No matter where I am, at a restaurant, park, airport or wherever there seems to occasionally be a person using a laptop.  And there are times when this person using a laptop feels the need to move, change to a more comfortable tree, or a better table closer to the window.

They get up and pick up their open laptop and carry it one handed above their head… still running… and yes again, still open.  It’s like waiting for the fall, either they will trip over someone or something, or their grip will loosen on their computer and crash… we see how well their computer is or isn’t put together!

Unfortunately this is just one of the many dangerous laptop behaviors I see people do..  Here’s a list of the others..

Leaving a laptop unattended:   So you’ve got your laptop and you’re having a snack, a drink, and things are going great.  You decide that you might want something else, so you get up and leave your laptop on the table to save your place.  You’re only gone for a minute or two and come back to find;

1. Someone is sitting at your table cruising the Internet or your files on your laptop
2. Someone is sitting at your table and your laptop is nowhere to be seen
3. Your table is empty and your laptop is sitting on the floor with some pieces missing or the screen cracked

Don’t leave your laptop unattended, even for a few minutes, it’s just inviting some kind of disaster.

Laptops left in your car in plain site:  You’re in a hurry, you are running to the store after work and you don’t think about your laptop, or laptop bag sitting in your car.  You lock the car, dash into the store to get a gallon of milk or that box of wine.  You come back and get in your car to find a window smashed in, and your laptop gone.

Using a Laptop on a bed or couch:  Some people like to use their laptops in bed, laying them on the covers. Or on a couch, or some other fabric laden piece of furniture, or even (gasp) their lap.  Modern Laptops get hot, quickly.  Putting a laptop on a surface that doesn’t allow for adequate ventilation is just going to shorten the life of the computer, or in some rare cases start a fire.  Not to mention heating up your lap…  It’s just bad form to use a laptop where it can’t breathe.

Leaving a laptop out where your large dog can eat it:  No joke.  I know someone who left their laptop out and their large breed puppy got a hold of it and tore off a good number of the keys and I’m sure soaked the inside of it with slober. 

In summary; Laptops are great!  They are convenient and with the right network access you can work virtually anywhere.  But remember that your laptop and most importantly the information on your laptop is valuable.  Make sure you don’t do the things I’ve written about in this post, and if you’re using your laptop in a lot of public places, or habitually leave it in your car, get a laptop leash, they are cheap!  And put a start-up password on it at least if it is ripped off, no one can get to the data or even use it if they don’t have the password.