blinkangel44

So after a whola lotta help from the wonderful CC community (or I guess CCCC community... College Confidential College Computers ), I have ordered my Dell Studio 15!

Now, I need to know how to make it last all five years of college (going to Northeastern with the 5-year co-op program). I'm an Intl Affairs major (potentially) and will be using the laptop for iTunes (musc + movies), Microsoft Word, Internet, and maybe Sims 3.

I have learned a bit about laptop care from the mistakes we've made with family laptops over the years. I now know that leaving a laptop plugged in all the time is the worst thing you can do to a battery and holding a laptop by the screen portion and not the base (when it's fully opened) will indeed loosen and break the hinges.

I am just looking for any advice on how to get the most out of it. Even if something is totally "common sense," you should probably still tell me

And a few ?s:

-How do I get the most out of my battery? It's a 9 cell, just fyi. I heard somewhere that you should let the battery completely lose its charge ~once a month. I just don't want to have issues with the battery/overheating or anything.

-I know I should always use it on a hard surface, so I will make my best effort to always use it at a desk. But will a lap desk also suffice?

-Any special ways to clean the monitor?

Any and all advice is appreciated!

Chipmoney

I would open it up about once a month and use compressed hair to clean it out and keep it running cool.

spookyjeff

I think the studio series has fans on the back instead of the bottom (I have a 17 but I'm not sure if it's the same for the whole series) so you don't have to worry about using it on a hard surface.

Keeping it closed when you're not using it can be good for the hinges and it keeps dust out of the keyboard and top vents.

nysmile

Don't leave open water bottles/drinks near it. The last thing you want is to accidentally knock the drink over and spill it all over the laptop. It happens more often than you can imagine.

Basically, treat the laptop with respect. Don't slam it around and don't leave stuff piled on top of it when it's closed. Always be aware of the power cord when it's plugged in. You don't want to trip over it and knock the laptop to the floor.

You may want to make a little "cheat sheet" with the serial number, model number, customer number, specs, and technical help number. This way, if you do run into any kind of trouble, you'll have the needed information when you call tech help.

Try to only use a microfiber cloth to clean the screen.

blinkangel44

Thanks for all the advice, everyone! Keep it coming!

If I do get a lap desk, any recommendations? There's a Belkin one that I guess is designed to "cool" the laptop but I don't know if it's worth it.

DelfinoM

To keep the battery life the longest, never charge it to 100%, charge to like between 80~90% and don't let it completely discharge either(30% area is getting low). Using up full charge cycles is what kills the battery faster, and the battery will naturally lose charge slowly over time of being idle but you should try not to completely use the full charge.

OriginalUsername

That amused me.

Chipmoney

compressed air works too.