My laptop’s name is Fin. No, that is not derived from “Finn” from Glee; rather it is derived from the word “fin”, meaning “end” in French, which is the name of a song by Anberlin, one of my favourite bands. (The song’s title is actually *fin.) Fin is a male name.

I got my laptop in April 2009, and I sort of bought it on a whim. Yes, I did actually think about the model and everything, but I didn’t have a good think. My old computer sucked, so Fin eventually became a replacement.

I’m writing this little article to give you all an insight into my thoughts on laptops in general – look, size, cleaning it, and so on. I’m not a professional nor do I claim to be, but I hope that people will be able to learn from my personal experiences.

Don’t buy a laptop to replace your desktop! Just don’t. It didn’t turn out to be a good idea for me. Laptops don’t last as long for many reasons, and you’re better off getting something solid. If you’re going to take your laptop around a lot, then you definitely shouldn’t use it to replace your desktop. I had a lovely discussion with Haley about laptops/desktop computers – she’s very knowledgeable, I tell you. Laptops were designed to be portable. I personally realise that I am more comfortable at a desktop adjusted to my height and my chair’s height, sadly.

My laptop is a Toshiba Satellite A300 (sadly the model is discontinued now). The surface and design is shiny, not matte. I don’t suggest getting a shiny laptop. Fingerprints appear on the surface very easily, and it is more easily scratched. It looks excellent and Fin still looks like a really tough machine, but he’s got many scratches on the lid which I cannot repair.

That said, try to invest in a laptop skin or some kind of clear skin to put on the lid of your laptop. I carried my laptop in a bag but the lining/padding was obviously not enough, resulting in the scratches on the lid from other stuff I had in my bag. If you do get a bag, get a special one for laptops or one with lots of padding.

Don’t put anything else, especially sharp or hard, in the same compartment as the laptop if you carry it around. I once put a couple of stapled sheets in, and when I got home, the staple had pressed against the lid of my laptop and left scratches.

If you’re using the power, avoid using the battery. It can wear the battery out and if you’re plugged in, there is no need to use the battery.

I accidentally put my laptop in my bag without realising it was still on. After this, it overheated so badly that the battery was fried. It used to last an hour, and now it barely lasts ten minutes. If you continue using your battery, it will obviously wear out. Only use it if you have to, and it’ll last longer. And of course, make sure your laptop is off before you pack it away.

It is also not a good idea to use your laptop on a surface other than a desk, especially your lap or your bed. This makes it overheat quickly. It’s best to keep it on a surface such as a desk. I raise mine on a few cassette tape boxes at the corners to allow the heat to escape. Thank you to James for this tip!

Don’t abuse the settings. High performance is good, but if you are in a bright room you may not need to have your laptop’s brightness so high. It might also be nice that your laptop can turn off after a certain amount of time but if you actually know you’ll be out of the room for a while, just put your laptop to sleep or turn it off. It can be tempting to leave your email open or something, but there’s no point if you’re not going to be at the laptop.

Use an anti-virus program! I cannot stress how important this is. I recommend Avast. It is free! It updates automatically and alerts you with sound even when you visit an infected website. This is so important. I had no anti-virus program on my old desktop computer – I knew next to nothing about it. The computer got infected with hundreds of viruses and was never the same; it now freezes after I open a few programs, it restarts on its own, and so on. Especially with increased use of the internet, you will need it. A laptop will surely crash more easily and is more fragile.

Clean your laptop regularly. Make it a habit. Try not to eat near your computer to keep it clean and to save any food from dropping in the gaps between your keys. Chocolate might seem harmless, but not when it melts between the keys. Ouch.

I have used other people’s laptops and I’m sorry to say that what disgusts me most is that their keys are dirty and greasy. Just make sure you clean your laptop keys often. Use a toothbrush. For a deeper clean you can use a vacuum, and use mesh or an old pantyhose (or similar material) to cover the keys so you don’t end up possibly sucking up the keys. Thanks Michelle for this tip!

You can take out your laptop keys but I don’t recommend it. Normally you would pry them out with a screwdriver or similar tool, but it can be difficult to replace the keys on a laptop. I screwed up my spacebar doing so and it can be hard to fit everything back in, what with all the brackets and braces. You can use a can of compressed air to “blow” in between the keys and get out any dust. I use a toothpick to carefully pick for dust under the keys. Some people use empty aerosol cans or deodorant cans, but of course you do need to make sure these are empty.

Before cleaning your laptop make sure it is completely turned off.

You can wipe the screen clean with a tissue or use a duster. You can add just a small drop of water to help grab the dust. If you clean your computer weekly, you don’t have to give it such a deep clean after long periods of time. Make sure that if you choose to vacuum, be sure to vacuum the air vents. You can also use a toothbrush. Excess dust can result in the laptop not being able to be cooled properly.

I try to clean my laptop every week, and I make sure my hands are clean before using it. I wipe down the keyboard and lid as well, and the screen.

That’s really all I have to share about this. Again, I am not a professional but these are just some thoughts and ideas from experience.