Mini laptop computers have greatly evolved since the beginning of their production. They have become thinner, powerful and much more functional than they were 10 years or so ago. However, the problems that their predecessors had remain the same and they are those:
1. Broken laptop screen. The screen is the biggest, most sensitive and exposed laptop hardware part. No wonder why you find lots of offers in the internet (Ebay) to buy used and new laptop screens. Where there is demand, offer comes in running. The screen is not as firm as the lid and they do crack and brake, especially if your house is full of enfant terrible running children and pets. The problem can be partially avoided if laptops were placed in the middle of a steady table and folded, once they are not being used. I do that all the time, and though it has been 5 years already – no crack whatsoever. Hence, be sure to keep your laptop and a steady surface and close it if you are not working.
2. Broken hinges. Screen gets all the data through the wires which mainly go through the hinges area. Needless to say, if they brake, you get into big trouble. First you will have to replace broken hinges, second – you might have to deal with striped wires, third – your screen could be damaged as well. There are some laptop manufacturers who try to reduce the chances of hinges’ damage and make them stronger and thicker. This usually helps, though the possibility for damage always remains. The reasons of hinges damage are almost the same – one fall from a slippery desk and you might see your system board apart from your screen. The power or network wire lying carelessly on the ground can be easily caught, and if the wire is firmly attached to the computer – you might say hello to your computer repair shop.
3. The third problem usually corresponds to the second in a breaking down manner. The broken DC jack socket is the usual outcome of a wire catch. If your wire is straight and not folded near the jack socket – it might just be unplugged without any further damage. However, if you happen to quickly drag the whole laptop, not only the jack could be cracked – your power adapter plug can also be damaged.
4. Liquid spill on your computer keyboard. There is one thing when you spill some coffee on your separate keyboard attached to a desktop. It’s more dangerous though when you do it on your laptop keyboard. The liquid can reach the inner system parts and corrupt the whole motherboard. To avoid it reaching the internal parts, do not tilt it, if you happen to spill your tea or coffee or whatsoever. Quickly unplug your laptop and switch off the power. You can try to take out the laptop keyboard and examine it more closely; it also helps to quicken the evaporation process. You can also apply some heating device to speed up the vaporization.
5. Broken or missing keys from a keyboard. It happens with time and it’s easy to fix. You can try putting the fallen key back to its place with a pair of tweezers. In case there is some gluing to it – consult some professional or watch a Youtube how to video – there is plenty of info there.
I might have missed something in my shallow, so to speak, overview, but those are just the most frequent laptop hardware problems. I didn't even touched the software issues, which are even more complicated. Read more about tech issues on informertech.com.
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