Laptop Rain Check

Rain or shine, today's road warrior cannot live without his trusty laptop or tablet PC. Anil Patrick gives a lowdown on how to take care of your mobile computing devices during a wet spell.

On the fateful July 26th when Mumbai's roads went under, many road warriors were forced to ditch their cars and wade through ankle to neck deep water. While there are laptops built for such extreme conditions, it is unlikely that you can lay your hands on one unless you are an army or naval commando. "Precaution is better than cure" and in case of laptops certainly less expensive, making it imperative on knowing how to safeguard your mobile computing devices during rainy days. While the tips listed below might not necessarily guarantee your laptop's survival in extreme conditions like taking a dip on flooded city roads, it can certainly help it survive the rains in a better manner.

Encase it

The first thing to do is to get the right covering for your laptop. Cases that come as default with most laptops usually do not make the grade when it comes to the Indian rains. It might be a good idea to put aside your favourite (and oft gauche) leather laptop case during the rains and opt for a water-resistant backpack. In addition to being easier to carry around, these backpacks can also pack in and protect your other assorted electronics like PDAs/MP3 players.

Going for a long meeting trip? Options are available in water-resistant carry/wheel along bags that can protect your laptop from leaks that may spring up in car boots (yes, leaving laptops in car boots is an absolute no-no). These are usually casings to cover the laptop while it is inside the suitcase. The casings may be part of the bag or available off the shelf as standard items.

Cases in point

There are many options of cases from reputed vendors like Samsonite. These backpacks are available at prices from approximately Rs 2,400 onwards. This backpack coupled with the good old umbrella will go a long way as the first step, to help your laptop tide over the monsoons. It is important to note at this point that 'water resistant' is not exactly the same as 'waterproof'. While waterproof cases can protect your laptop in extreme conditions like immersion in water, water-resistant cases will find it difficult to cope with more than getting splashed in occasional drizzles. It is possible to debate that the necessity of waterproof laptop cases is only in extreme cases like river rafting expeditions or treks. So we will leave that discussion behind with just a mention that it is difficult to acquire such cases in India at present. These cases will have to be acquired during your next overseas trip and will be comparatively more expensive than the readily available 'water-resistant' option.

The old photographer's tricks

More than the rains, it is the associated humidity that can put many a micro-circuitry out of action. This is why it is time to take a leaf out of the book of those who have been engaged in the fight against humidity for decades now photographers. These professionals face the dangers posed by humidity in multiple ways that are applicable as much to laptop users. Since most of these protection mechanisms

are easily available off the shelf, it should be easy to procure and cheaper to implement. One of the first means of protection is to line the inside of your laptop case with packets of silica gel. These packets are easily available at photographic equipment shops. Make sure to pick up silica gel that changes colours to indicate when it has exhausted its moisture absorbing capabilities. It is always advisable to replace the packets with fresh ones before it completely changes colour. Next comes the highly inexpensive and simple plastic way. Wrap your laptop with a soft towel and encase it in a plastic bag. This ensures that moisture does not get past the plastic layer. Another 'plastic' way to protect your laptop is to use the clear plastic kitchen foils that are readily available to wrap up your laptop. Before you get a stomach cramp from laughing too hard, it is good to be aware that this method was used effectively by journalists covering the Iraq war. Environments usually don't get more extreme than that.

When everything fails

There is always chance of glitches even after taking the best of precautions. So what do you do if your laptop gets wet? First of all, always have regular backups in place. Be prepared for the disaster that may occur. I know that this sounds as exciting as the spiel your office's system administrator dishes out. But there is no other alternative if you value the information. A removable external USB hard disk is a useful utility to have such backups. These disks along with automated backup software can ensure that the data in your laptop is safely backed up in case the worst strikes. Other options are to use the in built CD/DVD writer or a portable USB thumb drive. Taking regular hard copy printouts of valuable information like your address book are also quite handy for the times when your laptop decides to succumb to water or moisture. The nearest equivalent of switching on a wet laptop is throwing it into the nearest puddle. So do keep that finger off the power button in the eventuality of the laptop getting wet. In this scenario it is best to take your laptop to the nearest service centre. If is not possible to take the laptop to the service centre immediately, try to dry the laptop as much as possible. This can be done using methods like placing it near a dehumidifier like an AC or a hair dryer on low heat setting. However, refrain from switching on the laptop till a technician has checked it properly. These tips ought to get you and your mobile devices through the rains (present and future) and result in happy all weather computing sessions ahead.