I read that it's recommended to bring another power chord for my laptop, because they sometimes fail. I have been trying relentlessly and have been unable to find a cord for my laptop. I was wondering just how important it was to get one? What percentage of people need a new one?

Thanks again!

the new power cord is not about power surges, its more about people who wrap them up and, since most are pretty fragile, the cord breaks over time or the connection is faulty. (as a computer person, trust me it happens...) Once you are on the island you won't be able pop by the futureshop and get a new one so no comp. You can usually order a spare online from your manufacturers web site. Correct me if I am wronge but do the outlets in the classes already have surge protectors? i think somebody mentioned that here a while ago... Travis is the man in the know...

There are no surge suppressors that are really going to protect your computer.

However, covarubious is correct: The majority of adapter failures are due to putting too much stress on the cord where it comes out of the 'brick'. This typically happens when people wrap the cords up by wrapping them around the brick. Just coil it up in your hand with the brick hanging just below the coil, and put it in your bag that way.

Sometimes they do just crap out though, power surges or not. Bring a spare.

-Travis

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Is it important to bring a surge protector for ze laptop? I've never had a problem so far in my travels. I'm guessing most people don't bother.

Travis, maybe a word about our salt air, famous for killing all things electronic?

Here's a cautionary tale:
I had a nice brand new heavy duty surge protector when I arrived on the island. I went to school one day, took my laptop with me. I left the surge protector in the house I was renting, plugged in. GEBE (the power company) did some repairs that day that resulted in such a massive power surge that the surge protector caught on fire! Thanks to the vigilance of Saban neighbors who saw the smoke and quickly climbed in the window and put out the fire, the house itself did not catch fire. GEBE did offer to pay for any damages.

Another tale: 5th semester, right before block exams. My buddy sitting next to me had a laptop that was on the fritz. It was plugged in to the same surge protector as my laptop. His power supply went out with a burning smell, and mine followed. We both ended up having to order new laptops shipped to us from the U.S.

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E.

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Many people don't realize that a power strip with a rocker switch on it is not necessarily a computer-grade surge suppressor.

Good: Purpose made computer surge protectors from reliable companies such as APC, Belkin, etc. These often come with damaged equipment replacement guarantees. Now that's not to say that Gebe can't fry it, but it's designed to keep that damage from passing along to your laptop.
These, on the other hand, typically suck. (Technically speaking, they are 'total, total crap', or 'bad'.)

One of the best options that I know of for laptops are the APC 'SurgeArrest Notebook' units:
These connect inline with your normal power cord and are therefore always with you no matter where you plug in. Being an APC product, they come with a damaged equipment guarantee.

I used one of these on an off-road, cross-country motorcycle camping trip for 3 months, during which I ran my laptop off of a gas-powered generator on a daily basis, and also used the occasional po-dunk middle-of-nowhere power source. I've also used it in other places with not-so-great power conditions such as other Caribbean islands and some sketchy areas of Brazil.

They're cheap, they're good, it's a great brand, and you'll always be protected no matter where you are.

-Travis

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Saba University IT Department

I have to admit that I'm not sure how much salt air we get at 1,000+ feet above sea level, but either way, there is a lot of humidity and it can take it's toll on a computer.

Usually what corrodes first on a computer are the metal bits, like the case, mounting hardware, etc. Fortunately laptops don't have nearly as much metal in them as a desktop PC. The chassis is almost always plastic, or a less corrosion-prone alloy such as aluminum (That 'alumiluminlminum' for you Brits) or magnesium. As everyone knows, Macbook Pros are machined from a solid block of toughstuffnium, whereas all Vista laptops are made out of stamped crudnium.

But I digress.

The best conditions under which to keep and use any computer equipment is, from best to worst:

Best: An air conditioned room. While the cooling helps, the key here is the dehumidifying effect of airco.

Just as best, but less comfortable: A room with a dehumidifier in it. The key here is the dehumidifying effect of, well, dehumidifiers.

The best you can do in some cases: A room on Saba that has the windows closed after ~4PM on most days, which is when the clouds tend to get lower, and all the time during those 'foggy' low cloud days.

Not so good: A room on Saba that has the windows open all of the time. Your laptop isn't going to die during your stay here, but this is not as good of an option when compared to the above. If the doors are also open, the risk of goat-related damage is elevated.

Not good: On a dive boat (What was I thinking?), at the beach (unlikely on Saba), near salt spray (in the harbor on a rough day, or in a not-so-sealed backpack on a rough Dawn crossing... however it may serve to rinse off some of the vomit).

Worst: In the bath, sitting out in the rain, soaking in a pan of soapy water, or being in direct contact with salt water, typically after being chucked from a cliff, of which Saba has plenty. These are, however, all valid forms of troubleshooting Vista problems.


Seriously though, kept away from truly salty water, a laptop will last a long time in this environment. Just be smart about it.

-Travis

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Saba University IT Department

whatever ........