Hello, I just bought a new laptop. Is it worth having a keyboard protector, the plastic layover type? Regards
In my personal experience, the life expectancy of my laptops doesn't justify purchasing a keyboard protector. I use mine as workhorse for school/work on a daily basis and will probably be replacing it long before the ink/coating degrade to a point where it is unusable. That being said, you probably need to look at your own situation and weigh the decision on your personal needs. Reason to get a keyboard protector: - you prefer the feel of a higher end protector. I've worked with people that seriously hate the flat keys on laptops. Some of the protectors are softer on the fingers. Personally I dislike the feel and loose fit of most protectors. - you worry about your laptop getting filthy. I just wipe my down with a lens wipe and dry cloth. - your laptop keys push against your monitor when its closed. Being the conservative type, I've got a simple piece of cloth for mine. I wouldn't recommend micro-fiber or anything that sheds. - you have high end laptop use for media/graphic design or gaming and other serious work. Honestly know people that do this, but again I think its interferes with regular usage. One technique that I learned from a business professor is to make a list of your pros in one column and your cons in another. You want to rank each pro and con 1-10 based on how important it is to you. Then sum up the totals for both columns. The column with the highest score is the one that is most important to you. The key to this exercise to to be honest with your self. Be fair in the factors you consider and weigh. Also, be patient. Some people feel a connection to their purchases and baby them. I did this with my nexus 4 for the first three weeks. I used really soft gloves when handling it and avoided touching the beautiful back. When this connection wore down, I was more clairvoyant and could make the right decision on whether to buy a case and a screen protector.
Since I maintain my computers, a can of air duster is sufficient enough for my needs, but I'd surmise a keyboard protector might offer a better long term solution. Also suggest closing your laptop when it's not being used. My father insists on leaving his propped open, even when shutdown. His is a filthy mess and we have two dogs and a cat.
That depends on your computing habits and the operating environment the computer is used in. One thing I do NOT like about those keyboard covers is they trap heat and notebooks are inherently more susceptible to heat related problems. This can be a particular issue for notebooks that ventilate through openings under the keyboard - as some do. That said, if you regularly drink and eat (or smoke) around your notebook, a cover may be a good idea - but I urge you to keep a close eye on your temps (I use and recommend CoreTemp for newer Intel and AMD CPUs). Finally, I agree that regular cleaning is essential. Turning the keyboard upside down, then tap lightly and blast with compressed air to dislodge hair, dirt, cookie and chip crumbs will surely help. As far as pets, hair is a problem but dander is really worse because it tends to be oily - especially cat dander - which can be worse than smoke residue on the inside of a windshield - if allowed to build-up.
Yes, i have a couple of cats and my hp laptop gets dirty. This new dell has very good ventilation and cooling. I might buy a cooling dock for it also, just to be safe.
