a flat surface (not the floor!) and ensure the cable is tucked away neatly
When using the laptop while plugged in, try to sit close to a power
point which is above the height of the desk where possible. If this is
not possible, keep the power cable positioned as close as possible to
the wall, away from the legs of the chair and feet
Be aware of
your surroundings and take a moment to think about the best place to
plug your laptop in. If possible, change seats to a better location,
re-arrange bags or other obstacles and keep your cable safe and tidy
Too Hot To Handle
Laptops
are electrical goods with moving components and some of them move at
very fast speeds. This generates heat with even more heat generated when
the laptop is recharging.
This heat escapes through ventilation slots on the bottom of the laptop and blocking these will cause the laptop to overheat.
Always place the laptop on a flat surface when in use or when it is
being recharged - this lets the air flow through and keeps the laptop
cool
Never operate the laptop on a bed, doona or pillow - this is
a popular place to watch movies, browse the web ad network socially.
Fabrics are especially bad for laptops as they can restrict airflow
completely
Sounds ironic but try to avoid operating a laptop on
your lap. The heat generated from prolonged use can not only damage the
device but also cause harm to the user
Which Way To The Port?
Laptops
have many ways of connecting to other devices. These include USB Ports
(often more than one), network ports, video outputs for connecting to
monitors (VGA or HDMI), and memory card readers.
Damage is often
caused to a laptop by attempting to force the incorrect cable into a
port or by putting an incompatible memory card into a reader.
For
example, a USB cable will fit into a network port but is not
compatible. Trying to 'wiggle' the cable in a mistaken attempt to get
the USB device to work can lead to damage to network port. Once devices
are connected, these ports can become damaged through tugging or
knocking the cable.
Become familiar with the ports on your
laptop - you may never use the network or video ports so look them up in
the user manual and know what they are
Never pull on a cable to disconnect it from the laptop
If you are unsure if your memory card is compatible with the reader,
refer to the user manual - never 'give it a go' as it may be very
difficult to retrieve once inserted (memory cards that fit will CLICK
once engaged)
Never pack a laptop away with devices still connected; this risks the ports knocking against objects and getting damaged
Handle With Care
Hands
up who has ever opened a bag to find a drink container has opened or
something has broken - pens snapped, sunglasses cracked or an iPod
scratched...
Carrying a laptop in a bag is a great way to keep it
safe; just think of it like a carton of eggs...would you put that at
the bottom of your bag?
Many backpacks have special pockets
for laptops which are padded and separate from the rest of the bag. Use
these where possible as to prevent pressure on the laptop or items
knocking against it
Ensure the laptop cables and accessories are
stored in a separate pocket - especially as the power cable can be quite
bulky and has many sharp edges
Avoid carrying liquids with the
laptop. Perfume lids separating, drinks containers opening and even the
condensation from cold drinks may cause liquid damage if it comes into
contact with the laptop (OK, eggs don't care about getting wet,
however...)
If carrying the laptop out of a bag - carry with
extra care! Don't run with it. Always close the laptop. This will reduce
the chance of an accident and the amount of damage caused
It's What's Inside That Counts...
Subtracts
and multiplies, connects to the internet, creates documents, stores
pictures, plays movies and generally make things easier.
Within a
laptop there are complex processors, hard drives and memory chips which
make all the above happen. Most of these are hidden away and difficult
to access, but some parts need to be available for servicing and
upgrading.
It is important that only qualified and authorised
people attempt to open a laptop. Attempting to open a laptop can cause
extreme damage, invalidate the warranty and lose stored content.
Ensure
that everyone issued a laptop is aware of the consequences of
attempting to open it; whether it is an attempt to upgrade it, swap
parts or just out of curiosity
Place a non-replaceable label
across the entry point to the hard disc highlighting any attempt at
access. This label can also contain contact details for the school
should the laptop be lost (which will increase the chance of recovery)
If the security label seal is removed accidentally, the laptop
should be returned for inspection and re-labelled as soon as possible
"If You Close Me Now, You'll Probably Invalidate My Warranty"*
*Sung to the tune of Chicago's "If you leave me now"
Laptop screens are expensive things to replace - a cracked screen can be impossible to use and annoying to live with.
The most common cause of laptop screen damage is the leaving of
pens, pen lids, keys and USB drives on the keyboard when closing the
laptop
Always ensure that all objects are cleared from a laptop before closing
Never close a laptop with more effort than is required. It should never be "snapped" shut or forced
The faster you pack away a laptop, the more likely it is that
something could be left on the keypad. Take a moment to gently run your
hand across the keypad; a black pen lid may not standout and can cause a
lot of damage
Conclusion
The Laptops for Schools program
is a big investment, both for families and education organisations.
Taking steps to prevent the most common causes of damage will not only
protect the investment but will lead to a happy experience for parents
and children.
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