Are laptops designed to break?

ZH/Franky · Post by **ZH/Franky** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 1:18 am

In the same fashion as my Wii (mentioned in this thread), my brother's laptop kept randomly turning off today. Not because the fan was not working, but because of this:

The fan blows air out the bottom of the laptop.
Just think, how would you place your laptop while working on it? On a table surface?

It's as if laptops are designed to stand on their own air outtake. Well, this one is certainly designed to overheat.

I'll just put a few block around each corner, so that air can escape whenever I have it on a table. And when I'm sitting with it on my lap, I'll just have my knees more to the right, so they aren't blocking the place where air escapes. I'll also advise my brother to do so whenever he's using it.
But seriously, if other laptops are designed like this, that's really, really bad.

I.S.T. · Post by **I.S.T.** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 1:33 am

It depends on the laptop. I've heard of people using laptops made in 1993 in 2003!

Some are shit, some are not. Due to the non-upgradeable nature of laptops, it's best to do massive research before you buy one.

ZH/Franky · Post by **ZH/Franky** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 1:37 am

Well, laptops are getting thinner, so you wouldn't be able to put the fan hole on the side or at the back. I think they should make the base thinker, so that a cooling fan can blow air out the back of the laptop.

I'd much rather have a laptop that looks pig-ugly, than a laptop that isn't very well designed and could break because of how it's designed.

corronchilejano · Post by **corronchilejano** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 2:00 am

Fans now come on the bottom and with a small exit to the back, so that the fan works even if it's sitting on a surface.

casualsax3 · Post by **casualsax3** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 2:50 am

On thinkpads the entry is on the left side of the laptop toward the back, and it exits at the back. Well designed piece of machinery.

Rashidi · Post by **Rashidi** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 4:39 am

that laptop should add something flip-able on the bottom, just like those on ancient keyboard

Post by **odditude** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 5:11 am

That vent is an intake for the fan. The outlet vent is likely on the side or back.

And yes, that's standard on 99% of laptops.

kevman · Post by **kevman** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 5:50 am

The newer ones don't really need the fans much when on battery. You have to be gaming on battery on mine to get the fan to come on at all.

What I do when I have it on my lap is favor the leftside with my legs, which leaves enough on the right for the air to get through the fan.

If you have one of the PIV/Athlon XP laptops with multiple fans, get a laptop pad.

declan · Post by **declan** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 7:19 am

Franky wrote:Are laptops designed to break?

Me, i think laptops are a great idea for computing on the go.
But i would never recomend, someone setting up a laptop, as their main computer.... It's just something about them i don't trust

paulguy · Post by **paulguy** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 12:39 pm

Like most computers, they're generally OK as long as you spend a bit on them. if you get a $300 computer or $500 laptop, you're going to get crap that'll break real quick, excepting the Asus eee but it's not like they're trying to cut corners there, it's supposed to be a low power laptop. Don't get the most expensive computers, though, as they'll be a ripoff and gaming laptops are just as bad as the poorly designed crappy ones. And gaming desktops you're much better off assembling yourself. Alienware/Dell XPS is very pricey.

ZH/Franky · Post by **ZH/Franky** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 5:37 pm

And gaming desktops you're much better off assembling yourself. Alienware/Dell XPS is very pricey.

I've heard very good things about Wired2Fire.

They don't make it all fancy and put unwanted software on your drive, that ultimately slows it down. They just assemble the PC, and install the OS. They install all the drivers, and fine tune the PC to make the most out of it (the best bios settings, etc) (most OEM's don't do this, hence they are slower because they are badly set up). There's even the option to have components overclocked.

They do all the legwork for you. And the labour is very cheap, or so I hear.

corronchilejano · Post by **corronchilejano** » Tue Apr 08, 2008 5:43 pm

HP actually charges you to not include shit in the laptop.

adventure_of_link · Post by **adventure_of_link** » Fri Apr 11, 2008 5:48 pm

and as far as the shit goes (when it comes to software) you can just reinstall windows, the drivers, and included windows updates.

that said, personally I use an aluminum laptop pad with two fans under it.