Larry Hechler: The Wizard of PCs/Macs

This past Thursday, November 11th, Larry Hechler, Hardware Technician Specialist in ITS, came and talked to our class about PCs and Macs. He discussed the right way to clean one's LCD screen and keyboard. Rather than using acetone, ammonia, or alcohol, a person should use a lint-free wipe and a little bit of water mixed with  laundry detergent. If a person was to use acetone, ammonia or alcohol, these chemicals would eventually eat away at the LCD screen. Additionally, he said that it's best to have clean/dry hands when using the keyboard. For example, hand lotion can ultimately remove the lettering on the keyboard. So it's best not to immediately start typing after applying lotion. Moreover, Mr. Hechler discussed the importance of not immediately charging one's laptop after every use. Hypothetically, if a person only uses his/her laptop for 20 minutes and immediately plugs it back into the charger, then the laptop battery will develop a short cycle memory. As a result, the laptop will not retain a charge because it thinks it only needs to run for 20 minutes. For this reason, Mr. Hechler suggested letting one's laptop fully run its battery to 0% and then charging it. Accordingly, I have definitely been more consciousness of my Mac's battery. On a separate note, Mr. Hechler described the importance of keeping the computer's cooling vents free of obstruction. If a computer's cooling vents are blocked, then the computer will overheat and could possibly shut down or worse go up in flames. As a result of Mr. Hechler's advice, I have definitely been more aware of my cooling vents.

Mr. Hechler's suggestions have definitely improved my knowledge of both PCs and Macs. I'm not in the market for a new laptop; nevertheless, I will need a new one by the end of my college career. Therefore, I will hold on to the notes I typed up and review them when it comes to my purchase decision.