How to use laptop in hot weather

March 20, 2013 11:43 AM | Skymet Weather Team

It’s a lazy day and you’ve bunked work.. so you are out of bed late and went straight to the balcony with a cup of coffee with your laptop in hand. But don’t forget, despite the lovely scenery or nice view outside, your laptop might not be able to last long out there. And if you couldn't stand the heat, just imagine how your laptop must have felt. Did you ever wonder about your laptop safety in warm weather? Well, here are a few tips you must consider while working in the sun and humidity and storing your laptop inside warm cars..

1) Safe temperature for your lappi- Most laptops are good to go in temperatures of 10°C to 35°C. Anything warmer than this is inviting trouble. Laptop batteries are notoriously non-heat-friendly and can make your battery life suffer, making the components of your delicate hard drive expand, sometimes even causing a hard drive failure.

2) Let it adjust- Don't walk and work with your laptop open. If you are moving from an A/C room to sweltering heat, or simply from outside to indoors, shut the laptop down. Let it adjust to the new a temperature before starting it up again. Condensation can build up inside your machine which can spoil your expensive laptop.

3) Keep it safe in a hot car- Treat your machine like a baby and don't ever leave it in a warm car on a scorching summer day or it could damage the machine terribly. If ever, make sure your car is under a shade or your laptop is in its laptop bag, properly covered and protected from the heat. Direct sunlight or sun exposure can damage the screen of the laptop. Either way, it's better to be safe (and cool!) than sorry. But if you have to work in direct sun, attach an anti-glare screen cover.

4) Beware of high humidity- Be weather wise and check the weather reports for humidity. Anything above 80 percent should make you cautious, although your device may have its own humidity specifications. Really humid weather can escalate that condensation effect, shorting out your circuits. But even if it doesn't do damage, excess moisture in and around your machine can trigger the built-in water damage sensor, sometimes voiding your warranty.

5) Use a heat-dissipating laptop stand- You know how warm your laptop can get in your lap on the sofa, so be careful of where you set it outdoors. At the very least, use a laptop pad or stand. We suggest you grab a self-cooling stand, like the ones from Belkin. These are easily available at stores for just about Rs. 1100.

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