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Creative Intelligence @ Your Service |
Site Map +1 214 234 9283 | Send Email |
We're in the thick of summer and many of us are either traveling or planning to travel. And we may take a laptop computer with us. So this month's announcement theme is tips for laptop owners, although the advisories apply to other cases too.
Have questions about any of the ideas presented in this newsletter? Please don't hesitate to call or email to chat about them.
If a brand-new computer fails, how long is the turn-around time before the unit comes back repaired? Many of us have multiple computers on-site, so if one fails waiting a week or so for a repair job. But what if we are traveling with a laptop, work depends on that one computer, and it fails out of town? What then?
Most companies offer quick turn-around and loaner services for laptop computers. But those are extended warranty services not included in the base computer purchase price! And they are expensive: “no quibble” replacement warranties with one or two day service cost $300-400 extra. But that might be small potatoes compared with the cost of business interruption. So carefully evaluate warranty options especially when purchasing a laptop computer.
Unfortunately laptops generally require more repairs then desktop computers. There are several reasons, and primary is almost no component can be replaced without a technician: spill coffee in the keyboard? Crack the mouse? Break the monitor? Can't just walk into StuffMart,* buy a new one, and replace the part!
Here are some tips at reducing the amount of wear on our laptop computers:
Use an external USB mouse and keyboard: This lowers wear and tear on the laptop's input devices.
Connect all USB devices via a powered hub: One cable connects and disconnects these peripherals when leaving the office. For frequent use, consider a dedicated docking station.
Use the laptop as a network hard drive: share out the documents folder of the laptop's hard drive and access it via a desktop over the network. No transfer of files when traveling and one computer can fail without interrupting business.
The last option sounds expensive. But if the extended warranty services one needs for business insurance cost $300-400, that can cover most of the additional expense.
*StuffMart is a parody term introduced by Big Idea, Inc. in the VeggieTales® video “Madame Blueberry.”
Flat-panel monitors 19” and larger allowing more information on the screen at once are now available. Here's a more cost effective, higher productivity solution: buy two 17” monitors and a second video card for dual displays!
The advantage is one display can be used to keep a primary tool, such as a calendar or email, visible while copying and pasting to another document. Seeing source and destination at once is a boon to accuracy and speed. Plus multi-tasking, such as finding a phone number and taking notes, becomes simpler.
Have a laptop computer? Most of them support a second, independent display on the external monitor connector. One display can be speaker's notes and the other a presentation. In that case, there is no need to install a second video card: just connect the second monitor, adjust the display properties for two, and go! We're doing this ourselves now and love it:
With evening temperatures in the low 90s, it's difficult to get people outside doing things. But here's an activity for kids and adults that, while challenging to pull off, can be great fun: a wireless treasure hunt!
Almost everyone has a cell phone with text message to email capability. The idea is to send people on a driving or walking scavenger hunt with clues for where to go next delivered via text messages. So the first clue asks the party to travel to a location and report back something, like a house number or mail box color, to the host's email. The host then sends the next clue. Here is an example transcript:
Clue given: “Address of Fire Station at Lookout and Custer”
Party text messages back: “2519”
Clue given: “Color of mail box, 2525 Custer”
Party replies: “blue”
Some words of warning up front: the host's job is critical and stressful. It's hard to keep track of several different conversations at one time. Here are tips to make this job easier:
Keep answers simple: a number or single word reply.
Alternate answer types, like word, number, word, number. Or the reverse as in our example.
Write out a table that given an answer supplies the next clue.
If different parties follow different paths, keep all answers and clues unique.
Give participants a phone number to call if lost.
For more information on the concept of a wireless treasure hunt and where we first heard about it, visit our WTH web site.
Just contact us with any comments, concerns, or questions about items contained in this document. Or IT issues in general. Or call us at the telephone number below.
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