Gnomie Mikey (mxjf in our chat room) writes:

I have been watching your videos for a long time and have been subscribed to your YouTube channel since around October. I have noticed that you and Ponzi have quite a few laptops, and I thought this would be appropriate.

Around February 2008, I decided I wanted a laptop. So I started looking on eBay and other places. Then, my dad told me that my cousin had a used laptop he would be willing to sell to me. Later, I talked to my cousin and he said that he was asking $50 for it, but here was the catch: it had a cracked screen. I was pretty desperate for a laptop at that time, so I accepted his offer. When it arrived, I was happy to see that it booted up and the crack wasn’t that bad, but it was significant enough to make using it a little problematic. So here are my top five tips for using a laptop more efficiently in the event you crack your screen:

1. Resize your windows. It really helps if your screen is cracked in one section but not another. For example: if your screen has a cluster of cracks in the top portion of it, resize and drag your window to fit the bottom section. I found that it really helps the most when you are typing up a text document.

2. Change to a higher screen resolution. It can help you to get more use out of the part of your screen you still have left. Increasing your resolution will make everything smaller. Many people have their screen resolution set to 1024 by 768. If you change your screen resolution to 1280 by 1024, for example, you will be able to fit more icons in your available space on your desktop, and will be able to view more content because everything is smaller. I noticed that when I go went YouTube to look at a video, the top 3/4 of the video was chopped off. When I switched to a higher resolution, the video was a little smaller, but it was not blocked by a crack.
3. Take care of your laptop. If it has black spots around the cracks, do not push on them — it will only make them worse. Don’t move your laptop as much. If you are a person who brings their laptop to school/work every day, or bring your laptop with you almost everywhere you go, don’t shake it while you carry it. If you have a laptop bag and it is big enough, place your laptop crack-side up so the crack won’t get worse. For example: if your screen has a crack on the right side, place your laptop in your bag so that the left side of it is facing the handle/strap of the bag.
4. Use it less frequently. If you are like me, you most likely have a regular desktop computer as well as a laptop. More than likely, your desktop is more powerful, has more drive space, and is more than capable of performing the tasks you would normally do on your laptop, despite the fact that it isn’t as portable. If you need to make a PowerPoint presentation at home and need to present it to your class the next day, do it on your desktop and transfer it to a flash drive. Flash drives will fit in your pocket, and more than likely, there is a computer in your class. Plus, a laptop won’t fit in your pocket, will it?
5. Start looking for a screen. Many times someone will crack their screen, go to a site like eBay or craigslist to buy a new one, and replace it by themselves. Sometimes you will get lucky like me and find an identical model laptop to your broken one for extra cheap, with a working screen, but being stripped clean of the RAM and hard drive. Just put your hard drive and RAM from your broken laptop into the working one, and you are good to go. In some cases, the new laptop might even have a better disc drive or DVD burner. You never know.

Gnomie Eric Jones writes:

Hey, Chris, thought I’d send you another top five regarding laptops.

1. When ordering a notebook computer, make sure you get a warranty that will last for at least three (if not four) years with the accidental protection program. That way, if something tends to break or fail, or you spill your cup of Peet’s onto it, you’ll be protected by it (this especially applies to those who are in college or are planning on going into college in the next year).

2. Don’t think you’re the ultimate person in PC notebook repair. Remember, notebooks are smaller, thinner, and harder to open. If something goes wrong, call tech support! Besides, once you open up that notebook, most likely the warranty will be null and void. So don’t open it unless the warranty has expired and you can afford to be without the notebook if something goes terribly wrong.
3. This tip kind of applies to #2. Don’t blow compressed air into the exhaust fan! I have personally done this and the fan died. Now the only way to keep the notebook cool is with a chill pad. Again, call tech support on ways to get that dust out of the notebook and how to avoid dust invasions in the future!
4. Get the latest graphics card(s) and the best CPU option if you can before you purchase that new notebook! Remember, these two components are irreplaceable by the normal PC user. Memory and hard drives are upgradeable, so keep that in mind if you need more space in those two areas.
5. Unless it’s a desktop replacement computer, don’t run a ridiculous amount of programs on it! This can cause severe overheating (as high as 200 degrees F), BSODs, and possibly damaged parts.

BONUS TIP #1: Get multiple batteries if you will be traveling a lot. It’s always helpful to have a spare battery on hand if you can’t get the other one charged right away.

BONUS TIP #2: Don’t think your notebook has the best hard cover shell in the world. It doesn’t! So don’t try that drop test; 99% of the time you’ll fail. Miserably.