Baby, It’s Cold Outside!

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Thoughts from Sandye Linnetz, Systems Goddess, Process Prodigy

It’s wintertime and, unless you’re in 80 degree Florida today, you’re probably wearing gloves and a scarf. I’m in Southern California and even here it’s COLD. I’m wearing a hooded fleece vest over a long-sleeved turtleneck sweater! Baby, it’s cold outside and none too warm inside, either. This blog, however, is not about the care and feeding of us, it’

s about taking care of our computers when winter comes. So here come some handy hints and little know facts about computers and the cold.

WHEN THE TEMPERATURE DROPS:

1. According to graduate computer experts at Winona State University in Minnesota (where they KNOW about cold weather): It can be cold enough outside to crack the LCD panel in your laptop. Remember that LCD stands for “Liquid Crystal Display”

and when liquid freezes it expands (think about that time that you put that can of soda in the freezer and forgot about it). Same potential problem on a much more expensive level.

2. From a response to a question on computing.net (a tech support website) I learned that the big problem is not the cold weather and low temperatures, but the condensation caused when temperatures take a big drop (say 40F – 50F during the day drops below freezing). If it’s warm enough for you it’s probably okay for your computer, too. Just remember that we humans are generally less sensitive than our computers. If the problem is the condensation you’

ll probably need a dehumidifier.

3. From the California Energy Commission comes the Consumer Energy Center Newsletter and we learn about setting all of our office equipment to their energy saving settings, e.g. sleep mode on your computer screen. FYI: In the case of weather related power outage problems, set your computers to “power down”

when they are not being used. Looking to save energy? Laptop computers use 90% less energy that desktop models and ink jet printers use 90% less than laser printers.

4. Compliments of webmastersworld.com and it’s visitors, I read that the worst thing you can do is to open up a freezing cold computer in a warm/ humid environment because that's when the condensation and it’s ensuing problems may occur. Apparently, the colder the computer… the better it will run. And it is the condensation – not the cold –

that causes the problems.

5. You may think that your wireless connection is worse in the cold weather, but consider that it may not be the airport or the connection, but, rather the electric heaters and/or other things you’

ve plugged in to stay warm and cozy which are creating interference.

6. As a general rule of thumb, allow your computer to warm up or cool down before subjecting it to any extreme temperature changes. Keep your laptop stored or wrapped up or in a computer case when not in use.

7. On really, really cold days, consider a warm and cozy fireplace as your screensaver. And always wear a hat because, Baby It’

s Cold Outside!© 2007 Beth Schneider, Process Prodigy, Inc. Want to reprint this article? Feel free as long as you include the following: Beth Schneider, President of Process Prodigy Inc., www.processprodigy.com, along with her team of highly sought after operations consultants, reveals the insider secrets billion-dollar corporations pay thousands of dollars for. Specializing in process creation, the Process Prodigy tools and techniques have helped entrepreneurs increase productivity by as much as 600%, and revenues by as much as 250%. Visit www.processprodigy.com and sign up to receive the Process Prodigy Ezine, "Your Tips" and the FREE Report “How to Save Yourself Time Energy and Money”.

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