Q&A: Quiller and Answers
Today is a beautiful day to be alive! I've got a new column name and a new week, so let's get straight to the questions...
Dear Quiller, after a few hours of use, the mouse on my laptop stops working. Everything else seems fine, but the only way I can get the mouse to work again is to turn off the computer for several hours and then turn it back on.
- Nicole Green
First, let me extend my warm congratulations for being the first official question to Q&A. As a reward, you get an expired buy-one-get-one coupon to Taco Bell. Congratulations! As for your notebook, the most likely cause is overheating. Like all electronics, your notebook runs on some sort of battery. After several hours of work, you might notice the top of the keyboard getting slightly warm. While notebooks are designed to absorb as much heat as possible, they can't absorb it all. The best solution is either provide some extra airflow, either by buying a laptop cooler online or by putting a couple pencils underneath it to all the air to flow freely.
While we're on the topic of notebooks, let's talk about how to keep them in tip-top shape as long as we can. First and foremost, battery life—if you're like most students, your notebook spends most of its time plugged in and on a desk. Due to the nature of rechargeable batteries, most notebook batteries will last significantly longer if they aren't being constantly re-charged. My suggestion: If the notebook is going to be plugged in for more than 15 minutes, take out the battery and let the computer run completely on AC power. As long as your building doesn't get hit by lightning and cutting your power, everything will be for the better.
Dear Quiller, I've noticed some things different with my computer recently. What's going on?
- Fictional student
Alright, you got me, it's not a real question, but somebody out there might be wondering the same thing. (Note: If you use an Apple, you can pretty much skip the rest of this column...) Microsoft recently released the second Service Pack (SP2) for Windows XP. In non-geekspeak: they changed some things in Windows. Most of you will have already automatically updated right now, but if not chances are you've seen the new features on the computer lab machines around campus.
The most obvious addition is Internet Explorer's new pop-up blocker. If you read my first column, you might remember the usefulness of such a feature. If you didn't, suffice it to say that most of those nasty pop-up and pop-under advertisement windows should be either gone completely or, if not, severely reduced.
While the pop-up blocker might be the most noticeable to you, by far the most important changes came behind the scenes. Microsoft has bumped up security and protection for Windows, which means the likelihood of getting a virus or being bombarded with spyware should start decreasing. There's also a new Security Center and much improved firewall, among other features.
Alright, so who cares? I can write about all these little changes all I want, but in reality most of you don't give a squat about anything besides what makes your life—or at least using your computer—easier. Worry not, there's good news, and it comes in the form of the improved wireless support. For those above who use a notebook or laptop computer, the new features from SP2 should make using your wireless Internet connection even easier. Of course, since we're still talking about computers and technology, something is still bound to go awry. That's why you have your resident computer geek, though, now isn't it?